Help! Increasing Water Quality And Fish Floating To Top..

[natehall]

Hi,

My fish tank water is high in chlorine for the past few days, I have tried adding 10ml for 2 gallons tapsafe during the 50% water changes for cycling and it is not reducing the chlorine - I dont know how much is safe to add and the fish are tarting to spend a lot more time at the top of the tank - almost like there floating up there but upright...

I am getting quite concerned but dont have a clue what to do. Nitrite and Nitrate levels are fine, the Ammonia hasnt peaked above 25ppm.

Help!

 

[moochy13]

ermmm. ammonia levels, anything above 0 is bad news. id be more concerned about ammonia. are you testing for chlorine ? what are you using ?

 

[Rickzayne]

are you not getting confused with ammonia?

do a 70% water change tonight. adding tap safe for the chlorine

and do another 70% tomorrow!

 

[natehall]

are you not getting confused with ammonia?

do a 70% water change tonight. adding tap safe for the chlorine

and do another 70% tomorrow!

I have been using the 6 in 1 test strips and consistently getting a cl2 reading of 0.8 despite adding more and more tap safe..

I have already done the daily 50% water change, and am currently awwaiting the test results of the ammonia test.

 

[natehall]

the reading appears below 0.25ppm on the ammonia test but above the 0 scale.

 

[Hardlife91]

The test strips aren't always good for results. I would recommend an API master test kit. and if you can, get stress coat! that always works for me and my tap water uses a lot of chlorine.

 

[natehall]

The test strips aren't always good for results. I would recommend an API master test kit. and if you can, get stress coat! that always works for me and my tap water uses a lot of chlorine.

Ok I will get some - of that tomorrow - I am quite worried as one of my fish has poo coming out of its bum and looks quite inflated.. its a red oranda if that helps.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi,

My fish tank water is high in chlorine for the past few days, I have tried adding 10ml for 2 gallons tapsafe during the 50% water changes for cycling and it is not reducing the chlorine - I dont know how much is safe to add and the fish are tarting to spend a lot more time at the top of the tank - almost like there floating up there but upright...

I am getting quite concerned but dont have a clue what to do. Nitrite and Nitrate levels are fine, the Ammonia hasnt peaked above 25ppm.

Help!

Are you cycling the tank with fish, or is this a recent spike?

Water changes are best to keep toxins low. Any time ammonia or nitrite are 0.25 or higher, do a larger water change to get them down. Same with nitrates over 20. Prime is a really good dechlorinator b/c it not only dechlorinates water but detoxifies ammonia, etc and can make them non-toxic for up to 48 hours, so it might help more to use it rather than Tap Safe. How high are the nitrAtes, if you know? Again, I would start with a very large water change using Prime if you can get it and see if that helps.

How high is the temperature in the tank? IS there surface aeration? Do you use an air stone?

Slime Coat, to my knowledge, isn't a pure water dechlorinator so don't use it without using a true dechlorinator (unless I"m wrong, which is always possible lol)..

 

[fluttermoth]

How big is your tank and what filtration do you have, OP? Was the tank cycled?

 

[natehall]

How big is your tank and what filtration do you have, OP? Was the tank cycled?

Hi,

its a 27 litre cube, I know I need to get a tank 4 times the size and am currently trying to get hold of one as a matter of priority but dont have £200 spare so am currently a leading bidder on one on ebay which I can collect thursdy should I win it

The filtration is the standard sponge filter that came with the tank and it was not cycled when the fish went in (im an idiot i know)

 

[Rickzayne]

Test strips are awful I thought I'd use mine up.. Thought my PH level was at 6!! But false alert!

 

[natehall]

Hi,

My fish tank water is high in chlorine for the past few days, I have tried adding 10ml for 2 gallons tapsafe during the 50% water changes for cycling and it is not reducing the chlorine - I dont know how much is safe to add and the fish are tarting to spend a lot more time at the top of the tank - almost like there floating up there but upright...

I am getting quite concerned but dont have a clue what to do. Nitrite and Nitrate levels are fine, the Ammonia hasnt peaked above 25ppm.

Help!

Are you cycling the tank with fish, or is this a recent spike?

