ANY BODY!? my nitrate and nitrite got a lil high today does anybody know if there is anything i can do or is this the "peak" and i should just ride it out the tank is about 2 weeks old
Nitrate is okay, nitrite is bad. Do a small water change (10% or so) so you dont disrupt the cycle too much, but get some of that nitrite out. It could be the peak, could go higher, and nitrite is dangerous.
To clarify: nitrate is okay at low levels, and is the final biproduct of the nitrogen cycle, so use nitrate levels to help you understand how often you need to do water changes. Nitrite is dangerous even at low levels, and once your tank is cycled, should remain at zero.
Nitrate up to 30-40 ppm is acceptable and not dangers for the most fresh water fish (not good for salt). Even on the test kit from Tetra I own, min value on the chart color is I believe 30-40 ppm.
If you had exceed that, do 20 to 30 % (less wont work aggressive) water change and what most important vacuum the gravel. If your filter old, you should clean it as well. But make sure when you clean the filter, you don't wash good bacteria completely out. Use bucket with water from your tank and just slightly clean your filter media, so it's not clog.
Who told you? LFS? Don't take for granted.
If it is a new aquarium, it will peak, and you need to perform water change & gravel vacuum more often and more aggressive to keep in at the safe level. Period.
Alex, sounds to me like his tank isnt cycled "tank is about 2 weeks ol" - so I was suggesting small changes during the cycle, rather than large aggressive changes, which may just re-start the cycle from the beginning, no?
Frank, in my experience with new non-cycle tanks 20%-30% water works better, since it is not enough bacteria to brake down fish waist.
When I set up my last 210 gal tank, I had to do water change daily, since I had to use medicine to treat some of my new fish (at that time from LFS)and the chemicals disturb newly developed nitrifying bacteria.
I use to do all testing before and after the water change daily for several weeks. 20-30% works def better then 10%.
20-30% wont hurt bacteria, but only help, removing access of what it can't brake down yet and choke on it.
50% of water change will be too much IMO (some people do), not only for bacteria, but also Ph spike. Every water change brings Ph up slightly, but 50% will be too much. For already stressed fish.
Frank, I am not trying to prove you wrong and post after you, just share my hard earned experience and trying to not let you guys to do unnecessary or wrong steps. Of course it's up to you, if you like to take a different approach:)
p.s. don’t use any chemical addictives to rise or bring down water chemical parameters, it will screw up all test reading for very long time
No worries Alex, I've learned allot from you and others here, so I don't see it as "proving wrong", but teaching. Plus, now Kizel has lots of useful reading material concerning his new fish tank :)
Rob I have a picture from just a few days ago of our male and female Nyassae Peacocks. take a look at my profile and you can really see the difference in male female when the mature..
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really reminds me of the Hybrid Demasoni I bought at Lfs when i first got i