Water Change?

[DJ_$ure$hot]

If I have an Ammonia reading of 0.50ppm & I have my 1st reading of Nitrites @ 0.25ppm, shall I do a 10% or 20% water change right now?

 

[stormy78]

Hi, I personally wouldn't do a water change unless your PH levels have crashed. What is your PH level?

Ideally you want to wait to see if the Ammonia and NitrIte drop over time due to the bacteria processing it. Im sure MW or Waterdrop will explain this better than me!

 

[DJ_$ure$hot]

Hi, I personally wouldn't do a water change unless your PH levels have crashed. What is your PH level?

Ideally you want to wait to see if the Ammonia and NitrIte drop over time due to the bacteria processing it. Im sure MW or Waterdrop will explain this better than me!

I was wondering if I should just leave it or just try & dilute the Ammonia a bit with a water change... Coz I definately dont want the Nitrites to spike out of control like the Ammonia did!

 

[stormy78]

Sorry I misunderstood.... is this tank going through a fishless cycle or do you have fish in there already? If there are fish present then DEFINATLY do a water change! If its doing a fishless cycle leave it..... sorry for the confusion!

 

[DJ_$ure$hot]

Sorry I misunderstood.... is this tank going through a fishless cycle or do you have fish in there already? If there are fish present then DEFINATLY do a water change! If its doing a fishless cycle leave it..... sorry for the confusion!

No worries I do have fish in there, so I guess I'll just keep doing my 20% water changes...

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup keep up the water changes mate, minimum 20% every day until ammonia and nitrite hold steady at 0.

 

[andywg]

Bignose has previously shown (in theory and experiment) that conducting water changes on a fishless cycle speeds up the cycle, so regardless of cycle type, water changes are good.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Bignose has previously shown (in theory and experiment) that conducting water changes on a fishless cycle speeds up the cycle, so regardless of cycle type, water changes are good.

got a link andy, not seen that post.....

 

[backtotropical]

got a link andy, not seen that post.....

In my sig, MW.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

thanks BTT

 

[DJ_$ure$hot]

Bignose has previously shown (in theory and experiment) that conducting water changes on a fishless cycle speeds up the cycle, so regardless of cycle type, water changes are good.

Cheers mate, this is really helpful info eh It almost seems logical though coz you wouldnt completely dilute all the Ammonia & Nitrites with a water change, you'd just be helping the process by making it less toxic & easier for the bacteria to turn it into the safer by-products

 

[Miss Wiggle]

If you're into learning all the science behind fishkeeping then there's loads of useful and interesting topics in the scientific section, you should pop over and have a look at them.

 

[DJ_$ure$hot]

If I have an Ammonia reading of 0.50ppm & I have my 1st reading of Nitrites @ 0.25ppm, shall I do a 10% or 20% water change right now?

Yes sir, it seems that the cycle is moving along nicely now! Im reading 0.25ppm Ammonia & 0.50ppm Nitrites.
I just did a water change of 20% before though & my waters gone a little bit cloudy? Would that just be a bacterial bloom for the 2nd stage bacteria (Nitrobacter)?

 

[rabbut]

Cloudy water probibly is a bacterial bloom I'd do some larger water changes, up to 50% at this stage, to get the nitrites down. Above 0.25ppm, ammonia and nitrite can do lasting damage, even if the fish only go through them short-term. Obviously any detectable reading of ammonia and nitrite is damaging if fish are subjected to it long-tearm. Looks like things are moving along nicely though

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup got it in one, bacteria bloom. don't worry at all about it, it'll clear and it's a sign that the cycle is progressing.