I think my husband jumped the gun !

[leighbug]

We have a 20 gallon tank.added water (with the conditioner) and the very next day while I was at work, my husband bought...
2 silver dollars
5 guppies
2 plecos
3 mollies
2 other ones that I can't think of the names.odd shaped, flat, beautiful silver with black stripes.
5 live plants
O.K. so any way...everything seemed fine we've had it going 3 weeks now( I also forgot to mention the aquarium salt added.) everything was showing up real good until 2 days ago...
nitrate- 0
nitrite-5.0!!!!!
alkalinity-180 (says ideal)
pH-between 7.8 and 8.4

I've tried doing partial water change(didn't do to well being my first time with a hose thing. I've read not to feed my fish for a few days and I've done this also.
What else can I do?

[leighbug]

sorry I forgot to add that my fish seem to be doing really well.I did at least read up on this. no fin rot or other diseases.and their colors are good.swimming fine also.

[leighbug]

someone please help me.Although my husband jumped the gun on adding fish way too soon before I could read up on anything, I have become quiet attached to these little guys! Thank You.

[William]

Hi
You husband did as you say jump the gun adding fish to tank that early. I recommend that you do water exchange every or every other day untill the ammonia level has been lowered and there after do water exchanges once a week (more if the amonia levels start to raise again.

[William]

Aslo recommend that you download and read the ebook if you haven't done so allready.

[leighbug]

Thank you so much William! and yes I just got through downloading it.I also think I MESSED up!!! the tester I use, is for salt or fresh.You have 2 different charts to go by. Since I'm new and thrown into this before I was able to read up and study, I've been looking at the salt water chart ( I KNOW I KNOW!!!) I did this stupidly because he has aquarium salt in there, which I just realized in reading all in here is BRACKISH not saltwater.Have I screwed this up even worse?

[leighbug]

now since I know brackish is basically fresh and not saltwater my readings are...
nitrate-20
nitrite-10!!!!!!!
hardness-150
alkalinity-between 180 and 300
pH-7.2
I am literally terrified!!!! I'm sure I'm going to lose my fish!

[William]

Thats not necessary, especially not if your fisj looks ok. Fish can tolerate much if the water quality worsen over time.

I still recommend daily water exchanges. 9(20-25% of the water) untill you get the levels to where they belong. Make sure that the new water keep the same temp as the old.

[leighbug]

thank you william! I feel a little better. doing more water changes today.

[leighbug]

I changed half the water out.The readings are as follows..
nitrate-20
nitrite- between 5.0 and 10.0
hardness- 150
alkalinity- 300
pH- between 7.2 and 7.8
I also lost a beautiful dalmation molly before I was able to change the water.They still look good though.I also have a pregnant guppy.so I bought a net box thing and put her in it. Should she still be in this type of water reading? or should I put her in the emergency tank I have set up? Thank you for your help so far .

[leighbug]

today, everything in the readings are still the same as above.I'm still a little worried about the fish. I had a guppy die today when they all look so well ! When the nitites are awful like mine is it a silent killer one by one?

[William]

The pregnancy will not affect her that much so she can likely stay in the tank if you keep changing water etc to improve the situation.

I also want to recommend that you don't feed your fish for a few days.

[leighbug]

Thank you.today is day 2 that I have not feed them.

[leighbug]

I made a water change again.
pH - 8.4
alkalinity-300
hardness -150
nitrite-10.0
nitrate- 20
my next question is...Do I need to put Stress Zyme or Easy Balance in the water since it's so high on it all? You are terrific in helping me so far, Thank you.

[William]

Hi
you can use stesszyme but i don't know how much it will help.

I am however starting to get worried about the pH. what is the pH of your tap water?

[leighbug]

The pH in my tapwater is between 6.8 and 7.2

[William]

and the pH in the aquarium is 8.4 ????

what do you sue for decoration?

[rollie]

one place she said 6.8 - 7.2 ph, now 8.4.
i not going to try to help

[leighbug]

right. when I started doing the water changes it jumped up to 8.4
I have a rock decoration and live plants that I bought as bulbs you drop in to watch grow.the name is hybrid aponogeton.a treasure chest that blows bubbles and a skeleton in a barrel that blows bubbles.

[leighbug]

I've followed the directions on the pH down bottle.It is helping. Now the pH is 7.8. Can't use it again till 24 hours is up. I hope it continues to come down,I've used a whole bottle of test strips up in 2 days constantly trying to be sure I was reading it right.Fish still look good in color and seem normal.Still don't know exactly what I've done wrong to make my pH get out of whack though.If I can figure out how to put pictures on here, maybe that will help.

[leighbug]

Today I found one of my bulbs that has not bloomed.all the other ones are already so high I have to cut them.I wonder if this is part of the problem with my high nitrites.Anyway, I took it out of my tank.

[William]

It might be. Does it feel soft and muchy`?

[leighbug]

no, it was hard like a rock.I didn't think about that.I guess that might not be part of the problem then.

[William]

No. they usually turm soft if they start to rot.. do you have anything else in the tank that might be roting.

[leighbug]

not that I see.I did have 2 ghost shrimp back when we first got the tank going.They use to be all over the tank, but I haven't seen them in a while.I've done water changes so if they died surely I got them, they are no where in the tank.While doing the water changes, I've pushed the ornaments a little to get what was under those too, if anything.Just put in some more pH down it's been 24 hours and it's currently at..7.8

[leighbug]

one place she said 6.8 - 7.2 ph, now 8.4.
i not going to try to help

Rollie, that was the reading of my tap water William wanted me to check.It is inbetween 6.8 and 7.2

[William]

How often and how to you clean the filter?

[leighbug]

I cleaned my filter 2 days ago. when I did a water change.I ran it under warm water for a few minutes and used my fingers to wipe as it was under the water.

[leighbug]

today my tetras look bad! they were beautiful shiny silver with black stripes now they are not silver they are turning dark gray (sickly looking) and they just stay in a corner. if they do swim a little it's like they are cofused and slow, wobbling.my nitrites are still 10.0 but my pH is starting to come down while I'm using pH down.I almost want to throw my hands up and call it quits. I've had high nitrites for a while now.

[William]

What decoration do you use. Seems like something is pushing the pH up sinc eyou have to use pH down to keep it down.

Don't use warm water when cleaning the filter. It kills bacteria.

Sorry to hear about your tetra. I can just recommend to keep up what you are doing.

[leighbug]

a rock type thing with openings so they can swim through it. afew live plants, a treasure chest that blows bubbles and a skeleton in a barrel taht blows bubbles (kids picked those out).

[William]

What material are those things made of?
I'm thinking mainly plastic.

[leighbug]

the chest and skeleton ones are. the rock thing is I guess some type of rock it's heavy. I bought it at a fish store

[William]

OK. any chance that the stone is limestone or coral. Does it bubble if you poor vinaeger on it?

[leighbug]

I don't know? can I try it now after it's been in the aquarium? I'ts pinkish coral looking and a little coarse, not smooth.

[William]

Yes, you can still test it. just let it try first.