Nitrate And Nitrite Too High

[stewarrior]

I need to treat my tank for white spot but ive done a water check and PH - 7.5, Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 1.6, Nitrate - 110. Teasted water last week and everything was perfect. Tank has been up and running for two months now. Should I do a 20% water change (already did one on sunday). How do I go about treating the white spot now - do I wait until I get the water correct or do I treat with a water change. Im new to fish keeping so any suggestions will be welcomed. Thanks

 

[Tolak]

Something had to happen between the last test and today. Since the only thing you did was a water change, I would suspect it had something to do with that. Where are you from, & what are you using to dechlorinate your water?

 

[nmonks]

Whitespot comes in with your new fish pretty much every time you buy some (consider it a free gift) and unless you have a quarantine tank the chances are that you'll be dealing with whitespot on a regular basis.

The good news is whitespot is easy to treat and unless it really gets out of control, doesn't kill fish.

Using whitespot remedies is easy, just follow the instructions. Some "oddball" species of fish are sensitive to the medication (usually copper compounds): things like puffers, moray eels, mormyrids. Invertebrates (with the exception of snails, seemingly) also react badly, so remove any shrimps or crabs. Regular stuff, your tetras, barbs, cichlids, and so on are fine. If in doubt, consult with your retailer, visit the website of the manufacturer, or ask around at a forum like this one.

There is a resistant strain of whitespot doing the rounds. It might be a totally different parasite for all I know, but it is quite common in the UK and some treatments don't work first time. You will need to treat two or three times to get this little blighter! I have found the eSHa Exit 2000 brand works well on this "super whitespot", as have some of the retailers I have spoken with.

Nitrites are bad, and suggest problems with your filter. If you are overstocked, add a new filter or remove some fish. If your tank is immature, then go easy on the food for a while.

Nitrates are not so bad. Taking fish from low nitrate water and dumping it in high nitrate water can kill them, but fish that have been in the tank for a while will be adapted to it. Try and lower the nitrates by doing more frequent water changes and/or using water with zero nitrates to begin with. Rainwater is nitrate free, but the municipal water our of your tap/faucet usually isn't.

Basically, you should treat for whitespot and try and fix the nitrite/nitrate problem as soon as possible. I'd prioritise the whitespot. Most treatments require you to dose the tank several times over a few days. Don't do water changes between dosing the tank (obviously), but also remove any carbon before adding medicine. Carbon removes to medicine.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[stewarrior]

Something had to happen between the last test and today. Since the only thing you did was a water change, I would suspect it had something to do with that. Where are you from, & what are you using to dechlorinate your water?

The origional test was done by a young lad in a lfs. It was busy and I have a feeling that he hasnt done it as he took the sample away from the till. The results i have written are from my own test that I have just bought. I have used Tetra Tap Safe before adding any tap water when doing a change. The only thing I have done is added three plattys and I only did this because the lad said the water was ok. Do you think I should do a water change and what about the white spot treatment.

 

[stewarrior]

Cheers for that advice nmomks it is much appreciated. I am going to do a water change now. I will do a 20% one. I am treating the white spot with protozin made by waterlife and Im to treat the tank on days 1, 2, 3 and 6. This product is by reccomendation from the lfs. How often do you think I should do the water changes do you think it is ok to do just one and then start treating the tank or should I do more before treating. how soon after day six would you recommend recommencing the water changes.

 

[nmonks]

I'd do one water change (say, 25 to 50%, making sure your pH and hardness don't change too much) and then dose the tank.

The packaging will say how soon you can do the next water change. Whitespot potion works not by killing the little white cysts, but by getting the free-living stage in the life cycle. So the potion needs to be in the water for a while. Turning the temperature up on the tank will help, by speeding up the life cycle.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[stewarrior]

I'd do one water change (say, 25 to 50%, making sure your pH and hardness don't change too much) and then dose the tank.

The packaging will say how soon you can do the next water change. Whitespot potion works not by killing the little white cysts, but by getting the free-living stage in the life cycle. So the potion needs to be in the water for a while. Turning the temperature up on the tank will help, by speeding up the life cycle.

Cheers,

Neale

Hi nmonks i did a water change of 30% yesterday left it for a few hours and treated for white spot,Also treated it again today.I have to treat again tomorrow then no more till sunday,Would you do another water change on sunday befor treating to bring the problems down with the nitrite and the nitrate being to high? thanks for your advice.

 

[nmonks]

Do no water changes until the final dose of medicine. Check the packaging; it may even say to leave the water change for something like 2 or 3 days after the final dose. The medicine works by having a certain concentration of poison in the water that kills the free swimming stage of the parasites. If you do a water change too soon, the concentration of poison will drop, and that will let some of the parasites survive. That would be bad.

Don't worry about the nitrite and nitrate in the short term. Just lay off the food a little, and if you want, add an airstone or adjust the output from the filter to keep the oxygen level high. All else being equal, the fish will be fine.

Cheers,

Neale

Hi nmonks i did a water change of 30% yesterday left it for a few hours and treated for white spot,Also treated it again today.I have to treat again tomorrow then no more till sunday,Would you do another water change on sunday befor treating to bring the problems down with the nitrite and the nitrate being to high? thanks for your advice.

 

[stewarrior]

Thanks for your advice nmonk. Iwill let you know how I get on.