HELP!!!

[Queenserpentine]

Hi guys,

Newbie here with a BIG problem
about 3 weeks ago I moved home, I own 3 juvie Discus and they seem all fine until I do a quick parameter check on the water and freaked out....


So, the tank is 3 foot long x 18 inches x 18 inches,

So I don't touch the filter to keep it cycled etc etc

I go to check my parameters today and they were

PH 6.0.>apparently not too bad for babies according to store manager
Ammonia was 1.0, Nitrite 0.0, Nitrate was between 6.0 and 8.0 ppm


So, yeah, I'm kinda freaking about my babies

Its a bare bottomed tank with, a couple of BN's and Angels

I'm not too sure what to do, so I've put the required dosage of Stability in the tank to hopefully even it out a little.

But what else should I do?

Help would be greatly appreciated

[Hollowman]

If you are showing ammonia, you will also be showing NitrIte. How often are you water changing?? should be at least twice a week and 30% minimum. Do you wipe down the sides of the tank too? this helps keep everything clean for the juves.
How long since you last rinsed out your filter? maybe it is too clogged to process the amount of water running through it. Take out your filter media and rinse it gently in tank water to get rid of particulate matter and place back in your cannister. DO NOT wring out in tap water.

Water changes are the best way to keep levels stable. Check (for now) at every water change to make sure you are stabilising the water parameters. ( I do not mean adding stuff to get the Ph right)Don't go thowing shotgun treatments at the tank where a water change will suffice.

hth

[ILLUSN]

ammonia of 1 isn't too bad since you caught it early, do a big change on the tank (75%+) repeat this every few days till your filter catches up, you proably unsettled it in the move, add a little salt 1tsp/20L this will stop brown blood disease when your NO2 levels begin to climb (usually a few days after an ammonia spike)

[TW]

Hi there

You've already got great advice & I can't think of any extra - other than to say I recently discovered that peat in your water can effect the result of some brands of Ammonia tests. It can appear to test positive, when it really is not.