Water Test Results 3Rd Day...some Improvement

[mrvillicus]

As some of you may have read recently I had a few fish deaths including my new siamese fighter, simply because I hadnt cycled my tank. So after waiting a while and many threads and answers I have my first set of results from my API kit

PH 7.6
HIGH RANGE PH 7.4
AMMONIA 0.25ppm
NITRATE 5.0ppm
NITRITE 5.0ppm

 

[CezzaXV]

Do you still have fish? If so, a big water change is in order. Perhaps even two or three. The ammonia reading is bad, the nitrite reading is horrendous.

While fish are in the tank, you need to be doing enough water changes that ammonia and nitrite are under 0.25ppm.

 

[mrvillicus]

hey cezzaxv yes i still have my 3 neon tetra and 3 columbian tetra. I put my new filter in on monday and have been treating with filter start and nutrifin cycle. I will do a massive water change now and will measure again tomorrow

 

[frodo11]

I suggest that you daily water changes in the 30% to 50% range ... till the magic day (4 ot 6 weeks in the future) that your test results are:

0 ammonia
0 nitrIte and
some nitrAte

Be patient, the day will come ...

 

[mrvillicus]

well ive just done a 70% change and ill keep doing it if I have to, just going to cost a few £££ on aquasafe!

 

[frodo11]

Try Prime, may cost a tad more but you only use a drop or two (eye dropper) per gallon with water changes

 

[mrvillicus]

great shout frodo11 thanks!

 

[OldMan47]

The water change will not have been enough. Try another 90+% change and test again. Your fish got lucky that you happen to have a high pH. At lower pH values you would no longer have any live fish with a nitrite reading that high.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

The water change will not have been enough. Try another 90+% change and test again. Your fish got lucky that you happen to have a high pH. At lower pH values you would no longer have any live fish with a nitrite reading that high.

Would you care to back that up with any evidence you may have? I am unaware of any significant effect of pH on the toxicity of nitrite to freshwater fish.

 

[bae1994]

It's definatly the case with ammonia (source OATA)

But I can't recall 100% if it's the same with nitrite I think it probably is

 

[4seasons]

With ammonia the toxicity increases as PH increases as well as temperature. The reason being that our test kits test for total ammonia made up of both ionized and unionized ammonia. Unionized ammonia is much more toxic to fish and the percentage of ammonia in that form increase at higher PH and temperatures.
There are lots of studies and even some charts out on the internet concerning this. Most are hard to read and understand what is being said but that is the final observation of most of these studies.

Nitrite on the other hand is the same but in reverse. Nitrous acid is more toxic than the nitrite ion and as PH decreases more nitrous acid is formed. These studies are a bit harder to find as internet searches for nitrite relative to PH tend to turn up lots of references to waste water treatment plants.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Nitrite on the other hand is the same but in reverse. Nitrous acid is more toxic than the nitrite ion and as PH decreases more nitrous acid is formed. These studies are a bit harder to find as internet searches for nitrite relative to PH tend to turn up lots of references to waste water treatment plants.

That doesn't explain Old Man's assertion that nitrite is more toxic at low pH. I keenly await his explanation.

 

[mrvillicus]

my second set of results are on its way.........

 

[mrvillicus]

well here they are...

DAY ONE

PH 7.6
HIGH RANGE PH 7.4
AMMONIA 0.25ppm
NITRATE 5.0ppm
NITRITE 5.0ppm

day two

PH 7.2
HIGH PH 7.4
AMMONIA 0.25ppm
NITRITE 2.0ppm
NITRATE 10ppm

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Do another ginormous w/c as much as you can get out while still leaving enough for the fish to swim upright