Nitrites & Ammonia in QT

Mini Coop

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Hi!

I got ich in my display, and am running fallow for 80 days to make sure it is gone. I am BRAND NEW to this, so had to rush in an emergency to set up QT, as I didn't have anything for it before.

I want to treat the fish with copper to make sure to rid the ich, but am not in a huge hurry to do that, as I have 80 days!

In the meantime . . . I have tried an ammonia reducer, doing weekly water changes, running the filter that came with the 20 gallon tank with a bio max bag in the bottom, sponge in the top, and been turning the filter off for 2 hours per night for a week while a cap full of "stability" is put into it. The ammonia level was testing up at 4 ppm, I did a water change last night (30%) This morning ammonia was at about 2 ppm. The Nitrites are still measuring high as well (unsafe zone on the strip test).

Any ideas of what else to do to stabilize QT would be great! Thank you.
 

Cory

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Id put in some macroalgae or an ats. Or a standard bioball setup. Maybe even use some love rock, but things on it may die. You can also biy "instant cycle" bottled bacteria.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Hi!

I got ich in my display, and am running fallow for 80 days to make sure it is gone. I am BRAND NEW to this, so had to rush in an emergency to set up QT, as I didn't have anything for it before.

I want to treat the fish with copper to make sure to rid the ich, but am not in a huge hurry to do that, as I have 80 days!

In the meantime . . . I have tried an ammonia reducer, doing weekly water changes, running the filter that came with the 20 gallon tank with a bio max bag in the bottom, sponge in the top, and been turning the filter off for 2 hours per night for a week while a cap full of "stability" is put into it. The ammonia level was testing up at 4 ppm, I did a water change last night (30%) This morning ammonia was at about 2 ppm. The Nitrites are still measuring high as well (unsafe zone on the strip test).

Any ideas of what else to do to stabilize QT would be great! Thank you.

Don't worry about nitrite. The "unsafe' zone would be for freshwater (if accurate at all), not seawater where it is not toxic. Ammonia is the big concern.

An ammonia binder such as Seachem Prime would be desirable.
 

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