Need Input About My New Tank

[WiscoLynn]

I have a new aquarium that has been set up for one month.  It is a 75 gallon and I have an API Filstar canister filter running.  Unfortunately, I did not find this forum and read about fish less cycling, until I had fish in the tank.  I am testing the water daily with the API freshwater master test kit.  The ammonia level is up to 0.50 ppm and the nitrite level is up to 0.25 ppm.  Nitrates are between 40-80 ppm.  The ammonia and nitrite levels just seem to be staying the same.  They did not come up from zero until 5 days ago, and they have been staying the same since then.  The nitrates have been high since I started testing.  I then tested my tap water (well water) and it is also the same level on nitrates right out of the faucet.
 
The fish seem to be doing fine, and I have not lost any.  Here is what is in the tank.
2 Mickey Mouse Platy's
2 of another type of Platy
3 Zebra Danio's
2 small catfish
2 black widow tetra
2 Buenos Aires tetra
2 Dalmation molly's
3 Pink Tetra
1 Purple Tetra
1 Green tetra
2 Red Phantom tetra
 
I also have 5 moss balls, and 7 live plants.  (I put these in to try and lower the level of nitrates.)
 
I am wondering if it is normal for the ammonia and nitrites to just stay at the same level for a while?  Everything I have read says you want them to be at zero.  At what level will it affect the fish?  Do you think they will continue to go higher, or will they start to come down?  At what level do I let them get to and then need to start doing water changes?
 
Attached is a picture of my aquarium.
 
Thanks for your help!
 

 

[Ninjouzata]

to TFF!
 
What is your pH? The ammonia's toxicity depends on this, IIRC. Nitrite is always bad. You can do water changes to take it out or bind it with salt, by using these directions:
 
"To add 10 ppm of chloride for every ppm of nitrite in the water, use the following steps:
 
1. Multiply your nitrite reading by 10. This will give you the needed mg/l of chloride to will need to add.
2. Calculate the actual volume in liters of water in your tank. If your volume is in gallons you must convert this into liters. (As a rule, using the advertised volume of the tank at about 85% will put you in the right ballpark.)
3. Multiply the number in #1 above by the number of liters of water in #2 above to get the total mg of  chloride you will need to add.
4. Because salt is roughly 2/3 chloride, you must multiply the number calculated in #3 by 1.5.  You now know how many mg of salt you should add to the water. Dividing this number by 1,000 will convert this amount to grams which are easier to weigh for most people.
5. Do not add salt directly to the tank. Remove some tank water to a container and mix the salt in that, then add the salt water to the tank spreading it around the surface.
6. The amount of salt needed is not very much compared to a brackish or salt water tank. So don't worry about the salt harming things, especially for the short time you would need it in the water.
 
You will need to continue testing for nitrite because any rise may mean that further salt additions are needed. Once the cycle is done, or even as nitrite drops, you can reduce or eliminate the salt from the tank via water changes."
 
It is normal for the levels to be like that for a few days. When I did a fishless cycle ammonia did not start to drop until 21 days in. (I messed up a bit so took longer than average, I think)
 
If you can post pictures of the fish you're not sure of the names on, someone should be able to ID them for you.
 
Hopefully someone with more experience comes along soon as I'm sure there's more information you could benefit from!

 

[rms]

Welcome
 
Lots of people find out about fishless cycles when it's too late. Myself included.
 
Large water changes are needed. 0.5 is pretty uncomfortable for fish and you certainly don't want it any higher (if it's toxic). Your pH will tell you. 60ppm is about the top end for nitrates. If your fish are gasping at the surface then that's a sign they are feeling the effects. This symptom is also apparent with nitrite poisoning as well. Red gills are a clear sign of ammonia burning them...
 
You'll need to change at least 75% of the water now and be prepared to change 25 to 50% each day. Test your water before and after to make sure it's low enough, otherwise another 25 or 50% change will be needed. This is by no means a disaster so don't beat yourself up. Just requires a lot of water changes and testing over the next weeks.
 
Is there any chance your LFS can take the fish so you can do a fishless cycle? Or maybe someone you know? Also ask your LFS or a friend for a small piece of filter media so you can add it to your canister. That will speed things up. You could also buy a kilo of Biohome Ultra Mini. It's a type of filter media that comes with healthy bacteria to kick start your cycle. It's quite pricey, but in the long run will benefit your filtration by keeping nitrates low, as well as the other stuff.

 

[b3cca]

Do a PWC now, as soon as you see any ammonia or nitrite you need to do it.
 
After 4 weeks running with fish in It should be getting there anyways so just test more often and Basically do large PWCs whenever you see ANY Ammonia or Nitrites, this will also reduce Nitrates.
Don't be scared do as many PWCs as it takes from day to day it won't harm anything that I'm aware of.
 
You're just doing a fish in cycle is all -- yes people frown upon it and there are easier safer ways but it can be done fine your way.
 
Read. learn and research all you can on Fish-in and Nitrogen cycle and everything should be fine.

 

[WiscoLynn]

Thank you for all the help!  I think we have made it thru.  Water changes were the key.  As of this morning ammonia and nitrites are both at 0, and I did not lose any fish!
 
I am still trying to lower the pH.  It is currently at 8.0 after adding a pH lowering additive two different times.  It started out at 8.4.  Nitrates are at 40 ppm.  But, I think I am always going to struggle with nitrates as my well water is high to start with.

 

[Ninjouzata]

I would stop messing with the pH, it can be detrimental to the fish if it keeps going back and forth the way it is for you.
You can do it safely but I'm not sure how, so recommend lots of research on it before trying anything.
 
Adding live plants should help some with your nitrates. There are hardy, low light ones like hornwort, water sprite, anacharis, aponogetons, vallisneria, swords, cryptocorynes, anubias, and java fern.
The swords and crypts would appreciate root tabs and the anubias and java fern should be tied to wood or rocks.