Help with my readings

[seanmhoward]

Seeing as I cannot find my last post and the information in it is wrong I figured I would try a repost, Sorry to the admins in advance.

Test info, been having the same results with 0 variation for 2 weeks. I have tested myself at home and at a pet store everyday for that long. Every person at the pet store knows me by name, one even told me the other day to just do the test myself so she could help other people.

Nitrate (NO3+) ppm (mg/L)
20

Nitrite (NO2-) ppm (mg/L)
NEEDS HELP
off the charts, WAY above the 10.0 maximum listed in the color chart. chart goes up to a slightly lighter than normal pink color, my test reads Fuchsia (neon pink).

Total Hardness (GH) ppm
25

Total Chlorine ppm (mg/L)
0

Total Alkalinity (KH) ppm
300

pH-freshwater
8.4

Ammonia
0 or rather <0.2 ppm according to seachem, very strange considering the nitrites.

After loads of time spent researching this all I can find is not working. I have been doing 50% water changes daily for the last 4 days, and have tried 20% for a week and half to no avail. I have also used an ENTIRE BOTTLE, shows how long I have had this issue, of seachem's stability (250 ml bottle, used 7.5 ml a day in a 25g tank (suggested on back of bottle). If math serves me right that means I have been using this product for over a month straight.

I have been using Prime in an attempt to keep my fish alive and happy along with aquarium salt and that seems to work as they are active and have no signs of disease that I can tell, but I don't trust that it will stay that way so I need to know what to do. I cannot be this unlucky with fish as I have had them before with great success.

.:ABOUT MY TANK:.
25g, 4 mollies, 3 platies, 4 guppies, 3 danios (few died during first few weeks but I will not replace them till I have a clear understanding and compatible tank)

There is one living plant in the tank that is doing great and another that started to grow but the fish kept eating it so now it is just dead, I was hoping it would rot and produce ammonia so that the nitrites would be able to become stable but no such luck.

I have read miss fishies site and that has not helped, what I am confused about now is just what bacteria my tank is not able to produce and how to help it produce that bacteria. your help is greatly appreciated and I look forward to the help of such wise and caring people as I have found on here.

Also I read a post from someone else that said high alkaline in my tank was ok provided I had the right fish, I think I have the right fish but would Enjoy having that confirmed if anyone knows for sure.

 

[Newman]

Yea that last part was me lol. I admit it, even if im wrong
Sounds like you can have a tank with african rif lake cichlids with a pH like that xD
just get rid of that annoying nitrite problem. Time would help. keep the prime up, but dont use stability that much. is stability normally refrigirated? if its not then its unlikely that it actually does anything good for the tank.
i'd say do not use anymore stability.

 

[MoneyMitch]

Seeing as I cannot find my last post and the information in it is wrong I figured I would try a repost, Sorry to the admins in advance.

Test info, been having the same results with 0 variation for 2 weeks. I have tested myself at home and at a pet store everyday for that long. Every person at the pet store knows me by name, one even told me the other day to just do the test myself so she could help other people.

Nitrate (NO3+) ppm (mg/L)
20

Nitrite (NO2-) ppm (mg/L)
NEEDS HELP
off the charts, WAY above the 10.0 maximum listed in the color chart. chart goes up to a slightly lighter than normal pink color, my test reads Fuchsia (neon pink).

Total Hardness (GH) ppm
25

Total Chlorine ppm (mg/L)
0

Total Alkalinity (KH) ppm
300

pH-freshwater
8.4

Ammonia
0 or rather <0.2 ppm according to seachem, very strange considering the nitrites.

After loads of time spent researching this all I can find is not working. I have been doing 50% water changes daily for the last 4 days, and have tried 20% for a week and half to no avail. I have also used an ENTIRE BOTTLE, shows how long I have had this issue, of seachem's stability (250 ml bottle, used 7.5 ml a day in a 25g tank (suggested on back of bottle). If math serves me right that means I have been using this product for over a month straight.

I have been using Prime in an attempt to keep my fish alive and happy along with aquarium salt and that seems to work as they are active and have no signs of disease that I can tell, but I don't trust that it will stay that way so I need to know what to do. I cannot be this unlucky with fish as I have had them before with great success.

