EvilPeanut
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- Aug 19, 2017
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Help!
I am having major issues with my 20 gallon tank water quality. To preface, a couple of months ago I purchased a couple of newts to put in my tank which had been up and running for about 3 weeks prior. I had not found this forum and had no idea the tank needed to "cycle" first. (when I got my first firebelly newt I plopped it into a new tank and it lived there for 17 years - apparently I just got super lucky). After about a week my newts didn't look right. They weren't active and they wouldn't eat. I started researching and got some test strips and the nitrites were registering at 10ppm!!! I frantically started water changing like crazy but unfortunately I lost my newts.
Since then I have been trying to get that tank cycled - it has been about 6 weeks. I've followed the directions - putting fish food in whenever my ammonia level drops. I had a nitrite spike for a long time but recently it has started to even out. The ammonia has generally been 0-0.5ppm and the nitrites also 0-0.5 with nitrates climbing modestly to 20-30 ppm. I thought I was good to go. I bought a couple of newts and put them in the tank. Now guess what I am dealing with - the nitrite spike again! Nitrites climbed to 4-5ppm almost immediately. I am doing 50% water changes twice daily but it seems to almost instantly rise. Ammonia is still about 0.5ppm. Nitrates still about 20ppm.
I don't want to lose my newts. I can't go through that again. Should I just take them out and put them in a rubbermaid tub? They are ribbed newts - they are awesome - I named them Tarzan and Jane and I don't want them to die!
If anyone has any advice on how to get over this nitrite spike I would appreciate it! Thank you!
I am having major issues with my 20 gallon tank water quality. To preface, a couple of months ago I purchased a couple of newts to put in my tank which had been up and running for about 3 weeks prior. I had not found this forum and had no idea the tank needed to "cycle" first. (when I got my first firebelly newt I plopped it into a new tank and it lived there for 17 years - apparently I just got super lucky). After about a week my newts didn't look right. They weren't active and they wouldn't eat. I started researching and got some test strips and the nitrites were registering at 10ppm!!! I frantically started water changing like crazy but unfortunately I lost my newts.
Since then I have been trying to get that tank cycled - it has been about 6 weeks. I've followed the directions - putting fish food in whenever my ammonia level drops. I had a nitrite spike for a long time but recently it has started to even out. The ammonia has generally been 0-0.5ppm and the nitrites also 0-0.5 with nitrates climbing modestly to 20-30 ppm. I thought I was good to go. I bought a couple of newts and put them in the tank. Now guess what I am dealing with - the nitrite spike again! Nitrites climbed to 4-5ppm almost immediately. I am doing 50% water changes twice daily but it seems to almost instantly rise. Ammonia is still about 0.5ppm. Nitrates still about 20ppm.
I don't want to lose my newts. I can't go through that again. Should I just take them out and put them in a rubbermaid tub? They are ribbed newts - they are awesome - I named them Tarzan and Jane and I don't want them to die!
If anyone has any advice on how to get over this nitrite spike I would appreciate it! Thank you!