Nitrites stilll high in QT

Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
117
Reaction score
28
Location
Richmond, Va.
Crsublette.... Thanks for the info above and I am fortunate, I do have tanks inside, insulated Barn. I will increase temps as you suggested, and do water changes. My biggest problem is lack of PATIENCE, as in I have none! My husband keeps telling me to calm down and wait out the high readings......I really am trying:) You know you have it bad when you spend money on tanks, increase your light bill and get up in the middle of the night to check on fish. On the brighter side, I get immense pleasure just watching them grow and with our long cold winter ahead, plan to spend many hours enjoying them. As always, thanks for the response.
 

crsublette

coyotes call me Charles
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
2,678
Reaction score
1,100
Location
Dalhart Texas
Hardiness Zone
6a
Welp, I'm cooped up at my sis-tor's joint. Doc has Mother all rigged up to a mobile thingamejig wrapped around her waist, or something, and she has to report back tomorrow to make sure everything is ok with her heart. So, to make lemonade out of these lemons, I need to think of ways to terrorize my sis-tor. Hmmm.. Only something innnocent like... Maybe... puting her bras in the freezer as revenge to what she did to me last year when she stayed at my place during Christmas. All done with Love. :biggrinangelA: Or... Maybe I should wait until the holidays. Hmmm... :evil: :bdaybiggrin:


Very good Mrs. Goode. Sounds like ya have a good nub on those shoulders. Yep, patience and water changes. Personally, I would also look into the Amquel Plus and slightly increasing the salinity as mentioned previously, only if you're comfortable doing it. Also, I would significantly reduce feedings until everything evens out.


:censored: Forgot to mention...

As the microorganisms reproduce and perform their duties, converting the ammonia and nitrite through the process, these guys will be fueled by consuming the water's alkalinity, other minerals, and will release byproducts, such as a form of nitric acid, as the end result of the biological process. The water changes will help to compensate for what you will lose due to these biological processes.

In addition to the water changes, you can put in some a calcium carbonate (i.e., crushed oyster shells, crushed coral) or an aragonite product, and these products will slowly dissolve to replenish what the microorganisms will consume out of the water. If you can find a good aragonite product at a local fish store, then this would be the best. Otherwise, rather than aragonite, you can get crushed oyster shells from a farm supply store since this product is also fed to egg laying hens, except be sure the product does not have any addtives. You can layer this product at the bottom of the QT tank or use the product to create a waterfall or trickle tower or make your self a whiskey barrel bog where the top few inches is composed of the aragonite or calcium carbonate. Here is an exmaple of a trickle tower, where you can use different material to hold the aragonite/calcium product or you can build a diy water filter to house the material. Here is a good retail option of a trickle tower made by Tetra. There are many options available and imagination is the only limitation.

To help move along the bio-filtering process, there are a few more options available :

1) The aforementioned calcium carbonate/aragonite product.

2) Koi clay as discussed in post#4 in thread "how to stop murkiness". This product will contribute more microorganisms and beneficial minerals.

3) To keep this short, rather than repeating myself too much, then also check out the thread, Raising KH and GH thread; I think in particular post#23.

4) Good aeration. If the QT is small, then a good aquarium air pump/stone might be all you need.

Along with water temperature, the particular microorganism we are trying to grow also like a pH in the 7.8ish~8.3ish range. As the microogranisms consume the chemical pollution, then there is the potential for the pH to lower, as mentioned above, but major water changes will address this assuming your water is not soft and acidic.

I would also look into putting in some plants. If you can obtain them, then choose plants that can tolerate a salinity quite well such as Canna, Fairy Moss, Hibiscus, Water Celery, Water Chestnut. So, then you can still do a .10% salinity without having a concern of the salt harming the plants. You can easily make a bog out of any size of pot. The plants will improve the health of the water as well.


Sticking to slow major water changes is quite fine, as long as you have good water, during emergency situations such as when the pollution is quite high. Once everything settles down, then look into how you can help make the water healthier for the fish and checkout some of the fun homemade fish food recipes, which I imagine there are some for goldfish.

There's always homework to keep our brain active and strong... :banana: :claphands:


Anyways... Just a few thoughts for ya... :cheerful:
 

sissy

sissy
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
33,086
Reaction score
15,707
Location
Axton virginia
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
7A
Country
United States
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:58494]some pics of the stuff to help you find it
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:52798]
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:52796]
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
117
Reaction score
28
Location
Richmond, Va.
Crsublette
First tank has completed Cycle and now shows 0 Nitrites, I am really excited and it took a month. Second tank is probably 2/3 through and I hope to have it settle down in another week to 10 days. How is Mother and were you kind to your sister?
 

crsublette

coyotes call me Charles
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
2,678
Reaction score
1,100
Location
Dalhart Texas
Hardiness Zone
6a
Sharon Goode said:
Crsublette
First tank has completed Cycle and now shows 0 Nitrites, I am really excited and it took a month. Second tank is probably 2/3 through and I hope to have it settle down in another week to 10 days. How is Mother and were you kind to your sister?

Good deal !! :claphands: :cheerful: :banana:


Good report card on Mum.

Sister however.... I surrendered for the moment... started to put Christmas lights on the roof and heading back this weekend to finish it. :chair:
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
117
Reaction score
28
Location
Richmond, Va.
crsublette... 2nd tank has completed cycle and my indoor tanks are up and running well. Cold here! Hope your Mom is doing well.....Happy Thanksgiving!
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads


Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
31,488
Messages
517,713
Members
13,688
Latest member
Dana D

Latest Threads

Top