Urgent Help Needed Nitrite Surge

[Nickelback]

My fish are in extreme danger I have a cichlid tank with eight cichlids a sucking loach and two bristlenose fish.I didn't do the proper cycle before adding the fish unfortunately as someone was in a urgent hurry to palm their fish off and I had to take them(two convicts) Well then when I bought the fish I added them all at once as the pet shop said cichlids will fight aggressively if you add them individually. Somebody already told me on the forum that I didn't have to do that Well I have had the tank going for approximately four weeks and have been doing exactly what the advive I got on the forum said and that is doing a water change every single day.Problem is now I have started to do one every second day as I'm stressing that I'm taking too much bacteria out of the tank because the nitrite,nitrate and amonia levels are not real good.The nitrite is at 0.5(doing the test prior to water change)and the amonia isn't that bad as it's basically 0 but now the nitrates gone up to 10.I would think by now the tank should have settled in.I don't understand why it hasn't.I did clean the filters out a few days ago and hope that was alright as they were in need of cleaning.The thing is I'm stressed about how long this is going to go on.How long does it take for the tank to settle in and have amonia and nitrite where I want it-0.Is there anything I can do or should I start doing a water change every day again Well hopefully someone out there has some advice on what is wrong with my tank The fish don't seem to be acting stressed but is there a real way of telling if fish are stressed.Please help

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

First you need to give us more info on your situation;
a. What types/species of fish do you have?
b. How many gallons is the tank?
c. Do you use dechlorinator/water conditioner?
d. How did you go about cycling the tank?
e. Have you added any other chemicals or things to the water?
f. How large are the water changes you are doing (i.e. taking 10, 20, 30% of the water out etc)?
g. Did you acclimatise the fish at all before adding them to the tank and if so, how did you go about it?

 

[Nickelback]

First you need to give us more info on your situation;
a. What types/species of fish do you have?
b. How many gallons is the tank?
c. Do you use dechlorinator/water conditioner?
d. How did you go about cycling the tank?
e. Have you added any other chemicals or things to the water?
f. How large are the water changes you are doing (i.e. taking 10, 20, 30% of the water out etc)?
g. Did you acclimatise the fish at all before adding them to the tank and if so, how did you go about it?

Hi thanks for your reply Well here goes in the tank there is:1xchocolate,1xtexas,1xjack dempsey,1x firemouth,1xblue acara,1xsalvini,2xconvicts,2xbristlenose and 1xsucking loach.They are all babies at present.The tank is approximately 180 litres.Not sure of gallons Can't find the link that tells me.I didn't use any dechlorinator/water conditioner that I know of except the usual water ager that kills the chlorine so mabye thats a yes to that question.The tank only sat about a week and then I added the two convicts and about a week later added the rest Bad manafement from me. I'm actually fairly new to the fish scene started in april and now know that I must cycle the tank alot longer than I did My tropical tank which I have is going superbly and I barley have lost a fish But I let it sit for four weeks before adding fish.Well the only other additives I can think that have gone into the tank are whitespot treatment and stress zyme and amtrite down which was supposed to help with the nitrite and amonia Well as for the water changes 50% every second day or 30% everyday but I've like I say been trying to cut back to every second day I actually acclimatised the fish by leaving them in the bags for 20 minutes before putting them in the tank.Well hope I have given you all the information.Thanks for reading my topic And all the best from Steph By the way I have a big 570 litre tank on labye for these fish if they survive I wasn't planning on keeping them in such a small tank when they got bigger just in case you thought I was mad

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hmm it sounds an aweful lot like new tank syndrome to me, this link will explain all;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

There are a lot of very useful articles in the beginner section at the top which may also be of much help .

 

[Nickelback]

Hmm it sounds an aweful lot like new tank syndrome to me, this link will explain all;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

There are a lot of very useful articles in the beginner section at the top which may also be of much help .

Excellent information That's what I have needed to read(read jonesyuk fishless cycling in link)And have now discovered so much information on cycling a tank So you just add amonia measued out like it says.I cycled my tropical tank for four weeks with nothing as I didn't know this wealth of information.I was lucky I haven't lost more fish Well this will be good information to know as when I get the six foot 570 litre tank for them I will cycle it properly and finally they will be stress free which I'm assuming they are stressed at the moment Well from what I have read I will keep doing daily water changes and there is some hope from what I have read in the links as amonia converts to nitrite and then to nitrate the fact that my tank the amonia has dropped and the nitrite and nitrate increasing this must be a sign that the bacteria is starting to settle in I think Well I'm praying I don't lose any fish I have had them for about four weeks now and they have all survived.Do you think they will be ok as long as I do the water changes everyday until the amonia,nitrate and nitrite read zero(Iread in links) Well I'm very appreciative of the information you have given me it will help me greatly with my future fish tanks Cheers from Steph

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hmm it sounds an aweful lot like new tank syndrome to me, this link will explain all;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

There are a lot of very useful articles in the beginner section at the top which may also be of much help .

