PLEASE help with trites

cajamajo

cajamajo

Member
Intrest was lost in my old thread so I will try a new one. I added 30lbs of lr to a cycled tank. I was told it was cured?? anyway, overnite my ammonia went to 4.0 nitrite 2.0 nitrate 80 I did 20% water changes on sunday, monday. Now my ammonia is at 0 trates and trites are still the same. I have some fish so I want to get these numbers back down quick. Question is do I keep doing 20% changes or will I prolong this "cycle"?
for more info check out the other thread.
 
a&a2

a&a2

Member
Never assume rock is cured even if they say it is. I recommend taking all your fish & inverts out ASAP. Your livestock cannot tolerate any nitrite
 
mandarin w

mandarin w

Member
I am not an expert, but I have set up quite a few tanks and boy oh boy you are going down the wrong road.
First of all when you washed down your "live rock" with fresh RO water, (I believe that is what I read in your last thread) you kill off alot of what is live. Thus Live rock, saltwater tank, washing it off in fresh water," not saltwater" would kill off the benifically bacteria that is what make the rock live. So in effect you put uncured rock in your tank.
Your tank was too new to have all that live stock added to it, with out enough live rock. Now your system can not keep up with all that was added. You are headed for a CRASH.
I am not sure this will work but maybe give it a try.
get another tank, If you don't have another tank get a rubbermaid tote. Take some water from your tank and some new saltwater and put it in the quarentine tank (tote). and put your fish, snails and hermits in it. Get a filter running one this with lots of carbon. The carbon will help break down the nitrates. There is also something your can get to help break down the amonia. You may have to do a few water changes on this, But you wont have the rock or sand in this tank (tote) to keep adding to the problem. The best thing you have going for you is that the fish are damsels. They are a very hardy (not indistructable) fish. From my experience hermits are also pretty hardy. Throw a couple small pieces of PVC pipe in the tank for the fish to hind in. Do not put them back in to the tank until the cycle in complete. And when you do, don't add them all at once. You must give the tank time to build up to handle what is in there. But most importantly be patient!!! Take your time. Remember you are building a world.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
your live rock will break down the trites. the trates are different story i guess, but my fish and inverts have been ok in some high trate water-- i just did a water change last night and it brought them down a bit, but trates are just broken down trites. there are trate sponges and plants that will break them down.
trites will be in your water all the time, as will ammonia. your test kit just may never be able to see them, but they will be present. if they get high enough to register often, then start getting worried, but if they just show up once in a while the LR will take care of them.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
btw, i would definitely move your fish out, i forgot to say that above. it still sounds like your tank is recycling. also, your ph seems a little low from what i've been told. (read your other post)
what fish do you have btw? i dont see any posts saying that you have anything other than hermits.
 
cajamajo

cajamajo

Member
Thanks for all the help. I did make mistakes
but washing off live rock with tap water was not one of them, I used saltwater
 
S

saltfreak4

Guest
how much water??? When you washed even with the saltwater you removed beneficial bacteria.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
i think i disagree with almost everything said in this thread...
hmmm... i do agree that rinsing your LR in freshwater will kill a lot of stuff on it, thus making it uncured. i also agree that you should never take anyone's word that the LR is cured. Always cure it outside of the tank first. i do not agree with taking your fish out into a tote at all even with a lot of carbon... all carbon does is remove chemicals from your tank, it doesn't do anything for your nitrates, nitrites or ammonia, unless you establish bacteria on it. Taking your fish out of the tank with some bacteria into a tote with no bacteria will put you right back where you started with your display tank. Since the tote has nothing in it that is cycled, you will cause a cycle in that tank, which will cause ammonia & trites. These will be more severe than in your current tank because there's nothing to break it down. The rock and sand are what caused your ammonia to dissapear, and will cause your trites to disappear, so removing those from the equation is not a good idea. It is true that damsels are hardy, so chances are they will survive the spike. and rinsing your LR in saltwater doesn't remove that much bacteria.
IMO, you should do water changes to keep the trites down. this will actually shorten the cycling time because there's less trites to break down. hope this helps!
 
poniegirl

poniegirl

Active Member
I did look back at your old thread and realized that it has been at least 10 days since you first posted that one.
IMO, you need to stop. Not just slow down. You cannot "fix" the nitrogen cycle. It has to run its course. From the readings you state, your cycle doesn't even know which step is next.
I lost count since 10 days worth, but you have changed over 100% of your water since 9/2 ? Stop.
If you can't find somewhere healthy for the fish (an established tank) while your tank stabilizes, say your prayers.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
please don't add chemicals. They don't lower your trites, they basically cover them up...
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
please don't add chemicals to your tank... they only mask the problem, not cure it.
 
cajamajo

cajamajo

Member
on 8-25 cycle peaked
ammonia 1.0
ph 7.8
nitrate 40
nitrites 2.0
on 9-8
ammonia 0
ph 8.0
nitrates 20
nitrites 0
on 9-9
ammonia 0
ph 8.0
nitrates 20
nitrites 0
added 30 lbs of live rock after test
9-10
ammonia 4.0
ph 7.8
nitrates 80
nitrites 2.0
changed 6gal after test
9-11
ammonia 1.0
ph 7.8
nitrates 80
nitrites 2.0
changed 6 gal after test
9-12
ammonia 0
ph 7.8
nitrates 40
nitrites 1.0
changed 6 gal after test
Now all my problems started when I added the extra 30lbs. of rock. I know I came to the site for help. I was trying to find something to do with my time. I have crps and just lay on the coutch most of the day on morphine. I get tired of watching tv. I did start out with 15lbs of lr. It was nice watching the fish, if only for a few days. All I wanted was to do this thing right. I did a water change when the levels were 0, to bring down the trates, like I was told. I did not put any fish in this tank until The levels were right, just a few damsels. Everything I did I either read on this site, or was told to do by someone on this site. I did buy a few crabs, and snails for a clean up crew. I was given the manderin, but I was given food for him so he would not starve in a new tank. Then the 30 lbs. of live rock messed things up. The lfs told me it was cured, and to just put it in. I did still clean it with saltwater. I have been told to change water, dont change water, more or less called an idiot. I have had people make things up about what I have done. One person said I used tap water on the rock, I did not. One person said I rinsed off live sand, I did not. I just dont know what to do, or who to listen to. I am taking this thing down tomorrow, it is not worth all of this. Thanks everyone. I am done.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you can't give up! i don't think anyone here was trying to make you feel dumb or like an idiot! we understand you're new, and we don't expect you to do everything right. This happens to everyone in the beginning, i GUARANTY it!!! you can't give up! This is the most rewarding hobby ever! You'll learn not to trust the LFS, and you'll learn more as time goes on. Please don't give up on it, though. You did everything right! You put in cured lr, which turned out to be uncured lr, but you got through it and now your cycle is almost over. Acutally, this will just make your tank even stronger.
The point of this board is that there are different opinions. You should wait and hear a few before making any decisions, as some are from newer people, and some are from more experienced. I promise you'll get the hang of things! Just please don't give up now! For me?!?!?!?!?!
 
cajamajo

cajamajo

Member
Im not gving up. I just need to learn who to listen to. Sorry threw a fit. There are some good people on this board. I thank you for our help, Slesia has been a lot of help, as several others. These meds I am on the smallest thing seems huge. I need to slow down, and let nature do its thing. At least the ammonia is 0. Everything will follow just like before. The fish are not breathing as fast as they were. They might just make it. I as freakin out trying to rush things. I will keep you posted!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top