.:ABOUT MY TANK:.
25g, 4 mollies, 3 platies, 4 guppies, 3 danios (few died during first few weeks but I will not replace them till I have a clear understanding and compatible tank)

There is one living plant in the tank that is doing great and another that started to grow but the fish kept eating it so now it is just dead, I was hoping it would rot and produce ammonia so that the nitrites would be able to become stable but no such luck.

I have read miss fishies site and that has not helped, what I am confused about now is just what bacteria my tank is not able to produce and how to help it produce that bacteria. your help is greatly appreciated and I look forward to the help of such wise and caring people as I have found on here.

Also I read a post from someone else that said high alkaline in my tank was ok provided I had the right fish, I think I have the right fish but would Enjoy having that confirmed if anyone knows for sure.

About your nitrite issue, as you are aware it is just as toxic to the fish in levels that high just as ammonia is. Your are on the right track with the 50% daily w/c. My suggestion would be check the experation date of the test bottle and make sure you shake it CRAZY for like 3 mins to get accurate results, trust me it makes a diff~

The way nitrites form are by the bac that consume the ammonia. the cycle will give you High results in this order Ammonia, NitrItes, nitrAtes. after your nitrites and ammonia have been stable for ATLEAST a week then your tank is cycled. as for now dont add anymore fish and keep doing what your doing. remove any dieng plants feed once a day and keep on with those water changes. hope this helps Mitch

 

[seanmhoward]

I don't know what made it change where it was just taking that long to cycle or what but my tank FINALLY made a change in its nitrites, they are still way into the danger zone but at least show up on the scale now, even one peg less than max so that a huge improvement. Sadly it came to late for one of my fish who can no longer move but is NOT dead, He has been floating around for two days now and when ever he gets stuck just flops like crazy until he gets clear after resting for a few hours. Do not want to flush someone thats still alive though so I'll leave him in a separate tank for a little while until that happens.

Oh what I did this time was ignore the tank. I had too much other work to do and figured if nothing else worked so far then I would just let the tank be and if everything died then I would have an easier time setting the tank up next time and be able to do whatever was needed to get it correct. So after 3 days it went down this much a few more should hopefully put it in the toxic range versus the deadly. Here's hoping!

 

[Newman]

That fish doesnt sound like its having a fun time...you might need to euthanize it to stop its pain
Euthanize by freezing.

 

[JRB__]

That fish doesnt sound like its having a fun time...you might need to euthanize it to stop its pain
Euthanize by freezing.

Newman I've wondered what the best method to euthanizing a fish was. I was told hitting them over the head, in fact the person said to hold them by the tail and give them a good hard flick against a hard surface, but I've never been able to do it, always thought there must be a better way. So, if there is no hope left for the fish, do you mean put them in a glass of water and pop it into the freezer??

 

[Newman]

Yea, but a bag of water would be better tho. in a bag you can squeeze out any extra air and just leave the water.

People claim that freezing the fish will send it into an eternal sleep, and that it really doesnt feel too much pain.
Well imagine that youre in the fishes situation, and youre freezing outside. Yea there's discomfort and stinging frostbite pain at first. but then youre numb. and your brain falls asleep. Thats how i envision it. It's the most humane way the way i see it.

Others have suggested what youve said, and also other ways such as chopping the head off in one clean slice. I find those far more painful and unethical. Then again the whole idea of deciding its fate is unethical, cuz youre not the fish. On the other side, should you watch its agonizing demise as it seccumbs to its ailment? Its a really deep ethical issue you gotta deal with.

I do the freezing method.

 

[JRB__]

Cool, well if (and hopefully not) I ever need to euthanize another fish i'll try that method. There's no ethical issue for me, the way I see it is if there is no treatment that will help and they're in pain and will die eventually then you have to. After all you are the one who put them in the environment that led them to this situation. And really killing them isn't the unethical part keeping them in unsuitable conditions allowing them to become terminally sick is. However such things are often unavoidable when keeping fish..