Need help after replacing new filter.

[Angb200]

Hello.
Im not a complete beginner but I need help.
I had to replace my external filter and therefore my aquarium is recycling.
My aquarium is roughly 300 litres. Inside are 4 angels, 3 filament barbs, 4 doplo cat fish and 1 rummie nose.
I did place a bit of media from my old filter in the new one but obviously not enough.
Ive got the ammonia right down to 0 (they were really high) but my nitrites are at approximately 3 now. They were 2 yesterday. I just spoke to the fish shop and they’ve told me to leave it now for 3/4 days. I’ve been doing roughly 20% and 40% water changes on alternate days for a good few weeks now. I’ve also cut feeding them right back. I don’t feed them a lot anyway, I never have done.

I’ve always done a fishless cycle so I’ve not worried that much about the numbers but because I’ve fish in there, I’m more worried.
The shop I use are pretty good but I’m worried about leaving it with the nitrites so high. The fish seem all ok and no signs of stress.
Ive been fighting this since the beginning of September. Any advice would be greatly received.

 

[Essjay]

You need to do a water change whenever ammonia or nitrite are above zero. These are killers. Ignore what the shop says, they are notorious for giving bad advice.

Using Seachem Prime water conditioner will help. This detoxifies both ammonia and nitrite for around 24 hours and will protect the fish from rising levels until the next day's water change.

Do you have any live plants in the tank? Plants take up ammonia and don't turn it into nitrite. It's possible to use live plants to take up all the ammonia so none is turned into nitrite, leaving just the current nitrite to be removed. Floating plants or stem plants like elodea left to float will help. Even if they don't take up all the ammonia, they'll reduce the amount being turned into nitrite.

 

[Angb200]

Thank you for the reply. Yes, I thought I should carry on with the water changes.

I am currently using sera aquatan water conditioner for the water changes. Is Seachem completely different?

I tried real plants but unfortunately the filament barbs completely ripped them apart. so I’ve only got fake ones again now.

 

[Essjay]

Seachem prime is just about the only water conditioner which detoxifies nitrite (I think there's one other but I can't remember what it is). Sera aquatan 'protects against ammonia' which assume means it detoxifies ammonia. But not nitrite.
These 'detoxifications' wear off after around 24 hours though which is why you still need water changes.


Shame about the barbs, live plants really would help. Would they decimate something like water sprite floating on the surface?



If you ever need to change the filter again, use as much old media as you can get into the new filter.

 

[Angb200]

Don’t worry, I have learnt my lesson on the filter..

I’ve just ordered some Seachem prime from amazon which will arrive tomorrow. So from tomorrow I’ll use that.

I put 3 different types of real plants in there to try as I had read they helped. The barbs thought it was really good fun and looked to be enjoying themselves. Lol. It was highly amusing when I put in fake ones again, they even tried them just to check if they were real. None of the real ones I tried were floating ones but my guess is they would enjoy tearing them up.

I’ll carry on with my daily water changes.
thanks again for the help and hopefully the nitrites will start to come down again soon.

 

[Angb200]

Seachem prime is just about the only water conditioner which detoxifies nitrite (I think there's one other but I can't remember what it is). Sera aquatan 'protects against ammonia' which assume means it detoxifies ammonia. But not nitrite.
These 'detoxifications' wear off after around 24 hours though which is why you still need water changes.

the Seachem has arrived. In respect of the dosage, do I only add 1 capful for 200litres changed? That seems a tiny amount! When my usual one is the same for each bucket full (approx 15litres)
I’m not moaning if it is as that’s amazing value, I’m just double checking I’ve got that correct...
[/QUOTE]

 

[Essjay]

Prime is very concentrated.

How do you refill the tank, bucket or hose? With a bucket you need to add it to each bucketful at the dose for the volume of the bucket - a syringe is useful for this. But if you use a hose, this is the one water conditioner that should be dosed for entire tank volume rather than the new water volume (according to the instructions)

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yes indeed it is 5ml for every 200 litres of new water, one capful measures 5ml.

This why Prime is good value as it only uses small amounts but it is quite strong dechlorinator so do ensure you dose the correct amounts for each amount of new tap water you use.

As essjay already mentioned, Prime does detoxify or locks ammonia and nitrite as well as other heavy metals that may be in the tap water for 24 hours.

edit - I see essjay posted at the same time as me

 

[Angb200]

Prime is very concentrated.

