Help Me!

[fishy16]

my nitrates and nitrites are extremly high what can i do (other than a water change) to bring them down.

 

[Vidster]

I would say water changes are the key. A large one right away and then smaller ones every day until things balance themselves out.

It is going to help the peeps on here that know more than me if you can post your readings.

 

[karin]

Yes, please post your water stats and a little history of the tank, type of filtration, plants, and any changes recently like additions of fish etc.

 

[heatwave]

I agree, i had the same problem Friday. A 50% WC was done on Friday, 30% Saturday & 30% Sunday. I had my water checked today and it was fine. Altho i have just done another 30%.

 

[ZoddyZod]

my nitrates and nitrites are extremly high what can i do (other than a water change) to bring them down.

the only real way of removing nitrates on an ongoing basis is water changing. You can't really avoid that in fish keeping.

with nitrites, you definiately have to water change ASAP if you are getting any reading of them. Eventually your filter should change them into relatively harmless nitrates.....which you remove with your routine water changes.

 

[KittyKat]

Nitrites will be 0ppm if your filter is cycled. If you are doing a fish-in cycle, you need to do water changes to keep nitrites below 0.25ppm. Once the filter is cycled, they will remain at 0ppm so will not be a problem.

Nitrates are used up by plants. Except for heavily planted set-up, the only other way to deal with them is with water changes. Even if you do have a heavily planted set-up, you would still need to do water changes once per week to keep water quality up.

 

[fishy16]

I would say water changes are the key. A large one right away and then smaller ones every day until things balance themselves out.

It is going to help the peeps on here that know more than me if you can post your readings.

My stats are now Broad PH 7.6 Ammonia 0.25 Nitrite 0.50 Nitrate 10 temp 26 did a 10 litre water change yesterday and a 20 litre the day before.

 

[Vidster]

Whilever your ammonia is at .25ppm and your Nitrite so high you need to be doing large water changes avery day. If they go over .25ppm your fish will suffer.

I would suggest doing water changes of at least 50% every day until things sort themselve's out. However. I am not brilliant on this subject so hopefully someone with more skill than myself will be along soon to give thorough instruction.

 

[KittyKat]

+1 for daily water changes! 50% sounds right as a starting point.

Please keep the ammonia and nitrite always below 0.25ppm or your fish will suffer.