How Is This Possible?

[arabballin]

My tank is cycling and its at the stage where the ammonia is dropping back to 0 in about 8 or so hours but the nitirites are at about 5ppm. Well my little sister was tired of my tank being empty so she "suprised" me by putting in two marble mollies. I thought these fish would be dead by the end of night. Well its been 4 days and the fish are doing great, there eating and exploring and looking very happy and my nitrites are still high.

How is this possible?

 

[three-fingers]

How big is your tank? A 5ppm or nitrite isn't going to kill fish overnight...it's bad for them though. Mollys are hardy fish too.

 

[arabballin]

its a 30 gallon tank.

 

[Lynden]

As hard as it is to believe for you fishkeeping "young 'uns", fishless cycling was not used widely until around 2-3 years ago, and even then it needed improvement and was not the prefferred method of cycling tanks. Fish cycling was. The fish intended for cycling were chosen carefully for there hardiness, and rarely, if ever, did they die when in a cycling tank.

Many fish that breathe air are particularly resistant to it's effects, and recieve no long-lasting effects from it.

-Lynden

 

[arabballin]

So does that mean i should just leave them in there and let the tank cycle with them in there? and im sure it means i need to stop adding ammonia to the water.

 

[Lynden]

So does that mean i should just leave them in there and let the tank cycle with them in there? and im sure it means i need to stop adding ammonia to the water.

Ideally, you should take them out and comtinue your fishless cycle. But if they have no where to go, then you don't have much choice. They can take it, but that doesn't mean it is good for them.

-Lynden

 

[Aprilia997]

Mollies are commonly used to cycle saltwater tanks and the effects of ammonia and nitrites are much more toxic because of the pH so I doubt your surprise fish are in any danger. Mollies are more sensitive to low pH and enjoy some salt added to their water.

 

[Lynden]

Mollies are commonly used to cycle saltwater tanks and the effects of ammonia and nitrites are much more toxic because of the pH so I doubt your surprise fish are in any danger. Mollies are more sensitive to low pH and enjoy some salt added to their water.

Indeed; I once had a Baloon Molly in a saltwater tank that survived levels of ammonia and nitrite that exceeded 7 ppm. The poor Molly and her mate were later eaten by Triggerfish.

On another note, Mollies actually do much better in salt water than in freshwater.

-Lynden

 

[arabballin]

Well thats good cause i really dont want to see them go it does feel good to see something in my tank

 

[k.o.d]

You do need to stop adding ammonia to the tank though if you havent stopped already

Steve

 

[arabballin]

haha yes dont worry i stopped by the way i love the santa pic