Need Help With Nitrite! :(

[Derpwarrior]

Today, I did a water change, around 15%, the usual water change.

Unfortunately, when i went to test my water afterwards I was reading 1.0 ppm
(Nitrite)

I added some Quick Start to increase the amount of good bacteria and waited for a while. 4 days later I decide to test the water again, but the Nitrite is still at 1.0 ppm!

I don't know why my Nitrite is staying at 1.0 ppm!

Ammonia and Nitrate are 0! Only Nitrite is 1.0! What should I do? I don't want my fish dying!

 

[Reygan2]

Today, I did a water change, around 15%, the usual water change.

Unfortunately, when i went to test my water afterwards I was reading 1.0 ppm
(Nitrite)

I added some Quick Start to increase the amount of good bacteria and waited for a while. 4 days later I decide to test the water again, but the Nitrite is still at 1.0 ppm!
You should start by doing at large water change. Nitrites are deadly to your fish.

I don't know why my Nitrite is staying at 1.0 ppm!

Ammonia and Nitrate are 0! Only Nitrite is 1.0! What should I do? I don't want my fish dying!

Hi and welcome!
It would be helpful if you included more info. How long has your tank been running? Are you using test strips or a liquid test kit? What size tank and what is your stock situation?
You should start with doing a large water change. Nitrites are deadly to your fish.

 

[jarrod0987]

Dose with Prime or Amquel+ to detoxify the Nitrite every day. Do water changes when you can to keep it low. Adding the Quick Start was the right play. Good job. Make sure to remove any filter floss while adding bacterial product is a good idea so they don't get stuck to it then thrown away. A lot of people don't know that. If you did not it's OK, just leave that floss in and don;t change it until nitrite is back at 0ppm

 

[trennamw]

Dose with Prime or Amquel+ to detoxify the Nitrite every day. Do water changes when you can to keep it low. Adding the Quick Start was the right play. Good job. Make sure to remove any filter floss while adding bacterial product is a good idea so they don't get stuck to it then thrown away. A lot of people don't know that. If you did not it's OK, just leave that floss in and don;t change it until nitrite is back at 0ppm

This advice isn't making sense ... You generally always want the bacteria in your filter media, and there is no way to avoid them populating there, really. It's not like they just settle on the other surfaces and stay out of the filter. That's why it's typical to not throw out filter media, especially after the tank is at zero nitrite. You rinse it but don't throw it away.

To the OP, check your tap water. If it has high nitrite then you'll need another water source. If it is clean, it sounds like you're not fully cycled. Read up on a fish in cycle and continue that way. Don't let it sit a full day with high nitrite.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[ImACoolguy]

This advice isn't making sense ... You generally always want the bacteria in your filter media, and there is no way to avoid them populating there, really. It's not like they just settle on the other surfaces and stay out of the filter. That's why it's typical to not throw out filter media, especially after the tank is at zero nitrite. You rinse it but don't throw it away.

To the OP, check your tap water. If it has high nitrite then you'll need another water source. If it is clean, it sounds like you're not fully cycled. Read up on a fish in cycle and continue that way. Don't let it sit a full day with high nitrite.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

+1 to this. Fish in cycling takes lots of water changes


Caleb

 

[jarrod0987]

This advice isn't making sense ... You generally always want the bacteria in your filter media, and there is no way to avoid them populating there, really. It's not like they just settle on the other surfaces and stay out of the filter. That's why it's typical to not throw out filter media, especially after the tank is at zero nitrite. You rinse it but don't throw it away.

To the OP, check your tap water. If it has high nitrite then you'll need another water source. If it is clean, it sounds like you're not fully cycled. Read up on a fish in cycle and continue that way. Don't let it sit a full day with high nitrite.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

Nope...Even Dr. Tim tells you to take the filter floss out. I Didn't say take the bio media out. Bacteria sticks to things such as gravel, filter media, glass , everything. Why do you want it to stick to something your going to take out.

Second, If your doing a fish less cycle, you control the ammonia. Why put in so much that you have to turn around and take it out? Makes no sense. Most people add way too much anyways.

Please see Here:

And Here:

For those of you who do not know, Dr. Tim is the discoverer of the true strains of nitrifying bacteria in aquariums. He was also the person who developed the first bacteria in a bottle product that actually worked.

 

[Fresh2o]

I can see the point Jarrod is making with the floss removal.
Let's say you have an HOB filter with two filter cartridges or one filter cartridge and a biomedia section (sponges, wheel, ceramic, etc).
By allowing the mechanical media (the first filter cartridge) to remain in the filter, BB will become established on it as well as any other viable surface. That's a given. When it comes time to remove it for maintenance, we advise folks to gently swish it in removed tank water. This is so that the BB population does not take a "hit". However, there comes a time when the filter cartridge needs to be changed entirely. Some BB loss is inevitable.
By performing regular maintenance on the filter cartridge or other mechanical media (e.g. floss), you are:
1. Removing debris (which can reduce the amount of nutrients in the nitrogen cycle)
2. Discouraging the growth of BB in the mechanical media area. The BB will simply establish themselves in other areas. So when mechanical media is replaced, the BB loss is minimal.
Waste removal before it gets the chance to breakdown is ideal if you want to keep the nutrient level low (fish farming, SW, non-planted FW).
When it comes to fishless cycling, I've used 4 ppm ammonia as a target but feel that initially 1-2 ppm would work as well. It can always be ramped up to 4 ppm as needed.


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[jarrod0987]

I can see the point Jarrod is making with the floss removal.
Let's say you have an HOB filter with two filter cartridges or one filter cartridge and a biomedia section (sponges, wheel, ceramic, etc).
By allowing the mechanical media (the first filter cartridge) to remain in the filter, BB will become established on it as well as any other viable surface. That's a given. When it comes time to remove it for maintenance, we advise folks to gently swish it in removed tank water. This is so that the BB population does not take a "hit". However, there comes a time when the filter cartridge needs to be changed entirely. Some BB loss is inevitable.
By performing regular maintenance on the filter cartridge or other mechanical media (e.g. floss), you are:
1. Removing debris (which can reduce the amount of nutrients in the nitrogen cycle)
2. Discouraging the growth of BB in the mechanical media area. The BB will simply establish themselves in other areas. So when mechanical media is replaced, the BB loss is minimal.
Waste removal before it gets the chance to breakdown is ideal if you want to keep the nutrient level low (fish farming, SW, non-planted FW).
When it comes to fishless cycling, I've used 4 ppm ammonia as a target but feel that initially 1-2 ppm would work as well. It can always be ramped up to 4 ppm as needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Exactly