Re: Tank cycling seems slow - help please.
#9
URGENT ADVICE needed please...
I followed fmcf's advice and dosed the tank to 3ppm ammonia on Friday. Saturday morning both ammonia and nitrite read 0ppm. I did a ~25% water change in preparation for fish then went to my lfs and bought 5 platy's and a danio (which i didn't want but it ended up in the bag and they couldn't get it out so I paid a discount and bought it because the fish were getting stressed).
Yesterday morning one of the Platy's died, literally within half an hour of me first noticing it was swimming on its side. I took it out (there were no visible signs of trauma but I would say her stomach was a little larger than the others). Now the remaining platy's are spending a lot of time at the bottom of the tank but the danio is swimming along non-stop and looks to be ok.
I am hoping the death was isolated but am concerned about the platy's spending time at the bottom of the tank or hidden in the plants.
EDIT: I just checked water parameters and the nitrate test came out at 160ppm?! I am double checking it now but surely that can't be right? I last checked Saturday and it was 20-40ppm. I have fed them very little over the two days. I don't want to jump the gun and start changing water but I am worried now that something is wrong.
Any advice i'd be grateful for.