Nitrate Content....help Me!

[STEWARDSONS]

you should try doing emergency 50% water changes on a 190 ltr tank

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Update:

I did a massive water change last night and tested, it was still high. I left it over night and tested again and it was just as high. I did another 50% change and it was still too high. I don't know what else to do! My water meter isn't gonna like this...

Unfortunately, that really is the only course of action. I would recommend that your next water change be as big as you can possibly make it - bring the water level down to where the fish can just barely swim upright. Doing one water change this big is actually better than doing two consecutive 50% water changes. This will more dramatically lower your ammonia values.

For example: if you have 1ppm ammonia, two consecutive 50% water changes (immediately following one another) will bring that level down to 0.25ppm.

If you do as big a water change as possible (90% or so), you will lower the level to about 0.10ppm. And you will actually be using LESS water to do it. Your fish will thank you, and you water bill won't actually be as high, because you won't have to change as much water to get a better effect - and ultimately, your fish with thank you in the end.

 

[scentless]

Phew!

The nitrite content is well down now after another huge change. I'll probably have to do it again tomorrow though!

Thanks all for your help.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

What is the value?

 

[scentless]

I've got a tetratest kit and it is showing as "less than 0.3mg/l" which is the lowest it can be.

I'm going to test again in the morning.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The lowest should be zero (which is where it should always be). It isn't showing that as a possibility?

 

[scentless]

No, that's the lowest category it has.

I tested my tap water (which I suppose has zero nitrite unless there are fish pooing in my water tank) and the colour is slightly lighter than the tank water test. So obviously there is still a small amount in there.

Going to do another change today.

 

[waterdrop]

That's fine then, with the Tetratest you'll just need to get it down in that lightest stage for ammonia. The more important factor will be keeping after it so that you catch it more times when it shoots up and are able to perform the kind of large changes that eagle and the others have described. Try to be regular with the timing of your testing and water changing so that it will help you possibly get a feel for any pattern you can detect and thus help you anticipate.

The one advantage you've got with the 30L is that it is not a lot of water to haul. Of course the disadvantage with a very small water volume is that the chemical concentrations will be very volatile - the simple act of daily waste will shoot up the values and there can be plenty of weeks involved in growing the right types of bacteria so lots of perseverance will be needed!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[scentless]

This is a new topic but I didn't want to another whole new thread of my noob ramblings clogging up the forum.

I'm of to the pet shop to get some supplies and hope to get some mature media to boost the cycling.

What would be the best thing for me to ask for and also what is the best thing to do with it when I put it in the tank?

 

[Kelly-Jo]

I'd try to get a liquid test kit which has a value of 0 for both ammonia and nitrite so that you can be slightly more sure that it's at 0 and not say 0.3

 

[KittyKat]

I'm of to the pet shop to get some supplies and hope to get some mature media to boost the cycling.

What would be the best thing for me to ask for and also what is the best thing to do with it when I put it in the tank?

Anything that's been used for a few months and not cleaning recently is great. The best place for it is to be cleaned in the tank, then placed into the filter.

 

[scentless]

Hurrah!

I think i'm finally getting somewhere.

Today is the first day I haven't had to do a water change. Ammonia and nitrite are at zero .