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- 10 things to avoid with your new fishBringing home a new fish is exciting, but there’s also lots to think about. To help you out, we’ve listed 10 things to avoid with your new fish.
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- 10 things to avoid with your new fishBringing home a new fish is exciting, but there’s also lots to think about. To help you out, we’ve listed 10 things to avoid with your new fish.
- How to maintain good water quality in your fish tankTop tips on maintaining good water quality in your fish tank
- Why is water quality such a big issue when it comes to fishkeeping?Why is water quality such a big issue when it comes to fishkeeping?
- All Blog Entries
- 10 things to avoid with your new fishBringing home a new fish is exciting, but there’s also lots to think about. To help you out, we’ve listed 10 things to avoid with your new fish.
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Previous Questions
- Fish Care
- Aquarium - Maintenance and Care
- Set Up & Maintenance
- Does my aquarium need gravel or substrate?
- How long should I leave my aquarium lights on for?
- What maintenance should I do on my aquarium?
- What is a biological filter?
- How do I calculate the volume of water in my aquarium / pond?
- When can I add new fish to my tank?
- Can I add tap water directly to my aquarium?
- Water Quality
- How often should I change the aquarium water?
- How often should I clean my aquarium?
- How can I eradicate algae from my aquarium?
- Why are nitrite levels slowly creeping up in my new tank set up?
- Why does my aquarium water have a pale yellow tinge to it?
- What causes cloudy water in my aquarium?
- What is Water Hardness?
- How can I test the water in my aquarium?
- Set Up & Maintenance
- Fishkeeping Myth Busting
Why are nitrite levels slowly creeping up in my new tank set up?
What you are experiencing is very common. Your aquarium is still not 'mature', which means the filtration system has yet
to establish a level of beneficial bacteria that are capable of consuming the nitrite in your tank. There are no 'set in
stone' rules on how long it will take your aquarium to mature as there are so many factors that affect it. You can help the
process by doing the following
✔ Manually increasing the number of bacteria in the filter using a commercial product such as King British Filter Aid +.
✔ Manually lower the nitrite in aquarium by performing a weekly, 25% water change, to take the strain off your
filter while it matures. Remember to add a de-chlorinator to the tap water.
✔ Use a gravel cleaner to get more waste out of the aquarium.
✔ Feed only small amounts of food every other day until the filter has matured.
✔ Do not add any more fish until the filter has matured.
✔ Remember: Nitrite affects a fish's blood's ability to carry oxygen, so make extra effort to ensure the aquarium
is well aerated.
The 'brown powder' is diatoms in the water taking advantage of the conditions. You should find that they settle down
once your aquarium matures.