Water Problems

[rico121]

Hi I’m new to fish keeping have had a tank for about one year, to-date everything has gone reasonably well.

Problem is that my water readings are wrong & one of my angel fish appears to be starting some type of fin rot.

Ammonia 0 – 0.5
GH 180
KH 40-80
PH 7
NO2 5
No3 160

If I am right the NO2 and NO3 are the problem with the PH a little high but ok, what do I do about the NO2/NO3?

The tank is 64L. fish = 2x Angel fish, 4 x Haliquin Rambosa, 6 x cardinal tetra, Siamese fighter, Dwarf Gourami. Live plants, water change about 10L every 10 days or so, water temp 25C

I have started to add treatment for fin rot

Help!!!!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

It's actually your ammonia and nitrite that are the problem. Do a large water change to get them both to 0. Have you recently added more fish to the tank which would cause a rise in ammonia?

 

[Jimbo1984]

Hi, your filter isn't up to the job by the looks of it! You should have 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite and be keeping Nitrate fairly low with water changes. What filter do you have?

 

[rico121]

It's actually your ammonia and nitrite that are the problem. Do a large water change to get them both to 0. Have you recently added more fish to the tank which would cause a rise in ammonia?

Hi yes i added the siamese fighter about 5 days ago, what water percentage should i change?

Hi, your filter isn't up to the job by the looks of it! You should have 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite and be keeping Nitrate fairly low with water changes. What filter do you have?

Hi i have a Interpet PF2 filter it came with the tank.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

mmmm try 50%? Your filter may be trying to catch up with the addition of the betta so keep a close eye on your levels for the next several days. Keep doing changes until you are consistently getting a reading of 0 for both ammonia and nitrite.

 

[rico121]

Hi carried out 50% water change,
reading are=
Ammonia 0
GH 180
KH 80
PH7
NO2 10
NO3 160
before the water change
how many days before i change the water again?
Thanks for your advice.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

If your nitrite and nitrate readings are correct then you need to do a massive water change (immediately), i.e. down to the gravel (leave a bit for the fish) then after a few more hours you'll probably need to do the same again.

Nitrite of 10 seems odd though, how did you measure it, what test kit are you using?

You appear to be running an overstocked, uncycled tank. Realistically, unless you want to be doing 100% changes once or twice daily you need to reduce the amount of fish you have.

It may be that your tank also needs a very thorough clean out and when the levels of toxins get to this point it's easier to just put the fish in a bucket with the filter and heater and completely strip the tank down or you'll never reduce levels adequately.