for the past week i've been seeing Buddy spaz out at times and then just all over stop moving. The very next day i noticed him doing that i went ot pet smart to get the water checked out. It turns out that his nitrate level was dangerously high. They suggested that i buy aquarium salt to level it out. So on that day i did a 75% water change and added the necessary amount of salt. His nitrate level went down a little in two days...but then i left for the weekend and just in case, i checked the water again and his nitrate level is still high. I did a 25% water change (two days from the last one) just now.

I'm worried it's not helping. Am i just being impatient? My Buddy seems to be better. But he did the darting thing again when i came back to add the water in place of the 25% i just sucked out. Did he do that because I had done a water change right after i fed the little guy?

The endless stress is killing me! (my stress. ;p)

Well the nitrates dont normally cause this....are you sure its not Nitrites??

maybe invest in a bottle of prime.. it helps me out for nitrItre problems... is good stuff, just stinky

it sounds like you could be talking about nitrItes like Koko said. Your tank is probably finishing up cycling, and the nitrites are spiking to dangrous levels. I woukd keep testing daily, and do water changes when its dangrously high. I would keep using the salt too.

Good Luck!

will this ever stop? is this typical when you start a tank? and you're right koko, it's nitrite not nitrate. ^^ so confusing. ;p but yes, it is the nitrite level that is on stress.. i've been doing frequent water changes and adding salt when needed. is there such thing as too much salt?

The maxiumum salt dosage for nitrIte spike is 0.3%, don't add more than 0.3%

How long have you had this tank hun?

What fish are in there and what is the filter?

this 10 gal tank has been running for abot two mnths now. only my black and orange oranda lives in it. i have a top fin 10 as the filter. i just did another water change

How big are these fish and what kind of Topfin filter hun

my fish isn't too big. he's like the middle sized ones they sell at petco. jut before the HUGE ones. ^^ along with his tail he's about as big as my fist. i have a top fin 10 filter. that's all i know about it i dont know how else to tell what kind i have.

so like a 2.5-3 incher?

I've been having problems with my nitrites too. My filter is Topfin 20 on a 20 gal., but Paul, who has helped me tremendously, did research on the brand and found that the rate it cycles is too slow, since the gph rate should be 10 times the gallonage you have. Your filter should cycle 100 gallons an hour, so another 10 gal filter would help. Paul also suggested putting peices of an aqua sponge behind the filter cartridge, to provide space for the beneficial bacteria to grow.

Here's the link to my topic about nitrites; it might help since we are both having problems with the same things and Paul gave me great info on nirtrites.

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...opic=29530&st=0

Also, how big is your gravel? Pretty sure the size effects the bacteria living in it.

Hope this helps some.