Question: Can't get it right somehow... Please help me out :(

[Morrison]

I always had pretty perfect water parameters but suddenly this week everything changed... Yesterday (for example) it was:
pH: 6.6
KH: 0-3
GH: 4
NO2: 0,5-2!
NO3: about 100!!!!
Ammonia says... 0.

A few days ago it was the same. And I did several water changes this week (and also yesterday) but nothing seems to work. There's no dirt, poo or anything (hidden) in the tank and I clean the sand with a vacuum thingy and clean de debris out of the filter every week).

But the tests are still giving about the same results. My axies are also swimming pretty active and 'stressy' and it's so sad to look at them getting 'annoyed' by it.
Sometimes they kick their gills because it's irritating them.

I keep on cleaning, doing water changes but.... nothing...
Also the KH is much lower than it always was... Normally it was about 6.
pH is pretty stable again....6.6 or 6.8 is the average I have. A few weeks ago it was 6.4 and suddenly 7.2 but now it's back to what is used to be...
GH is also about 4.
NO2: always been 0 or sometimes 0,5....
NO3: was always a bit of a pain in my crack with 10, 25 or sometimes 50... But last week it said 100-250 (ofcourse immediate waterchange, about 60%)...
Ammonia always says 0.... (or the test is expired or it's true)
(Yes, I write down all the test results everytime I do one)

Oh and do I have to raise the KH, and if yes, how (axie safe please)

I just don't get it anymore... I searched everywhere for forgotten pieces of poo or debris or food.... Nothing... absolutely nothing...

(Oh, and it's only in one tank, the other axies (and my babies) are just fine...)

(Other things you might want to know)
It's a 90 cm tank with two axies in it. (I had three but it was a bit too much I guess. So the other one has her own tank. I am searching for a bigger tank and maybe I can get one for free ).

I do water changes weekly. About 25-30 when nothing weird is going on%.

I use an 'average' aquarium filter that is 'good for a tank this size' (that's what the box said. Don't know the name exactly. I thought it was Dennerle or something, a filter you can place in the corner of the tank.

I have the tank set up for about 4 months after they were 'sick' and me... cleaning the whole thing.
Also placed a new filter cartridge a while ago but used 'used' water to 'load' it... (don't know how to describe it)

Water temperature is about 19 degrees Celsius. I don't have a lid or light. No live plants, no algae actually and no other creatures in there but axies.

 

[carsona246]

how many gallons is that? 90 cm is close to 36 inches, so I'm thinking its about the same as a 40 breeder, but I could be wrong. was your tank was previously fully cycled, or is .5 nitrite a usual occurance? It sounds to me like your bioload is a little high. I could be completly wrong as I dont know how many gallons you have, but if you're consistently getting 100 ppm's of nitrate a week I would guess your tank is a little overstocked. I don't think you have to worry about kh/gh. If the crazy nitrate reading is only in that tank, and theres nothing causing an abnormal nitrate reading the only thing I can think of is the tank is overstocked. You could try adding some plants, and see if that helps.

 

[Morrison]

Hm yeah. I think so too....
0.5 occurs pretty...often I guess... But the tank was fully cycled before I placed my axies (back) in.
I guess I really need that bigger tank so the water parameters will be more stable.

 

[Kaysie]

What kind of test kit are you using?

 

[carsona246]

I would guess that if nitrite is usually at .5 you don't have enough biomedia to handle the load of your tank. Maybe go lighter on the feedings and see if that helps? I would think 3 axolotls could fit in a 40 breeder parameter wise, unless they're beastly axie's.

 

[Morrison]

Their size is pretty average. Not that gigantic. Just about 21,5 cm and the smallest about 19 cm...
I use JBL test strips and for ammonia I use a drop test kit (also JBL)
(I also hand feed them. The biggest one used to hate worms and spit them back out, but the last 6 months he keeps them inside... I sometimes feed them pellets but they're gone in about 3 minutes. Greedy things )

 

[Kaysie]

Test strips are notoriously inaccurate. You might want to upgrade to a liquid reagent test kit.

 

[Morrison]

Yeah I agree. I pretty much 'hate' those strips and the steps between them are too.... big to get a precise reading. The good thing... I only have 1 strip left so I do have to buy a new test kit and then I'll buy the drop test kits. (But do I have to buy them for pH, KH and GH too, or just nitrite and nitrate because they are a bit more important... and I'm not that 'rich')

(A good thing is that they're a bit calm at the moment. Maybe the water change calmed them down a bit.... or they're just damn tired of being so hyperactive all day long...)

 

[carsona246]

I wouldn't worry about KH/GH. As long as you know you ph isn't crazy low/high I would also think it's not necessary.

 

[Kaysie]

Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are the important kits to get. I've never tested for pH, kH, or gH. They're relatively unimportant.

 

[Morrison]

Okay thanks! (Just to make sure I don't have to spend money on something I don't actually need)

But there's actually something I was wondering for a pretty long time.
Let's say (for example) nitrite is too high. You tested it to make sure and then you do a water change. Can you immediately see a difference (by testing it) after you did the water change or does it have to settle for hours, minutes etc.?

 

[carsona246]

you'd be able to tell instantly, you should probably let the filter run to stir up the water a bit, but once the nitrite is removed from the water it's gone

 

[Kaysie]

I agree with Carson. You'll be able to tell pretty quickly, after the water has thoroughly circulated.