Help With Test Kit Readings

[MowAddict]

Hi i'm new here as you may have guessed from this being my first post.

I've been keeping fish for a long time but now just really getting into it properly, trying to provide the best life for my fish. I've had my current tank for around two years but ive moved a couple of times and lost fish here and there.

The tank;
Is a 3ft and holds 165Litres which used to be filtered but an undergravel filter and a fluval 2 plus but the water was very murky so i went and bought an aquamanta EFX400 from maidenhead aquatics last sunday and put the filter media from the fluval two in one of the trays with the ceramics and a bag of very dirty gravel from the under gravel filter in there two.

The aquamanta has a sponge and some carbon in tray 1 (bottom), the ceramics and other filter medias in tray 2, and a finer sponge, phosphorus pad and some wool and turns over 1400 lph.

The Fish;
1 3-4 inch spanner barb
3 kissing gouramis between 2.5-4 inches
2 blue gourmais 3inches ish
3 goulden barbs around 2 inches
2 plecos around 11.5 - 12 inches
1 albino pleco around 10 inches

Since changing the filter the water has been kind of white hazy but much clearer now. when i bought the filter the tank was due its weekly 20% water change but left it because i didnt change too much at one time.

ive just done a water test as my API Master Test Kit come this morning and i got this:
Ammonia: 2.0ppm
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrate: 40ppm

Right. sorry for the essay but i thought it would be better to give all of the info i could.

so whats the best course of action?

and the last stupid question. what the best way to clean the external filter. i know alwyas to clean the filter media in fishy water but i mean what do i do with the water thats in the filter? pour it out clean the medias then put the same water back in? or how do you do yours?

Thanks, Dan.

 

[fluttermoth]

You must do some massive water changes immediately. Ammonia and nitrite should be at zero at all times.

I expect the change of filters has disrupted the filter bacteria somehow.

I hate having to say this, but your tank is hugely overstocked, even with a new, larger filter. Plecs are incredibly messy fish, and to be totally honest are far too large for a 3 foot tank. Sorry.

As for cleaning externals; yes, throw away the water that's in the canister. I part fill mine with tank water before I prime it.

 

[elisew]

Hi,

As flutter says a huge water change needs to be done asap, the ammonia and nitrite is horrendous for the fish!! Leaving just enough for the fish to swim in, remove the rest of the water and replace with dechlorinated water, same temp as you take out otherwise you will shock the fish with the difference in temp.

Filter media should be roughly washed in the water you`ve taken from the tank, don`t wash under a tap or you`ll lose the beneficial bacteria that keeps your tank cycled.

I personally would say a minimum of 30% of the water should be changed at least once a week which will help to keep your levels safe

 

[Assaye]

Ammonia and nitrite MUST be zero at all times. Do a very large water change of about 90% (just leave enough water to cover the fish) and make sure you dechlorinate and temperature match the new water.

As your levels are so out of whack, test your water twice daily until the levels hit zero again. If they stay high, do large water changes to temporarily get the levels down. These chemicals are very toxic to fish.

As for your stock:

Kissing gourami and plecs (at least 'common' plecs) all get huge (at least 12 inches each) and will rapidly outgrow your tank. They need 5-6 foot tanks to properly house them. The spanner barb will hit 7 inches and needs at least 5 friends, so they'll take up a lot of your stock. Tbh, I wouldn't recommend them for a 3 foot tank but they could do worse. The gold barbs also need to be kept in larger groups. Blue gouramis might fight but at least the tank is big enough for them.