Test levels super high

[Jvesche20]

So about 2 weeks ago I started to add copper into my QT because my fish got ich. I’ve been only really testing for ammonia.

Today I did a test and my ammonia is at 0

But here’s the problem I did a nitrate and nitrite test and they are super high. My fish are still alive so I’m not sure if the copper is having my test have false readings.

My nitrate is at 40ppm
Nitrite is what concerns me and that’s at 5ppm. I’m not sure if it’s accurate because wouldn’t my fish be dead if nitrite is that high?

All my fish seem to be fine except my blue tang. It just hides in the corner under my heater all day. It eats but looks very stressed out. It faded colors but I got it back to looking normal with the exception of a few spots. What do I do here?

 

[maevepotter]

Obviously water change to start. I'm not sure about the other questions.

 

[Sean Oreilly]

So about 2 weeks ago I started to add copper into my QT because my fish got ich. I’ve been only really testing for ammonia.

Today I did a test and my ammonia is at 0

But here’s the problem I did a nitrate and nitrite test and they are super high. My fish are still alive so I’m not sure if the copper is having my test have false readings.

My nitrate is at 40ppm
Nitrite is what concerns me and that’s at 5ppm. I’m not sure if it’s accurate because wouldn’t my fish be dead if nitrite is that high?

All my fish seem to be fine except my blue tang. It just hides in the corner under my heater all day. It eats but looks very stressed out. It faded colors but I got it back to looking normal with the exception of a few spots. What do I do here?

Have you tested a fresh bucket of saltwater to make sure your test kit is ok?

 

[Jvesche20]

Have you tested a fresh bucket of saltwater to make sure your test kit is ok?

I tested my DT and numbers were fine. I think I might just dump out all the water in my QT and put my DT water in there then add copper again

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I tested my DT and numbers were fine. I think I might just dump out all the water in my QT and put my DT water in there then add copper again

I would not recommend that you do that. Doing that you will undoubtedly introduce a fresh life cycle of ich into your QT and extend the time your fish are in there. Just mix a bucket of fresh water and do a W/C.

 

[Jvesche20]

I would not recommend that you do that. Doing that you will undoubtedly introduce a fresh life cycle of ich into your QT and extend the time your fish are in there. Just mix a bucket of fresh water and do a W/C.

I did a water change of 25% but the levels are still super high should I just do a 100% or is that not a good idea cause I’ll be killing my cycle?

 

[cmcoker]

Nitrite will not harm saltwater fish, and neither should that nitrate level.

Take a cup of display tank water, add a drop of copper, test the nitrite and nitrate on that sample. Should tell you if the copper is interfering, my bet is the copper is the issue.

By the way, be sure to add the copper to your fresh saltwater when doing a water change in the qt, dont want the copper level to drop during the water changea either

I generally do biweekly water changes with quarantine for the first month or so, to keep water quality up, especially during copper treatments. Then weekly after that unless theres a problem.

Also I suck any uneaten food up daily with airline tubing.

What is your copper level at? How are you testing it?

 

[beaslbob]

before I started using macro algae, during the initial cycle I would peg nitrites at 5ppm for days and weeks. What I eventually did was stop adding food and the nitrItes dropped down in a few days.