What Am I Doing Wrong?

frapadoodle · Mar 14, 2012

Okay, so I graduated to a big boy liquid test kit. For a month straight numbers pegged at am. .25 ppm, nit. 2.0 ppm, nat. 5.0 ppm, ph 7.0.
Fish seem happy and healthy, plants going ape, although about to need to add ferts.
Doing daily water changes because of numbers, but pegged where they are. Which I hate to say seems to be no change from readings on tap water.
Filter is still elcheapo that came with tank, but gives good flow, and replaced cartridge with foam and ceramic. Tank has also been running for three years.
Any ideas?

balajake · Mar 14, 2012

if your nitrites are 2ppm then you need a 90% water change rapidly. also you shouldnt change your filter cartridges, you should clean them in old tank water. your filters grow good bacteria that helps proccess ammonia and nitrites, if you wash it in tap water that hasn't been dechlorinated or if you throw them away then all that bacteria will be gone and your cycle will start again

BigbruiserAl · Mar 14, 2012

frapadoodle said:
Okay, so I graduated to a big boy liquid test kit. For a month straight numbers pegged at am. .25 ppm, nit. 2.0 ppm, nat. 5.0 ppm, ph 7.0.
Fish seem happy and healthy, plants going ape, although about to need to add ferts.
Doing daily water changes because of numbers, but pegged where they are. Which I hate to say seems to be no change from readings on tap water.
Filter is still elcheapo that came with tank, but gives good flow, and replaced cartridge with foam and ceramic. Tank has also been running for three years.
Any ideas?

I would assume that the test kit is wrong as at 2ppm nitrits
the fish are definitely not happy and more then likely die soon. I would do a large water change and re test very carefully

frapadoodle · Mar 14, 2012

Okay to clarify about changing the filter, I did a change from the cartridges to foam and ceramic, while still had second mature filter going, as when wife had goldfish doubled it up.
As for water changes been doing 50% daily.
Am I perhaps a touch color blind?
Also when cleaning filter media, only a gentle rinse in tank water.

sadguppy · Mar 14, 2012

frapadoodle said:
Am I perhaps a touch color blind?

Could always be that! Ask your wife for a second opinion! Does seem unlikely that they would that out after three years. The ammonia reading can apparently be explained if you use prime and as your tank is mature, I wouldn't worry too much as there is so little difference in colour from 0 to 0.25ppm it is easy to read it wrong. 2ppm nitrites though... must be something going on!

frapadoodle · Mar 14, 2012

Just did major water change, 75%. Numbers same.
Am. .25ppm
Nit. 2.0ppm
Nat. 5.0ppm
I know nitrite at 2.0 is deadly, but a month at no change? Wouldn't it have been fatal by now?
I say fish seem happy. Albino corys spend most of day foraging in sand, on rocks, on plants. Bronze corys spend half the day foraging other half playing tag in filter current. Three spot gourami, when not sleeping in her corner roams the plants foraging and following the corys looking for anything they kick up.
No gasping or odd behavior. I also think she and my dog are in cahoots. She has taken to coming to the corner of the tank when I am in my chair, and trying to stare me into a treat.

the_lock_man · Mar 14, 2012

I must agree with Al. Nitrite at 2ppm for a month does not make sense. I would strongly suggest you get a sample tested by a friend or a LFS, to confirm the reading.