Water Change, So When Do I Next Test?

[Wrams]

I have done a 40% WC today, so when do i do my next water test?

Sorry forgot to mention that i have the following: Ammonia 0.25ppm Nitrite 1.0ppm High Range PH 8.0
So am doing daily WC's but just need to know when to test after each WC?

 

[minxfishy]

I would leave it about an hour after a water change to test again.

At those levels, specially nitrite 1.0 I would do another 50% water change.

Edit to add: I assume this is a fish-in cycle?

 

[Wrams]

I would leave it about an hour after a water change to test again.

At those levels, specially nitrite 1.0 I would do another 50% water change.

Edit to add: I assume this is a fish-in cycle?

I have done the cycle already but i added a new filter and more fish so it seems to of messed my chemicals up in my tank

 

[emmag21]

Did you transfer media from the old filter over to the new one? x

 

[Wrams]

Did you transfer media from the old filter over to the new one? x

No, I left the media in the still running internal filter and allowed the external to run with it. There both running together.

 

[Wrams]

I have just took more readings a couple of hours after water change and here are the following results:

Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 10
PH 7.8

If you look at the top of this thread you will see they where higher (apart from Ammonia)

Tomorrow i will do another 40% water change.

Also i have noticed that the cloudiness is going slowly but surely

 

[minxfishy]

Just keep up those w/c and test an hour or so after each, if they rise above 0.25 for either ammonia or nitrite then you need to do another 50%. Looks like a mini-cycle so hopefully will settle in a couple of days as the bacteria adjusts to the extra waste load from the extra fish.

 

[Wrams]

Just keep up those w/c and test an hour or so after each, if they rise above 0.25 for either ammonia or nitrite then you need to do another 50%. Looks like a mini-cycle so hopefully will settle in a couple of days as the bacteria adjusts to the extra waste load from the extra fish.

Hi Minxfishy,
What do you mean by a mini cycle?

 

[minxfishy]

A mini-cycle is where, after you have had a stable bacteria colony for a while, then something happens to upset the balance, like adding new fish, thus causing the bacteria to need to adjust.

In your case, if Im reading it right, everything was fine, your water stats were all normal, then you added some new fish and then your water started showing ammonia and nitrite again?

This is known as a mini cycle, it means you need to treat it the same as if you were cycing with fish-in, with daily water changes and testing until the filter bacteria colony catches up with the extra waste load produced by the extra fish. Once it has got used to the extra waste, then your stats will level back off at 0 for ammonia and nitrite as it should be. You may find this happens each time you add new fish until you have a mature filter, try to keep the adding of new fish to only once a month for a while and only a few at a time, that way the bacteria adjusts accordingly preventing the problems your facing now.

 

[Wrams]

A mini-cycle is where, after you have had a stable bacteria colony for a while, then something happens to upset the balance, like adding new fish, thus causing the bacteria to need to adjust.

In your case, if Im reading it right, everything was fine, your water stats were all normal, then you added some new fish and then your water started showing ammonia and nitrite again?

This is known as a mini cycle, it means you need to treat it the same as if you were cycing with fish-in, with daily water changes and testing until the filter bacteria colony catches up with the extra waste load produced by the extra fish. Once it has got used to the extra waste, then your stats will level back off at 0 for ammonia and nitrite as it should be. You may find this happens each time you add new fish until you have a mature filter, try to keep the adding of new fish to only once a month for a while and only a few at a time, that way the bacteria adjusts accordingly preventing the problems your facing now.

My Ammonia has never been below 0.25 and Nitrite never below 0.25 when i tested the water from the tap even that was 0.25 for both.
I did add 5 new platys yesterday. I have 12 fish now and 11 fry from a guppy, there in a breeding tank (floating Tank) inside the main tank.

I wll keep doing the WC but what amount would you recommend? I'm doing 40% but is that to much or to little?

Thanks for your help.

 

[minxfishy]

Right ok, I assumed you done a fishless cycle and everything was 0 before adding any fish. Strange tap water readings, but it happens. In a mature filter, the bacteria would compensate for the tap water by converting the ammonia and nitrite fairly quickly, but for now, then I would suggest 50% water changes daily, depending on the test results. With fish your aim is to obviously reach 0 but providing you can keep the levels 0.25ppm or below then hopefully they wont be affected too much. With your tap water this could take some time to get to 0 as obviously every time your doing a water change you are putting amm and nitrite back into the tank.

I would suggest for now that you dont add any more fish until the bacteria is well established and it can convert the fish waste and the unfortunate tap water readings without any problems, at least within 24 hours.

It wont harm the fish to do 50% water changes a couple of times a day if you need to, as long as your dechlor it and try to match the temp of the water going back in to roughly that of the tank temp you should be ok.

Have you spoken to your water company to ask why they have ammonia and nitrite in their tap water? Its normal to get nitrates in tap water, some people have up to 40ppm in their water, but not normal for ammonia and nitrite.

 

[Wrams]

Right ok, I assumed you done a fishless cycle and everything was 0 before adding any fish. Strange tap water readings, but it happens. In a mature filter, the bacteria would compensate for the tap water by converting the ammonia and nitrite fairly quickly, but for now, then I would suggest 50% water changes daily, depending on the test results. With fish your aim is to obviously reach 0 but providing you can keep the levels 0.25ppm or below then hopefully they wont be affected too much. With your tap water this could take some time to get to 0 as obviously every time your doing a water change you are putting amm and nitrite back into the tank.

I would suggest for now that you dont add any more fish until the bacteria is well established and it can convert the fish waste and the unfortunate tap water readings without any problems, at least within 24 hours.

It wont harm the fish to do 50% water changes a couple of times a day if you need to, as long as your dechlor it and try to match the temp of the water going back in to roughly that of the tank temp you should be ok.

Have you spoken to your water company to ask why they have ammonia and nitrite in their tap water? Its normal to get nitrates in tap water, some people have up to 40ppm in their water, but not normal for ammonia and nitrite.

I will contact the water company tomorrow and ask why there is Ammonia and Nitrite in our tap water. Thanks for all your help