What Else Can I Do? I'm Worried!

[GreenA]

Hi guys.

Quick summary:

I'm currently 3 1/2 weeks in a fish-in cycle.

I always had problems with ammonia which is obvious as I'm currently cycling. However, I always had zero for nitrite and the last couple of days my ammonia seemed to get lower day after day. (I also do daily water changes between 25-50% depending on my test results)
But this morning I woke up and noticed both my male Guppies swimming kind of sideways. I've read in other posts that ammonia and nitrites can cause this?

I checked my water and my readings were:

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite:1.0 ppm !!
Nitrate:>10 ppm
pH: 8.2 (constant)

So I did a huge water change immediately as I know that nitrite is not good at all. But my question now is:
How can nitrite get so high so quickly? and
Is there anything else I can do for my fish to help them; to make them stop swim sideways? Or is there maybe another reason for them to swim sideways?
I also have 2 Swordtails and 2 Mollies and my Mollies don't seem their usual self either.

I'm worried.

Can someone help me please? Thanks in advance.

 

[GreenA]

Anyone?

Update:
I've tested it again and the Nitrite is now 0.25ppm. So I'll do another water change....

 

[fishyfeet]

fish in cycleing takes a lot longer, can you not remove the fish for a couple of weeks, you should be doing daily water changes to lessen the ammonia damage to the fish
as a result the ammonia levels will flutuate causing the nitrate to also flutuate making the resulting nitrates difficult to acheive, you sort off keep going two steps forward and
one step back. Even if you keep the guppies in a tub for now, as long as you change the water frequently its the same as the tank and its not cycled either, and you can
get the tank cycled quicker. Or if you know anyone with a cycled tank who can give you some media fron their filter. di

 

[ParadiseGuerrero]

I'm afraid I'm not a lot of help on what else to do other than water changes to keep the levels down. As for why it sounds like your getting to the second stage of a cycle- your ammonia is being turn into nitrite so you have to wait for the nitrite proccessing bacteria grows enough to process the amount of nitrite your tank produces. I found my nitrite suddenly shot up as well (it hit 5+ ) I got seriusly lucky with my fish not reacting to it

 

[GreenA]

hello,

thanks for the replies. I can't remove the fish. Unfortunately I stumbled onto this site after I put fish in and followed LFS recommendations. After I saw this site I asked the LFS to take them back as it was recommended on this site but he wouldn't take them.....
It looks like I just have to keep doing my checks and water changes and hope they'll pull through. I just hoped that there would be something else I could do for them.

I'm still trying to get my hands on mature filter media but the LFS just wants to sell me chemicals which I won't buy....so I'm still on the hunt and looking for friends and friends of friends with fish who could spare some....

thanks again

 

[fishyfeet]

if you stated where you are maybe someone on here may be local to you and able to help you out, worth a try