Terrible Test Results

[mitchell101]

I used the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, and i tested Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia and pH.

Ammonia - 4.0

Nitrite - 5

Nitrate - 40

pH - 6.8

Terrible results as Nitrate, Ammonia and Nitrate should be 0!

How can i fix this.

Now i am doing daily water changes.

The tank should be biologically cycled by now because i have had the tank for 3 months.
I did a full water change once because i was changing from river stones to bare and it was extreme gunky.

Last couple of weeks tank has been spotless clear because of use of turkey baster and siphon a lot.

Help because this is awful and I have already lost 1!

Results were taken properly with correct amount of water and drops and followed instructions perfectly.

please help
Mitch.

 

[Darkmaverick]

Hi Mitchell,

Actually i don't think your water parameters are as bad as it sounds. Firstly because i think it is still undergoing the cycling process, hence there is presence of nitrates.

It can take a frustratingly long time for your tank to be fully cycled. I can understand how you feel but be assured, you will reach there with patience. It would probably take some more time for your cycling to be complete.

Daily water changes should be at most 20% each time. A complete water change can actually slow down your cycling process. You are doing a good job siphoning out visible solid wastes.

Recently another axie owner was having problems with water quality. You may like to read through the following thread. It deals with very similar issues and there are some tips there that you can use.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?p=177675#post177675

There are some excellent articles on cycling and water chemistry that you can take a look through as well.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/waterquality.shtml

Feel free to post or message if you need more help.

Cheers.

 

[blueberlin]

Hi Mitch,

You poor thing, I know how frustrating and panicky a fully blown cycle can be.

When you removed the gunky rocks, you also removed a lot of the bacterial colony that would have been cycling your tank - you know they grow on surfaces, and when you remove the surfaces, you remove the bacteria along with them. That would have been a setback in the cycle because new bacteria would have to grow to replace the old to get you back to where you were, if you follow me?

On a positive note, though, you are in the middle of a cycle, not at the beginning. The fact that you have a nitrate reading, which is the final product, means that a complete nitrification chain ("cycle") has already been established. Now you just wait for enough bacteria to be present to cope with the rest of the ammonia and nitrites, and you'll be done! You're almost there, so be heartened, keep up with water changes every day, and think how you will celebrate having completed the single most troublesome aspect of keeping an aquarium!

-Eva

 

[tuxar linuxarmy]

your ph is also worry some 7.0 is good that means its not acid or base
6.8 means the water is slightly acid its not mucht but its still damaging

 

[mitchell101]

Dude, you just pulled this thread up from over a year ago!
I'm over axolotls now. Wouldn't mind getting them back though, no more room in the house for tanks! I'm currently keeping and breeding tropical fish and doing real well. All tanks ammonia and nitrite at 0 and nitrate at about 5-10. Cheers. Mitch

 

[tuxar linuxarmy]

lol didnt notice that lol

 

[mitchell101]

Don't worry about it man. You must have gone back a fair bit in threads to find mine.