I need to know if there is a definitave book on the correct water chemical levels for a malawan cichlid tank?? If there is anyone out there who can help me with this problem i would greatly appreciate it... I hve two tanks and they are never the same but one is in the dangerous category for ammonia levels and the other one is in the high category for nitrites. what do i do?????????
tank#1 75gal tank #2 55gal
nitrite 0 , .5
nitrate 20ppm , 100ppm
ph 8.0 , 7.8
ammonia 2.0 , .25 respectively
Tank one has just had live plant added to it as well. If ne one can help please let me know !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
need help with chemicals, can anyone help me ?!?!?!
12 posts • Page 1 of 2
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josmoloco - Posts: 189
- Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:21 pm
Are you testing with strips or the master test kit? Strips blow...... Only thing to help is water changes.
I have my tanks down to a science and never test my water.......
I have my tanks down to a science and never test my water.......
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Peterkarig3210 - Posts: 1980
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am
Your biological filter hasn't seeded itself with bacteria yet. You should study this cycle with ammonia turning into nitrites, and nitites turning into nitrates. Nitrates is the "end product" and the least toxic to fish
You should feed extreamly sparingly until you "cycle" has started, where ammonia is zero and nitrites are zero. When nitrates start building up you know that the bacteria have gotten going in your filter and soon there will only be nitrates.
Do a water change of at least 50% and use water conditioner for the chlorine/chloralamine's in tap water,
don't change the filter material (your bacteria are in there), and test again a few munites after the water change.
Give us the results.
You should feed extreamly sparingly until you "cycle" has started, where ammonia is zero and nitrites are zero. When nitrates start building up you know that the bacteria have gotten going in your filter and soon there will only be nitrates.
Do a water change of at least 50% and use water conditioner for the chlorine/chloralamine's in tap water,
don't change the filter material (your bacteria are in there), and test again a few munites after the water change.
Give us the results.
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GiantDogg - Posts: 65
- Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 11:24 pm
Tank # 1 is not cycled at all and Tank # 2 is in the middle. No use testing for nitrates until Ammonia AND NitrItes (nitrites will show in the nitrate test, giving a false reading) are both at 0. Make sure that you use chemical testers (not strips)and treat water with Prime (my choice, there are other brands). Follow PK's advice about water changes, etc...
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GiantDogg - Posts: 65
- Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 11:24 pm
If there is a high nitrite level (no cycle), it can happen...example...Nitrate test of 50ppm when tank is still cycling (Nitrites present)...2 weeks later (no water change), 0 nitrites and nitrates at 35 PPM.
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fordman72 - Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:08 pm
ive been waiting for ove a week now and have put in top fin biologicals to start the tank cycling but its not seeming to work
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fordman72 - Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:08 pm
tank two is my tranfer tank for now so it has all my fish in it at this point so i am kinda concerned about it
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GiantDogg - Posts: 65
- Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 11:24 pm
50% water change and get some Prime. You have to continue feeding the nitrosoma bacteria, so they will need a constant "feeding" (1 PPM every 3-4 days) of ammonia. This can be accomplished several ways, just search the forums, I don't want to list it all here.
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Peterkarig3210 - Posts: 1980
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am
Giant Dogg: I didn't know nitrites could alter the results of nitrate tests. Good to know.
I guess you guys are helping out with good info for this poster.
Get the cycle under control
Do frequent water changes to reduce the peaks/spikes in ammonia and nitrites as the cycle developes itself into a state where only nitrates are produced.
It's good to have a second biological filter such as a second filter pad, a sponge filter over the filter intake, etc, so the you can clean one filter without disturbing the bacteria in the other filter. The idea is to stagger the cleanings of these filters so ther is allways a colony of bacteria at all times.
Once there are zero ammonia and nitrite and nitrates are building up the cycle is working correctly.
Then any further water changes should be done in response to a nitrate reading of ( I preffer 10 {20 max} ppm) before doing a water change.
Many people say that adding bacteria is usless, but doesn't hurt.
Water changes are very important during the "spiking" of ammonia and nitrites as too high a spike can kill the fish and also kill the bacteria you're trying to colonise.
and I also agree that you shouldn't remove all fish (unless doing a fishless cycle with ammonia added, which I think is a pain) because there has to be fish waste to grow the bacteria. No fish waste and the cycle will crash, and you'll need to start all over.
I guess you guys are helping out with good info for this poster.
Get the cycle under control
Do frequent water changes to reduce the peaks/spikes in ammonia and nitrites as the cycle developes itself into a state where only nitrates are produced.
It's good to have a second biological filter such as a second filter pad, a sponge filter over the filter intake, etc, so the you can clean one filter without disturbing the bacteria in the other filter. The idea is to stagger the cleanings of these filters so ther is allways a colony of bacteria at all times.
Once there are zero ammonia and nitrite and nitrates are building up the cycle is working correctly.
Then any further water changes should be done in response to a nitrate reading of ( I preffer 10 {20 max} ppm) before doing a water change.
Many people say that adding bacteria is usless, but doesn't hurt.
Water changes are very important during the "spiking" of ammonia and nitrites as too high a spike can kill the fish and also kill the bacteria you're trying to colonise.
and I also agree that you shouldn't remove all fish (unless doing a fishless cycle with ammonia added, which I think is a pain) because there has to be fish waste to grow the bacteria. No fish waste and the cycle will crash, and you'll need to start all over.