Quick help guys nitrite n ammonia in QT is high ... What should I do?!

[merlberg]

I have a 10 gallon QT n just did a 40% water change but what else should I do?! Will having activated carbon in the tank help at all? Do I need more good bacteria. Right now in my HOB filter I just have a small pad half the size of the filter. Help!

I'm going away tomorrow and need to make sure my fish is ok before I leave!

 

[merlberg]

Also should I fill this tank back up with my DT water which is perfect or new salt water?

 

[Vpham]

Use ur water and some mature rocks from dt to help bacteria cycle.

 

[Vpham]

I assume ur Qt is barebone with hob filter....and add brightwells bacteria 7 to boost if needed.

 

[mike007]

Water changes will help but you have no biological action. Fish will produce ammonia and you have no way of ridding It presently. There are products such as Prime that will help. But if you are feeding fish you are going to incur ammonia. I f you are going away can you have someone monitor tank and do water changes and add ammonia reducing additives?

 

[merlberg]

Yes I added some prime and I did a water change n added some carbon... Not sure if that will help but I do have someone that can do water changes for me but how often should she be changing the water and should prime be used again? Like after every water change?

 

[merlberg]

I assume ur Qt is barebone with hob filter....and add brightwells bacteria 7 to boost if needed.

What do you mean by barebone? So is adding more sponges from my DT not suffice because that is what I just did.

 

[merlberg]

Use ur water and some mature rocks from dt to help bacteria cycle.

I seen this too late :/ I added fresh salt water already... So I can leave a live rock in there? N just remove it if I'm medicating w/ anything?

Would I be able to use that Rock again?

 

[Humblefish]

Are you treating with copper or another chemical in QT? Or just passively observing?

 

[merlberg]

Are you treating with copper or another chemical in QT? Or just passively observing?

Just observing ... Not treating w/ anything at all!

 

[merlberg]

So I did put a little piece of rock hoping that will help... N make it a little easier for the person that is taking care of my tank while gone but is there anything else I should do before I leave?

 

[blacktippr]

Note that cupramine or copper Will give you false amonia possitive.

 

[merlberg]

But I haven't added any solutions to my QT water

 

[Humblefish]

So I did put a little piece of rock hoping that will help... N make it a little easier for the person that is taking care of my tank while gone but is there anything else I should do before I leave?

Put a Seachem ammonia alert badge on the tank, and show them how to do a WC if the ammonia spikes. Or at least instruct them how to dose Amquel or Prime to neutralize the ammonia.

 

[merlberg]

Ok I have a badge in there now but it still shows a spike even after the water change. Should I do another change Tom or just let it settle and have my friend do it the day after?

 

[Humblefish]

Ok I have a badge in there now but it still shows a spike even after the water change. Should I do another change Tom or just let it settle and have my friend do it the day after?

It can take the badge several hours to return to yellow even after ammonia has been reduced. Also, many people make the mistake of looking at the badge in the dark and it always looks green. You have to look at it under light to see the correct color it is displaying (a single fluorescent bulb is usually sufficient.)

 

[merlberg]

Ahh Ohh ok ... Thnks!

 

[merlberg]

Another question... I just checked the nitrite and ammonia again before I leave still the same as last night so I did a 20% water change and put my DT water in the QT but did not put any solution.

1. Should I throw some more prime in there?

2. Should I have my friend do like 15-20% water changes until it's normal?

 

[Humblefish]

How many fish are in this 10 gallon QT?

 

[Vpham]

I mean barebone as u have no sand bed. I should say bare bttom...lol
Once u treated with copper or other medications, live rocks or sand should not go back to dt...
Prime or amquel will reduce ammonia in few days, after that it will rise again...
What u need is a good and stable biological filter, live rock and small amount of live sand from ur dt would do it. And no water change, cause that will remove bacterias, bring u back to the beginning. ..u don't want that.