Water changes are best to keep toxins low. Any time ammonia or nitrite are 0.25 or higher, do a larger water change to get them down. Same with nitrates over 20. Prime is a really good dechlorinator b/c it not only dechlorinates water but detoxifies ammonia, etc and can make them non-toxic for up to 48 hours, so it might help more to use it rather than Tap Safe. How high are the nitrAtes, if you know? Again, I would start with a very large water change using Prime if you can get it and see if that helps.

How high is the temperature in the tank? IS there surface aeration? Do you use an air stone?

Slime Coat, to my knowledge, isn't a pure water dechlorinator so don't use it without using a true dechlorinator (unless I"m wrong, which is always possible lol)..

Hi,

I am cycling with fish in - in a 27 litre tank whilst I get a new larger tank. The water temperature is room temperature as they are coldwater fish - I dont know the exact temperature..

As a dechlorinator I was using Love fish Tap Safe, however I lost patience with that as I couldnt Detect lower cl2 so I changed to Interpet Tapsafe.

The things I have here are:
Interpet Ammonia Remover
API PH Up
API PH Down
Interpet General Tonic

I last gave them a dose of the General tonic on sunday at around 1am as a preventative measure due to the water quality issues. I am struggling to keep the levels under control.

I have received today a API Master test kit, although I have had a API ammonia tester since setting up the tank and that is how I got the other figures for ammonia. I note the master test kit doesnt have anything to test chlorean so I am stuck with the strips on that one.

 

[fluttermoth]

I would forget about everything apart from the ammonia. You'll probably be having to do 50 or 60% water changes daily; do not add tonics, salt, pH adjusters or anything else.

I'd also forget about testing for chlorine; those dip strips are notoriously inaccurate; trust your dechlorinator to do it's job.

Unfortunately, ammonia permantly damages fish gills, so that could be the reason why your fish are gasping.

Trailing lengths of poo is quite normal for goldies; they're like cows; eat and poop constantly; the bloating is a bit of a worry, but the best medicine for fish is plenty of good, clean water, so keep up the changes and hopefully you'll see an improvement.

I really hope you have a new, larger tank on it's way very soon, as your fish cannot stay in 27l tank.

 

[Harlequins]

Test strips has mentioned are totally unreliable imo abd give false or inaccurate readings... if your using a dechlorinator you shouldn't in theory have any chlorine showing.

The best dechlorinator is Prime and will remove all chlorine etc...

The products you show above are not needed,ammonia remover is only stalling the cycle and not letting the nitrogen cycle do its job. Have a read under my signature pic about cycling the filter

Don't add ph up or down,has this will affect the fish,ph flunctuations is worse than a high or low ph.and over dosing with general tonic won't help the fish.

Do a large water change to bring that ammonia down,have you tested the water since receiving the api test kit?


Beat me to it flutter

 

[natehall]

I have asked all the people local to me (within 60 miles) on ebay with a tank over 100l if they have a buy it now to try and speed things up. I ust hope I can get something soon.

I just hope whatever I do - I can do it well enough to save the fish!

I have read about filter media from other tanks - but wont that bring risks of disease from the other tank? there is an old chap 2 doors down who I have found out loves fish and has a lot of fish - but its tropical fish - would the media still be of use?

how do I transfer the media and do I leave it in permanently? Last time I saw his tanks (about a year ago now) they didnt look the cleanest with algea etc and his house is very scruffy!

Test strips has mentioned are totally unreliable imo abd give false or inaccurate readings... if your using a dechlorinator you shouldn't in theory have any chlorine showing.

The best dechlorinator is Prime and will remove all chlorine etc...

The products you show above are not needed,ammonia remover is only stalling the cycle and not letting the nitrogen cycle do its job. Have a read under my signature pic about cycling the filter

Don't add ph up or down,has this will affect the fish,ph flunctuations is worse than a high or low ph.and over dosing with general tonic won't help the fish.

Do a large water change to bring that ammonia down,have you tested the water since receiving the api test kit?


Beat me to it flutter

I havent done the nitrate or nitrite test with the api test kit, the ammonia kit I used already was an API singular test I had got - I will get on with the tests now...

Thank you everyone for your help - it really is appreciated and if there is ever anything I can do to help you (I work in web development) please just ask and i will get it done.