My water is really bad quality (hasn't cycled yet)

[pcam86]

My water has high ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and my tank still hasn't cycled yet.

When i got my tank i also got a phosphate remover as shown in this link: Click here!

Would it be better if i use this?

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't add that yet, if water stats are high and the fish are suffering i would do a water change.

 

[pcam86]

yeah i've been doing water changes around every other day so far.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How much ammonia/nitrates/nitrites do you have exactly?
I wouldn't use the algae remover treatment simply because by removing such things as ammonia it will only slow the cycling process down...

 

[pcam86]

i don't have the exact readings but they are all pretty bad.

The phosphate remover doesn't say anything about removing ammonia so i'm not sure if it effects that.

 

[WILDER]

What size tank is it and what fish do you keep.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Whoops sorry, meant nitrites and nitrates, still the same thing though- i would avoid using medications of any sort wether they be for algae or fish unless you actually have a problem with them as these can do your tank more damage in the long run than what they solve and will cause unesarsary stress to your fish.
The best way to keep water stats good is simple water changes; i would try and find out your exact water stats too as these will help you figure out how much water you need to take out in your water changes and how often.

 

[pcam86]

I have a 24" x 14" x 12" tank.

I have: around 10 platy fry, 3 platies and 4 neons.

Being as it was so bad i was thinking of doing a water change every day until the toxic level starts to drop a lot.

 

[WILDER]

Neons are no good for cycling they need a mature tank of six months, you probably will end up losing them, just keep up with water changes.

 

[pcam86]

yeah i know that now but i wasn't told when i went to get some fish to start with. I was told they were fine.

I used a malachite green white spot treatment around 10 days ago but it dodn't work so i've added salt today. I only used it twice but didn't use my carbon filter pad at all after i stopped using it. does it matter if i didn't?

 

[WILDER]

No i've done it if you are doing water changes anyway that should remove the med from the tank.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Neons will probably not survive now with salt in the tank too; it will probably be best you rehome them or give them back to the lfs you got them from and get some much more hardy fish that are more suitable to cycling otherwise you are just waiting for the neons to die...

 

[pcam86]

So are ALL tetras just as "weak" or is it just neons? It's just that i also like head and tail light tetra's but i won't get them at all if they are just as weak.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

No, they are not all "weak" but i do remember specifically telling you to get some proper whitespot med for the tank instead of using salt in the beginner section of the site in your "how much salt?" thread but it looks like you went ahead and did it anyway...
If you honestly want the fish to live, rehome the tetras and do some water changes to remove the salt and buy some whitespot med- there are meds available for this by Interpet for example.
Do not buy anymore fish until you have sorted out the whitespot and water stats and even after that, i would leave buying anymore fish for at least 2-3 weeks in case the whitespot returns.