Nitrite/nitrate Spike - Help Please

[katykaye]

I have a 64L tank which has been set up and running with no problems for a year. It currently houses 6 Rams (small) 2 golden, 2 Bolivian and 2 German blue.

I was running it with the filter that came with the tank until 3 weeks ago when I bought a Fluval U3. For the past 3 weeks I have been running the filters alongside each other. I took the old filter out 3 days ago and since then have been unable to get my water stats sorted. I have been doing 50% water changes for 2 days and then yesterday did a 75% change.

My stats last night were:
NitrIte 0
Ammonia 0
NitrAte 10
PH 7.6

Today they are:
nitrIte 1.0
Amonia 0
NitrAte 10
PH 7.6

I am assuming that its because of the filters - anyone got any advice please other than keep doing the water changes?

 

[KittyKat]

1. It is. Usually I recommend that the filters be run alongside each other for 6 weeks if possible and 4 is a minimum.
- Nitrite: do water changes every 6 hours (8 or 12 is also ok, but not so good) and try to keep the readings below 0.25 if you can.
- Nitrate: that is not a spike.. I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts going over 25ppm, in which case best solution is to get some (more) plants.

2. Long term the pH of 7.6 can cause problems in the blue and gold rams..

3. Your tank is a little too small for the Bolivian rams..

 

[fatheadminnow]

It is because you took out the filter.

Like stated above, you need to run them alongside for a longer period of time.

You are now in a fish-in cycle, and you must do water changes to keep you nitrite down.

You can do water changes anytime (not just every 6 or so hours) in order to keep your water parameters as close to zero as possible!

- Nitrate: that is not a spike.. I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts going over 25ppm, in which case best solution is to get some (more) plants.

Nitrate is okay up to about 40-50 ppm.

-FHM

 

[katykaye]

1. It is. Usually I recommend that the filters be run alongside each other for 6 weeks if possible and 4 is a minimum.
- Nitrite: do water changes every 6 hours (8 or 12 is also ok, but not so good) and try to keep the readings below 0.25 if you can.
- Nitrate: that is not a spike.. I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts going over 25ppm, in which case best solution is to get some (more) plants.

2. Long term the pH of 7.6 can cause problems in the blue and gold rams..

3. Your tank is a little too small for the Bolivian rams..

Thank you.

The rams are still small and will be being transferred to my new 350L as soon as its ready so hopefully they don't grow too quickly!

 

[KittyKat]

You can do water changes anytime (not just every 6 or so hours) in order to keep your water parameters as close to zero as possible!

Well obviously.. but the less often the water is checked on, the higher the risk that they may get high enough to harm the fish.

- Nitrate: that is not a spike.. I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts going over 25ppm, in which case best solution is to get some (more) plants.

Nitrate is okay up to about 40-50 ppm.

Again true, and there are plenty of fish which can tolerate as high as 250ppm.. but is it not better to start thinking about doing something before they get too high? After all, it normally takes some time to sort out a long term solution

 

[arobinson1984]

Just to add regarding the nitrate levels that german blue rams are especially sensitive and rarely tolerate levels above about 20ppm

Andy

 

[MBOU]

Did you by any chance feed before the second water test? If you fed anytime in the hour or two before taking that water sample, that might explain some nitrites...

 

[drobbyb]

2. Long term the pH of 7.6 can cause problems in the blue and gold rams..

Actually this isn't true. For an example: my brother has had a pair of blue rams in a tank that has a pH of 8.2. They get along fine and are not stressed at all. The only impact that I have seen is that they haven't bred, which was expected.

Fish are tougher than you think, even the sensitive ones, as long as you acclimate slowly enough.