Excellent information That's what I have needed to read(read jonesyuk fishless cycling in link)And have now discovered so much information on cycling a tank So you just add amonia measued out like it says.I cycled my tropical tank for four weeks with nothing as I didn't know this wealth of information.I was lucky I haven't lost more fish Well this will be good information to know as when I get the six foot 570 litre tank for them I will cycle it properly and finally they will be stress free which I'm assuming they are stressed at the moment Well from what I have read I will keep doing daily water changes and there is some hope from what I have read in the links as amonia converts to nitrite and then to nitrate the fact that my tank the amonia has dropped and the nitrite and nitrate increasing this must be a sign that the bacteria is starting to settle in I think Well I'm praying I don't lose any fish I have had them for about four weeks now and they have all survived.Do you think they will be ok as long as I do the water changes everyday until the amonia,nitrate and nitrite read zero(Iread in links) Well I'm very appreciative of the information you have given me it will help me greatly with my future fish tanks Cheers from Steph

Glad to help , just keep on those daily water changes and testing the water quality, if you see any nitrites or ammonia, do a small water change with dechlorinator- its important to use dechlorinator in all water that goes in the tank as chlorine can kill off your beneficial bacteria.
Also keep an eye on your fishes health as stress from unstable water quality conditions can sometimes bring about desease/illness, so make sure you check your fishes physical condition (like sores, cotton-like or slimey growths, white/stringy poop, bloating or scales sticking out etc) and behavior every day (gasping at the surface, rapid breathing, fish hanging around on its own not eating etc are not good signs) .

When you clean your filter sponge, just roughly rinse it out in water from water changes every 10 days (or one to two weeks) or so as overcleaning the filter sponge or washing it out in untreated tap water can kill off your beneficial bacteria that grows on it and helps prevent water quality problems.
Also make sure you keep the filter running 24/7 (apart from when you clean it of course) as its important for the bacteria to have a flowing source of water over it to give it oxygen to survive- make sure there is no uneaten food in the tank a couple of minutes after you feed your fish as this is a sign you are overfeeding them as fish food can rot quickly and cause water quality issues or even harbor nasty deseases like columnaris.
You should only need to keep your tank lights on for 11hrs a day tops, the lights are mostly there just for plants to grow, but if you leave them on too long you can get algae problems (particually if there are no healthy live plants in the tank to take up excess nutrients) which can be a pain in the bum to get rid of. Algae is not a problem to the fish but can look unsightly.

Make sure you clean your substrate once a week too- you can buy a gravel vac to help you do this if you have gravel, or a syphon if you have sand- or you can just stir it up with your hands, net out any waste, and then do a water change .

Good luck with your fish keeping and keep us updated if you have anymore problems or questions etc .

 

[Nickelback]

Hmm it sounds an aweful lot like new tank syndrome to me, this link will explain all;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

There are a lot of very useful articles in the beginner section at the top which may also be of much help .

Excellent information That's what I have needed to read(read jonesyuk fishless cycling in link)And have now discovered so much information on cycling a tank So you just add amonia measued out like it says.I cycled my tropical tank for four weeks with nothing as I didn't know this wealth of information.I was lucky I haven't lost more fish Well this will be good information to know as when I get the six foot 570 litre tank for them I will cycle it properly and finally they will be stress free which I'm assuming they are stressed at the moment Well from what I have read I will keep doing daily water changes and there is some hope from what I have read in the links as amonia converts to nitrite and then to nitrate the fact that my tank the amonia has dropped and the nitrite and nitrate increasing this must be a sign that the bacteria is starting to settle in I think Well I'm praying I don't lose any fish I have had them for about four weeks now and they have all survived.Do you think they will be ok as long as I do the water changes everyday until the amonia,nitrate and nitrite read zero(Iread in links) Well I'm very appreciative of the information you have given me it will help me greatly with my future fish tanks Cheers from Steph

Glad to help , just keep on those daily water changes and testing the water quality, if you see any nitrites or ammonia, do a small water change with dechlorinator- its important to use dechlorinator in all water that goes in the tank as chlorine can kill off your beneficial bacteria.
Also keep an eye on your fishes health as stress from unstable water quality conditions can sometimes bring about desease/illness, so make sure you check your fishes physical condition (like sores, cotton-like or slimey growths, white/stringy poop, bloating or scales sticking out etc) and behavior every day (gasping at the surface, rapid breathing, fish hanging around on its own not eating etc are not good signs) .

When you clean your filter sponge, just roughly rinse it out in water from water changes every 10 days (or one to two weeks) or so as overcleaning the filter sponge or washing it out in untreated tap water can kill off your beneficial bacteria that grows on it and helps prevent water quality problems.
Also make sure you keep the filter running 24/7 (apart from when you clean it of course) as its important for the bacteria to have a flowing source of water over it to give it oxygen to survive- make sure there is no uneaten food in the tank a couple of minutes after you feed your fish as this is a sign you are overfeeding them as fish food can rot quickly and cause water quality issues or even harbor nasty deseases like columnaris.
You should only need to keep your tank lights on for 11hrs a day tops, the lights are mostly there just for plants to grow, but if you leave them on too long you can get algae problems (particually if there are no healthy live plants in the tank to take up excess nutrients) which can be a pain in the bum to get rid of. Algae is not a problem to the fish but can look unsightly.

Make sure you clean your substrate once a week too- you can buy a gravel vac to help you do this if you have gravel, or a syphon if you have sand- or you can just stir it up with your hands, net out any waste, and then do a water change .

Good luck with your fish keeping and keep us updated if you have anymore problems or questions etc .

Thanks for all your help and great advice.It is priceless information and I'm grateful you shared it with me Cheers and many thanks