Help - Fish In Broken Cycle

[Fryfly]

Please bare with me guys I’m new to this and have a problem, I need some help - again! I’m sorry if I keep asking stupid questions but every time I ask the LFS they get it wrong and quite frankly the 3 books I have at home actually are less helpful than you guys. Here’s my situation …

The magnet in my Fluval internal filter got clogged and I was left with pretty much a trickle flowing through it, it happened over night twice but is now fixed and working properly. Amazing how quickly the algae off my leaves is disappearing and how the water is clearing. I’ve a few issues that have come from this But for this thread specifically its my water conditions and Cycle.

I have a 60 litre tank with a Fluval 3+ (it had fully cycled)
25’C Temp
It’s now fully stocked.

The cycle has obviously been broken by the filter issue as last night I came home tested the water.
Ammonia 0.6
Nitrate 1
I’m testing everyday so the longest it could have been like that is 24hrs.
Immediately I did a 40% water change.

This morning tested again
It’s a liquid test and the first colour for ammonia is 0.6, clear is apparently 0. It was between these so had come down but not zero’d.
Nitrite 0.5

I’m gutted as I’ve grown rather attached to my little guys and don’t want to loose any. What do I do?

Thanks,
Glynn

 

[Miss Wiggle]

water changes, monitor the water every day, do 50% water changes every day to dilute the ammonia that's there, hopefully it's just a mini cycle and should pass fairly quickly.

other options if you've some cash to spend are

1 - ammo lock - while it doesn't get rid of ammonia, it converts it to ammonium which is less harmful to your fish, still keep up daily testing and water changes though

2 - bio spira/bactinettes - these two products contain beneficial bacteria and will boost what is already in your filter and hopefully the cycle will pass quicker, however be warned do not buy just any bacteria in a bottle product, most are worthless. Only buy them if they are refrigerated in the shop.

 

[aaronnorth]

I agree with misswiggle, water changes are the best thing

 

[Fryfly]

I agree with misswiggle, water changes are the best thing

Guys thank you very much. I''l get both if I can. And keep up the water changes.

 

[backtotropical]

I don't think Biospira is available in the UK, and bactinettes only contain Nitrosomonas (the bacteria which converts ammonia to nitrite), but not Nitrospira which converts nitrite to nitrate. As such it will help the ammonia problem but will add to the nitrite problem as it converts the ammonia, so water changes are a must. I'd say at least 50% per day, and if you can do 2 50% changes every day, then even better.

 

[Fryfly]

I don't think Biospira is available in the UK, and bactinettes only contain Nitrosomonas (the bacteria which converts ammonia to nitrite), but not Nitrospira which converts nitrite to nitrate. As such it will help the ammonia problem but will add to the nitrite problem as it converts the ammonia, so water changes are a must. I'd say at least 50% per day, and if you can do 2 50% changes every day, then even better.

I can do 2 a day if I need to.
I know it varies but can I expect this to take more than a week to sort out?

Thanks backtotropical.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

depends how long the problem with the filter was going on for, near enough impossible to call

 

[Fryfly]

Got home last night with no ammolock as the fish shop had closed by the time I got there.
Tested water

Ammonia 0.5 (tap 0) (dechlorinated water 0)
Nitrite 0.1 (tap 0)
Nitrates 15 (my tap water is around 70!) How has this been so far reduced ?
PH 8 (same as Tap) I have Bogwood but it isnt obviously enough to make a difference.

Did a 50% change

This morning tested again:

Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrite 0.05

So 50% water change and results directly halved but 10 hours later. I would have thought it would have been able to break down at least some over that period. I'll continue with water changes 50% but do these results flag any issues to anyone?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

sounds fine, just keep it up

don't worry about the nitrate, nitrate test kits are notoriously dodgy, probaby a mis-test

 

[Fryfly]

sounds fine, just keep it up

don't worry about the nitrate, nitrate test kits are notoriously dodgy, probaby a mis-test

Great thanks,
I'll keep posting test results. Hopefull It'll be over soon. I real pain is I have a nice bit of Riccia floating in a bottomless tub being prepared to attach to a coconut. I hoped a nice green carpet cave, but each time I change the water its all over the place Hopefully by the end of this I'll still have some left.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

know that feeling with riccia!! messy plant.

 

[Fryfly]

Right I’m keeping it up but now I’m confused.

While my Ammonia is staying at either 0.3 and 0.6 my Nitrate has dropped to 0. This can’t be good can it as what’s breaking my ammonia down. Am I still ok?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

nitrate is the end product of the nitrogen cycle

ammonia is converted into nitrite which is converted into nitrate

so the lack of nitrate means your nitrogen cycle isn't happening, which we know.

just got to give it time and be patient. it looks like it's not a mini cycle but a proper cycle so it make take a good couple of weeks. just keep up water changes and that's all you can do

 

[Fryfly]

Hey... I meant Nitrite sorry, I'm not measuring nitrate at the moment.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

ok nitrite won't come until the ammonia eating bacteria are getting restablished, it's the next stage in cycling but you're not quite there yet, just have to persevere i'm afraid.