Nitrites in hospital tank- suggestions? (Terry?)

[a&m '96]

I had to set up a hospital tank in a hurry (I know, I know) because of an ich problem. I've got my huma and porky puffer in a 10 gallon for three weeks, and I'm treating with copper. Since I had to do it so quickly, I couldn't cycle it properly. I used water from my main tank to set it up, as well as filter media from the cannister, hoping that enough biofiltration would be there. Well, today is the third day of quarantine, and the nitrites are now at 0.3 (they are 0 in the main tank). I went ahead and did a 10% water change with water from the main tank to drop it a bit. Is this something I should worry about? Is this likely a mini-cycle in which the biofiltration will catch up in a few days? Any suggetions on keeping this under control for the next three weeks would be appreciated.

 

[jester]

The most effictive and safest way to treat ich is hyposalinity. Do a search on it here and you wil see it is the preferred way. copper kills fish.
But, as for the trites, that's high and I would do a larger water change untill it gets to a safer level. I would also use some h20 from your main tank to help it out. But mix new water with main tank water before adding it to qt. After 3 weeks, (22 days i think) ich will die with no host to live off of so I think it will be ok to take it from main tank. if it has been less than 3 weeks, don't or they may get reinfected.