Please Help

[jungleistmassiv]

right - 60 litre tank

PH - 7.6
Ammonia - between 0 and 0.25 mg/L
Nitrite - 0 mg/L
Nitrate - between 5 and 10 mg/L

Rich

 

[Miss Wiggle]

ammonia is a problem, it should be 0, even a level of 0.000001 is dangerous.

my guess is it's either the filter catching up with the extra bioload from the new fish, or there is now too much bioload for the filter to cope with (i.e. the tank is overstocked)

20% water changes every day until ammonia is constant at 0. if it's not sorted in a couple of days then it's the latter and you need to either re-home some fish or up your filtration.

can you post your full stock list for the 60l tank

 

[jungleistmassiv]

ok thanks for your help

In the 60l tank i have
3 harlequins
2 albino catfish
4 neon tetras
2 rams
3 guppies
and the last remaining panda cory.

the 30 litre tank has just my 2 ADF's.

thanks

Rich

 

[Miss Wiggle]

ok your a little overstocked on the 60l but not drastically, give it maybe a week or so of daily water changes, if your ammonia's not steady at 0 after that you need better filtration. post back then and we'll give you some more help.

 

[jungleistmassiv]

ok cheers. So should i also be doing daily changes on my 30 litre tank?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

whats your test results for it today?

(i assume these results are with a better test kit, which one is it?)

 

[jungleistmassiv]

I am using the API freshwater master test kit.

I have just done the 30l tank

PH 7.6
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 10
Ammonia 1 (risen slightly??)

I have just changed the water in my 60l tank, so will do that test in a bit after its all circulated properly.

thanks

Rich

 

[Miss Wiggle]

same applies for both tanks then, 20% daily water changes until ammonia and nitrite are stable at 0

those readings are definately what's killed the fish

 

[jungleistmassiv]

so should i be cleaning the filter sponges every day too, or just rinsing them in the dirty water every week like i usually do? Are those bactozym tablet things any good to help the filter on its way?

thanks for all your help

rich

 

[Miss Wiggle]

no, the last thing you want to do is clean the filter right now.

every time you clean the filter you kill off some bacteria, right now you don't have enough bacteria so regular cleaning will only make things worse. leave them be unless you see a considerable drop in the flow rate coming from them.

most of the 'bacteria in a bottle' products are useless, however there are a few that are good if you can ge hold of one of them that would be useful.

if your in the USA then Bio Spira is good.
if your in the UK then Bactinettes are good, providing they have been refrigerated in transit and in the lfs.

other than those two products don't waste your money

 

[jungleistmassiv]

ok thanks, i am in the uk, in wiltshire!
my frogs have spent most of yesteerday evening and today hiding up behind the filter! haven't seen them do this before. Just doing the test on the 60l now

 

[jungleistmassiv]

ok 60l tank

ph 7.6
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate between 5 and 10.

looks like this tank is a bit healthier!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah looks good, keep testing every day for the next week or so at least to monitor things, if ammonia or nitrite come back up do your water changes.

just stick with it with the 30l and hopefully that'll be back under control shortly.

 

[jungleistmassiv]

right, day 3

I have just done a quick nitrite and ammonia check on both tanks,

60l

ammonia 0
nitrites 0


and 30l
ammonia 1
nitrites 0.25

so no change with the 30l tank, but i'll keep at it!

thanks

rich

 

[jungleistmassiv]

day 4!

nitrites in the 30 litre are down slightly, but ammonia is still the same.

the 60 litre tank is still at zero tho