Odd Readings

[Guest Chishower]

Ok, I did a water test and was shocked by the results.

Amonia: .25

Nitrites: well over 1ppm

Nitrates: 40ppm

PH: 8.0

Everything out of the tap is 0, PH is 8.2

Now...yesterday and everyday before then for the last week I have been doing 50% water changes and adding salt to help with the cycle. Its a 30 gallon with two fancies and a comet.

Filters are a Penguin 150 (150gph) and a whisper power filter which does 145 gph, so I am just about there. They have been on the tank for a month.

So why are my readings THIS high? Is it a normal part of the cycle, even with all these water changes?

[fisharenewtome]

It does sound like you're cycling. It took my first tank about 12 weeks to cycle (I cycled with fish & did alot of water changes so that slowed the cycle down)

I know it felt like forever!

Just keep up with the water changes & you should be fine.

Good luck!!!

Jenn

[DataGuru]

Tell us how you maintain the tank and filters.

also what and how much are you feeding?

[Guest Chishower]

Filters: All I do is when the filter pads start to look grungy, I swish them out in used tank water to clean them up a bit. No tap water or anything like that. The bio wheel and the bio pad sponge thing never, ever get touched.

Tank: With the levels so I, I have been doing daily water changes, from 25% to 50% depending on how high things are, vaccuming the gravel each time.

I normally feed either pellets, bloodworms, or peas once a day. Normally its 3-4 pellets per fishy four times a week, half a pea per fish once a week, or a few blood worms per fish once a week, and I fast on sundays. If anything, I am worried about not feeding them enough.

[fisharenewtome]

I think it sounds as if you're still cycling. Have your ammonia levels been dropping? If so you're moving into the nitrite phase. (That's what it was looking like from your original post)

I too had to do largish water changes daily when I was cycling or else my params were so out of wack. Even still - I couldn't get my nitrites below 2 for the longest time! Don't worry - it won't last forever! (although it might feel like it!)

It's good that you're changing the water based upon your test results. You're fairly fully stocked for that tank & the water changes will help keep your fish healthy (even though they do delay the cycling!)

Good Luck! Hope this helps

Jenn

[DataGuru]

Yea, I agree.

What's your salt level?

How long has the tank been set up?

[Guest Chishower]

Yuck, will cycling never end?

Salt is salted to about .15%, maybe a little less. Its hard to be posotive with all these water changes.

Tank set up going on....about two months, maybe a little more than that.

[DataGuru]

just re-read your first post. If the filters have only been set up for a month, I agree with Jenn... you're probably almost there. You should have less and less trouble keeping ammonia down and nitrItes are spiking/starting to come down. As long as ammonia stays low (below .5ppm), you can cut back on partial water changes as long as you maintain your salt level (until nitrIte drops to 0ppm).

Nice pics in your sig!