How do you refill the tank, bucket or hose? With a bucket you need to add it to each bucketful at the dose for the volume of the bucket - a syringe is useful for this. But if you use a hose, this is the one water conditioner that should be dosed for entire tank volume rather than the new water volume (according to the instructions)

I use a bucket, which is only around 15 litres. I’m going to find it hard to measure the amount for a bucket full. This evening I’m going to do a water change of around 6/7 buckets. (100litres) So do I add it to the 1st bucket full I put back in or the last? It will be 2.5mls I add? I have syringes so that’s not a problem.
I’m also presuming I only use this and not in addition to my other one aswel?
sorry for all the questions but it makes me nervous adding new things to the aquariums.
If these are the doses the bottle will last a long time!! Really good value, I’m impressed! Lol

 

[Essjay]

Seachem do say it is best added to the water before the water goes in the tank.

15 litres needs 0.375 ml. Do you have any 1 ml syringes? If you can measure one dose and count how many drops that is, just count drops after that.
(I use a different water conditioner and that has a dose rate in drops per US gallon, which makes it easy for me to measure tiny amounts)

 

[Angb200]

You are so helpful!
yes I have 1 ml syringes (special needs daughter who has them for medicine)
I’ll measure it out per bucket full.
thanks again!

last question (for now) tomorrow when I test the water, will the true reading of nitrites show up on the test? Or does it mask it on that too?

 

[LordHappy]

Happy day,

Totally agree about the Red Root Floaters, Damn Duckweed and other floating plants being a good idea. 6-7 buckets? Manually? Well...I'll provide an unasked-for opinion.

I've bought a lot of things in my life, most of it eventually simply becoming stuff my wife refers to as "your crap." Somehow none of the jewelry I bought her falls into this category. Perhaps because it is sparkly, and hers. Hard to say, really. Any time she questions one of my choices, I always remember that she was one of them.

Anyway, I rate the Python No Spill Clean-n-Fill as a top-five all time value item. I bought the 50-footer some 32 years ago, added another 25-foot extension, and outside of a another $20 on some replacement parts, its the number one reason why I have four tanks. Maybe the whole rig cost $75. I know that purists prefer the bucket method, and I understand why. But as a very impure person, there's a ton of value in the Python.

I've learned five main lessons about using this product. First, if you are connecting to an outside hose bib, you have to watch the temperature difference because that will cause troubles. Second, don't speed fill the tank. Third, if you live in a house with newer faucets and/or in a jurisdiction that requires flow restraint on faucets, you may not have enough water pressure to make it work. A way to test that is to turn the cold water on to max flow, and watch the flow out of the faucet. When you turn on the hot, does the flow increase? If so, you're probably ok. If not, then you're probably not going to have enough suction to draw 50 feet, although maybe 25. And the fourth lesson...which probably should be the first one but I am too ashamed to list it as first, is that you should never, ever, ever...leave the room with running water. You can close the lid on the hose to pin it in, but man, if you leave that room and become distracted, there's a high likelihood of excitement coming your way. And probably some screaming depending on who is home and how distracted you became. Maybe more than "some" screaming. And five, use the dechlorinator about half-way through the re-fill process and then again when done.

 

[Angb200]

Lordhappy, yes I do it all manually. It’s not far to dump the water and fill from the sink. Although I can say that I’m fed up of doing it daily now after 4 weeks.. I won’t know what to do again when I have the nitrites go down again and I’m back to once a week.
Here is the proof, just starting tonight’s slog

 

[Ch4rlie]

Have to mention that I too agree and use a python hose system for my larger tanks.

A real time and back saver.

I did my own diy hose system using long clear hose form LFS, some hozelock hose connectors and a universal pump to pump the water from tank to sink/bath and once that’s done connect the hose to a mixer tap from shower mixer and refill tank with near enough tank water temp, usually slightly cooler as the fish seem to like this.

Then add dechlorinator whilst tank is being refilled, dosing for the whole tank water volume.

Job done for four tanks in roughly in an hour to hour and a half rather than the usual two and a half hours using back breaking bucket method.

The turning point for me for using the old bucket method was when I dropped a full bucket of water into the lounge carpet and into the kitchen, it’s truly amazing just how much water just goes everywhere, and I do mean everywhere.

Hours of drying out the carpet and mopping up water then lifting the carpet much as possible so can dry the carpet out, all this with my better other half staring daggers at my head no doubt muttering stuff about why she was still with me!!

Ugh, not a particularly pleasant memory have to say

But as @LordHappy mentions, you do need to keep an eye on the python hose for either taking water out of tank or refilling as it’s so easy to forget this and going too far to take out too much water or to overflow the water refilling the tank, there has been a couple of close calls but thankfully was lucky and have now got a routine that I do so I don’t forget

Python hose, either buy one or do a diy one to suit you, it’s worth it!

 

[Essjay]

will the true reading of nitrites show up on the test? Or does it mask it on that too?

I think that the nitrite reading is not affected by Prime. Whatever the water tests at is the true reading.