High nitrites
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
High nitrites
Hi I am new and this is my first post. I Have had a puffer tank for about 2 months. He was doing great and eating great. I did water changes every 2 weeks of about 25 % but real didn't vacuum the gravel. My GSP puffer stopped eating and was spending alto of time at the bottom of the take. Every now and then he would go to the top of the tank to get some air.. I tested the water and found ph 7.8, ammonia 0, nitrates 10. nitrites .3-.5. I realized I had a problem with the nitrites. After reading many of the users posts i decided to do a 50% water change. I then did a 40 % water change the next day after the nitrites didn't go down. I added a powersweep to help the oxygen in the water and that didn't do much. The salinity is 1.011. I used cycle in every water change. The only thing I can think of is I had a missing fish about 4 months ago and never found it. I have a fake rock that has a hole the size of a dime in it. I'm wondering if the fish died in it and it took this long to decay. I read about one of the members having this same problem and found the carcass. If I take the rock out will it shock the tank too much and take to much of the bacteria that it has on it? What do I do? The fish is hanging on and surprised it hasn't died yet. I'm trying everything but am stumped. Help[/list][/list]
I used to have a fake rock until I realised a lot of crap was in it. When I took it out (never to put it back again) it smelled awful (and I never had any dead fish in it). I don't think that taking it out will hurt your bacteria. Most of the bacteria are on your filter media.
Is there any chance you have killed a lot of the bacteria in your filtration and that you are going through a mini cycle?
Is there any chance you have killed a lot of the bacteria in your filtration and that you are going through a mini cycle?
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lisalisa
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Take out the rock & if there is a carcass in it (that was me), do an 80% water change. Continue w/daily water changes, being sure to clean under all decor. Stop using Cycle for the reasons lisalisa stated.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
High Nitrites
I just checked my water after it had been running for 2 hours. Everything looks better. ph8 nitrates0 nitrites.1-0 ammonia 0. Now i just have to see if my GSP will survive it all.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
High Nitrites
Well my GSP just died 
The change must have been too much. I dint want to give up on the puffers. What should I do with the tank before I get another. Should I get a starter fish or should the tank cycle itself with the bacteria that's already i it. I have three small ghost shrimp in it that were meant for food. Should I leave them in or take them out. All my numbers are good so do I have to wait.
The change must have been too much. I dint want to give up on the puffers. What should I do with the tank before I get another. Should I get a starter fish or should the tank cycle itself with the bacteria that's already i it. I have three small ghost shrimp in it that were meant for food. Should I leave them in or take them out. All my numbers are good so do I have to wait.-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Have you read the Fishless Cycling article? Your other option is to instantly cycle w/Bio-Spira & add the new fish immediately. I'd do a very large water change beforehand.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
high nitrites
Thanks for your help. Ill have to try to find that bio-spira. I'm going with a F8 this time because my tank is smaller. I may start a bigger tank later once i get this tank set up. Ill let you know how I make out with the F8. I should be getting it Monday if the tank is fine.