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by **rhondaks** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:00 pm

I have a 50 gallon tank that has been running for an little over 1 months. I have a bio wheel filter with 4 pads and 2wheels and 2 air stones with sand instead of gravel. I have cichlids in the tank. My Nitrites are out the roof high and I can not get them down i know that i was over feeding in the beginning but have really cut back in the last week and half. I have been doing a 20% water change everyday. My nitrate is good and my ph is high but what it is suppose to be for cichlids. In the beginning I was cleaning the filters with fresh water but have not done that in 2 weeks or more. The fish have started to rub themselves on the sand and rock. I assume because they have itch. They do not have any spots and are very active and eat well. They seem to always be hungry. I am using strips to test but plan on getting a better tester today. I have lowered the water level to allow more air in. I really need help. What should I do?

by **gumbii** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:24 pm

take out two pads... they rub themselves on rocks to claim territory...

if it's that bad, use prime to lower the nitrites... sounds like you could also use more flow... throw a koralia in there...

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:44 pm

first do not change your filters or filter pads for their an incubator for good bacteria. Without bacteria your tank will never complete its cycle. Second, how many fish do youhave in your tank? IF too many, the fish poop may be overhwelming the cycle. Usually a cycle will take between 4-6 weeks, sometimes longer (at most, 12 weeks, but this is very rare).

Let mother nature do her job. Continue with the water change, if the ammonia, nitrite or nitrate gets too high, do a water change of about 25-40%; if the tests are low, do a 20-25%...get the drift. Use reason my friend.

Also do not overfeed during this time. Overfeeding and fish poop from too many fish will give the tank explosive amounts of mini cycles within the cycling, in other words, the cycle needs to follow one course of action: ammonia rises, then falls, in turn, nitrite rises, then falls as nitrate rises then falls...ammonia and nitrite must always be 0 thereafter and nitrate 10-30 ppm is fine.

Again, please leave the filters alone. If not, the cycle will never complete itself, and you may wind up with a tank that cycle for years. I am sure you do not want this. Once it is cycled, it will be on its way to being established (an established tank usually takes about 6-12 months, and the water chemicals test themselves out...for instance, when I first started, I tested a few times a week; after 6 months, twice a week; after a year, once a week; in the last 8 months, I only test if I see a fish or living specie suffering or if a fish dies.

Patience. Observation. Water change. Test water. And more patience.

Please do not panic, it's a great hobby, enjoy it.

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:47 pm

One other thing, you should go out and purchase Prime, it will knock all the chemicals (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate down to zero), of course you must still water change. Prime is the best on the market.

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:50 pm

by the way, fish are always starving...the trick is, get on a schedule, do not give into the fish and you will find that the fish will scavenger about the tank looking for foods to nibble on. Play, scavenge and mating...the 3 interactions fish enjoy.

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:54 pm

I looked at your profile...I hope you realize that in about a years time or so you will need at least 120 gallon tank. The fish you have grow to about 8 inches on average. 50 gallons is okay as babies, but most ignore the fact that the fish will grow eventually to adult size. Just a thought.

by **yasherkoach** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:04 pm

the petrified wood, did you boil it for an hour before you put into the tank?

Sorry for all my comments, I will stop now until I get some response from you or others...it's only, you have such beautiful fish in your tank and I would hate to see you lose any of them.

Let me know how it goes

by **gumbii** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:14 am

dude... nice book you just wrote...

anyways... tank is over a year old... obviously it's been cycled... if you have too much pads and shit, all the crap is going to rot in the pads instead of nitrification...

are you vacuuming your gravel during water changes...?

by **yasherkoach** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:05 am

well then, just use Prime on each water change, you can double the dose each time (it won't hurt), and you'll be done with it. Prime will bring all the ammonia, NITRITE and nitrates to zero.

by **yasherkoach** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:12 am

one other thing, do not use strips, inaccurate readings...buy only liquid tests. Plus you can only have one pad in each filter or slot, that way, it gives the water to "breathe" somewhat in the filter and helps with the water flow.

For your fish, I believe the ph is 7.8 to about 8.4

So get the liquid tests.
Do a 50% water change.
Leave only one filter per slot in filter
Add Prime to water entering the tank (you can put it in directly but it is best added into the water going into the tank)
You may do the following, add: laterite-based substrate for it is ideal for it will help to maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity
Observe or monitor.
Test water for 3 days, if it is high again, do another 50% water change.

Let us know what's going on

by **rhondaks** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:23 pm

I have used the prime and I am also using Stability. Today was the 7th day for the stability. I also added Chichlid lake Salt. They are not rubbing anymore but I tested the water again this morning and the Nitrites are still very high. I have cleaned and done everything everyone keeps telling me to do but nothing is working. I have tested my water out of the tap and the nitrites are 0. But when I clean and do a 20-30% water change and then test the levels are still high. I have gotten a liquid tester but the results are the same. The fish seem healthy and happy. I have 11 fish in the tank and I am feeding them once and some times twice a day. I just cleaned on Tuesday should I do a 50% water change today or wait until Tuesday when I clean. I had some Dolomite rock in there and I took it out yesterday thinking that might help so all I have in there now is Petrified would. I did not boil it but I scrubbed it and bleached it and let it sun dry before I put it in the tank. and it has been almost 6 weeks.

by **rhondaks** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 11:16 pm

Nitrites are still very high. I did about a 40% water change yesterday. The fish look great and act fine. The tank is crystal clear. All of the levels are great except Nitrites. I guess I need to just be patient and wait it out. I was wrong on the time line it has only been 5 week. Maybe I am just rushing things.

by **bangme33** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 9:41 pm

HOW OLD IS THE TANK SETUP ? HOW LONG WAS IT CYCLED FOR? UR PROFILE PAGE SAY 2 WKS. IF IT IS ONLY 2 WKS OLD IT HASNT CYCLED THROUGH, AND U COULD IF NOT LOSSE MOST OR ALL THE CHICLIDS IN THERE MAYBE ASK THE LFS TO KEEP[ HJOLD OF YA FISH UNTILL YA CYCLED OR LET THEM BUY THEM BACK THATS IF YOUR PROFILE PAGE IAM READING IS CORRECT

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