Help With Nitrites

[Dibbs123]

Hi All,

Newly joined as I need some direct answers if possible and this looks like a really good forum with lots of people who know their stuff.

Tank set up for 6 weeks. Introduced fish and they have now been in there 5 weeks. I have 6 Black Widow Tetra and 2 Dwarf Gouranmis. all very small. Tank is 39inx15inx18in. I still cant work out how many gallons this is in England??

Ammo spiked at 0.25 two weeks ago. Now at zero. Nitrites are off the scale and Nitrates are very hight also. I have changed my water requlary using de chlorine solution. Test kit is the self test liquid form with a scale.

In the last week I have added 3 small plants to the tank. I have also done a 50% water change for the past four days but my nitrites and Nitrate levels have not gone down. feed the fish once a day.

My lights are on a timer for 12hrs a day. Temp around 77c. I have not yet cleaned my filter. I have a fluval filter with two foam pads in. ceramic cubes in the first two trays and carbon in the bottom tray.

In the last week my ornaments and the glass of my tank has had both green and brown algae appear. The green seems to have died down but the brown is still present.

Can anybody give me some advice on my set up and advice on what to do about my Nitrites. I have used cycle in the first week but stopped once I read a few articles on chemicals. I have read that you can change the water again after an hour?? is this true for a 50% change to lower nitrites??


Thanks for the help!!

PS

 

[Truck]

youve obviously opted for fish in cycling, so to get the nitrites down you must do water changes everyday, as it kills fish. ammonia and nitrite should always be 0

the algae ( brown ) is normal in new tanks

the algae (green) is due to too much light, or direct sunlight, try to keep the photo period to 12 hours or less

 

[Dibbs123]

youve obviously opted for fish in cycling, so to get the nitrites down you must do water changes everyday, as it kills fish. ammonia and nitrite should always be 0

the algae ( brown ) is normal in new tanks

the algae (green) is due to too much light, or direct sunlight, try to keep the photo period to 12 hours or less

Should I avoid sucking up the gravel to much and just change the water??

thanks for help

 

[rdd1952]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Are those dimensions in CM or inches? Hoping inches, otherwise, that's only about 3 gallons and you are overstocked, accounting for high nitrite and nitrate.

Pretty much what truck said. I would suggest upping the water changes to 2 or more a day until you can get the nitrite and nitrate down. The nitrate isn't a big problem other than possibly helping to feed the algae but the nitrite is very toxic and needs to be as low as possible until the tank finally cycles. I would also cut feedings back to every other day or even every third day. The fish will be fine with that. They can easily go a couple weeks without food.

The algae is pretty normal. Brown algae (green algae too if it's the stuff that is visible on the glass) are diatoms. The brown algae is common in new tanks as it is fed by the silicates released into the water by the silicone that seals the tank. Once the silicate is gone, it will disappear. Other forms of algae can be caused by direct sunlight and too much lighting.

 

[Dibbs123]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Are those dimensions in CM or inches? Hoping inches, otherwise, that's only about 3 gallons and you are overstocked, accounting for high nitrite and nitrate.

Pretty much what truck said. I would suggest upping the water changes to 2 or more a day until you can get the nitrite and nitrate down. The nitrate isn't a big problem other than possibly helping to feed the algae but the nitrite is very toxic and needs to be as low as possible until the tank finally cycles. I would also cut feedings back to every other day or even every third day. The fish will be fine with that. They can easily go a couple weeks without food.

The algae is pretty normal. Brown algae (green algae too if it's the stuff that is visible on the glass) are diatoms. The brown algae is common in new tanks as it is fed by the silicates released into the water by the silicone that seals the tank. Once the silicate is gone, it will disappear. Other forms of algae can be caused by direct sunlight and too much lighting.

Thanks for you comments, yes it is in inches!!! tank is well out of sunlight but lights on 12 hours a day due to plants??

 

[Truck]

plants will be fine with 10 hours

 

[rdd1952]

12 hours isn't too long. Mine are on about 10. It really depends on the type plants you have and what their needs are as well as what type lights you have.

Are those tank dimensions in CM or inches?

 

[Gilli]

You might like to add more live plants as they will accelerate the process. This is because plants also consume ammonia and nitrites and therefore a planted tank would need smaller colony of beneficial bacteria than the one without the plants.