Two weeks?!?!

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sillypony

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 25, 2007
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I took my water in to get it tested today on the brand new tank.. and they said my nitrate (nitrite?) levels were too high, and i should come back in a week or two!!

I started the tank with this 'cycle start' stuff, which I'm assuming is the cause of this high nitrate level. It's very disappointing b/c the nitrite was so low it wont read on my home test, and the ammonia is fine, and my ph is stable, if a bit higher than i would like.

So i guess I just wait it out? I don't think i want to force it with a bunch of chemicals. Is nitrate something one can usually test for at home? I just picked up the ammonia n nitrite combo test pack today so that i wont have to run to the store all the time just to get the water tested... but i didnt think about the nitrate (i thought nitrite was what i have a problem with)

LeeAnna
 
Read this, it explains the nitrogen cycle better than I can...
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cycling.php

Basically, uneaten food and poop are converted to ammonia (which is poisonous to fish). Then, beneficial bacteria convert the ammonia to nitrites (also poisonous to fish). Then, another set of beneficial bacteria convert the nitrites into nitrates (also toxic, but much less). The nitrates are then removed with regular partial water changes. If the nitrates are allowed to build up, it will eventually kill the fish.

That's it in a nutshell. Read the link for a more thorough explanation.

As far as test kits go, one that tests for ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates will help you keep tabs on your water. They're not too expensive and every fish store I've ever been in sells them.
 
Ok, so I just have to go get that nitrate test. IDK why they didn't tell em to get it last night.


I have a -basic- understanding of the cycle- i'm just annoyed to find out I could be doing this first cycle with fish in the tank if i hadn't used the bacteria stuff, rather than as I am now- one empty, lonely tank with too much nitrate.

Ah well. Soon it will have fish.

LeeAnna
 
Patients grasshopper. tiem spend doing it right is better than killing fish for no reason.

It can take up to 3 months to cycle a tank properly.

What size tank is it?

Explain how you started the tank 'cycling'.

What did you use to de-chlor it?

What did you feed it?

Get a notebook (date book or diary works too) and write down all the results of you tests with dates (everytime you test). This will help you understand the tank better.

When you go to the LFS take your notebook to right down what they say too (it puts them on the spot, keeps them honest and lets them know your serious about your fish)

Also make entries when fish are added or removed.

Not knowing if it was nitItes or nitrAtes is a big problem right now.

Dr Joe

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I can only imagine it's NitrIte that is too high. Best option then is wait for it to come down. It will get converted to NitrAte over time.

If it was NitrAte, they should have told you to do a big water change and add fish tomorrow ;)

Very important to know which one it is. NitrIte is very bad and means your filters aren't cycled properly (yet), some NitrAte is normal and you control that with water changes to stop it getting too high.

Cheers

Ian
 
Well I think he said nitrates... not only that, the test kit i bought has an ammonia, and a nitrite test, and both of those tested GOOD. So either my test is wrong ( i did it twice) or else it was nitrates.

I bought a 55 gall starter kit. I dumped in the perscribed amount of "cycle start" (thats the brand) on sunday when i filled it. I used... i don't remember the brand, but i did dechlorinate it. Added aquarium salt (im going to do a water change tm AM to get rid of most of it, after reading the articles on it). Tuesday I put in some plant bulbs, and yesterday I added a floating plant.


So if it is nitrates, i just do a water change and i'm set??

LeeAnna
 
sillypony;1158536; said:
Well I think he said nitrates... not only that, the test kit i bought has an ammonia, and a nitrite test, and both of those tested GOOD. So either my test is wrong ( i did it twice) or else it was nitrates.

I bought a 55 gall starter kit. I dumped in the perscribed amount of "cycle start" (thats the brand) on sunday when i filled it. I used... i don't remember the brand, but i did dechlorinate it. Added aquarium salt (im going to do a water change tm AM to get rid of most of it, after reading the articles on it). Tuesday I put in some plant bulbs, and yesterday I added a floating plant.


So if it is nitrates, i just do a water change and i'm set??

LeeAnna
Click to expand...

If your ammonia and nitrite levels are at zero and you have nitrates, your tank is cycled. You can add fish. You will need to test these parameters regularly until you get a feel for what the quality of your water is and how long it takes for nitrates to build up.

The nitrates are removed by regularly scheduled partial water changes. A good number to shoot for is around 20% each week (more if you have a lot of fish or like to feed them a lot or have poor/not enough filtration, these circumstances will cause the numbers to go up faster). Using this example, you would want to take out around 10 to 12 gallons per week and replace it with fresh, dechlorinated water. You will probably experience some evaporation as well and need to add a little more than you take out (maybe 1 or 2 gallons).
 
omg! i'm so glad i posted this, and that you responded! The guy that tested it said nitrate was too high and to come back in 2 weeks. The guy I got the kit from thought i was talking about nitrite, and told me NOT to do water changes b/c i have no fish, and thus it would not help and to just wait it out. I'd have been waiting for .... ever.

So i'll do my water change tomorrow, and saturday... LFS test and fish!

Yay! I am so not 2 weeks patient.

LeeAnna
 
In addition to the above (and forgive me for assuming you're new at fishkeeping), just doing a waterchange does not mean you're "set" and then you can forget about maintenance. It's a regular part of fishkeeping. Some people change out 50% or more every few days to keep a healthy tank. Some still do even more frequent and larger water changes.

Keeping a regular check on you water parameters with something like log book until you get a good idea what you're doing can be an invaluable tool in keeping good water. Someone here has the signature "We don't keep fish, we keep water. The fish are there to tell us how good the water is." or something to that effect.

Again, forgive me if I assume incorrectly that you're new to this. I just don't want someone making the same mistakes I made (and kill fish and have nasty water) when I first started out in this hobby/addiction.;)
 
Thanks for the forwarning. And you're right, I am new. But I DID read about the water changes, although it seems EVERYONE has a different amount done per week.

I'm just excited to get something in there to SWIM finally.

While I've got your attention- I plan to pick up 3 zebra danios 1st when i do get fish, how long should I wait between new additions to let the bacteria catch up?

LeeAnna
 
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