6 week old 20gal. - test strips indicate high nitrite

[toughguy1]

I have done a lot of reading and I wanted to get feedback on my chemical levels and next course of action. I used the "quick dip 5-test strip test" to get the following data (I am recalling from memory): pH was 7.2, Nitrate was approaching alarm (40?), Nitrite was dangerous level (10), Hardness was good, and Total Alkalinity was low near zero. Based on forum advice and reading, I understand that my tank is still cycling and you have to get through the high nitrites as best you can. What I did is add 3 teespoons of aquarium salt (which protects damaged fish); I added stress coat and stress zyme. I had done a 20 percent water change at 4 weeks. I need advice on when to do another water change, and what to do about the high nitrite, and the "Total Alkalinity" being too low (recall PH was 7.2). Please advise - you have been very helpful in the past. Please help, my daughter loves this tank as you can see from the picture.

P.S. 20 gal tank temp is 78-79 with a rainbow shark, a platy, a pleco, a neon, a black marble angel, and a blood red parrot (all getting along).

 

[Menagerie]

Your daughter is so cute!
Well, let's get this tank to perfection.
Get yourself liquid test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ect. Most fish can handle 40-60ppm nitrAtes just fine.
The nitrIte is dangerous. You did the right thing by adding salt, but daily water changes are in order. To further help your fish, add 1 Tbsp per 10 gallons.

Nitrite was dangerous level (10)

When you say it is at "10," is that on the test scale, or ppm? What is the units for the nitrIte?
What is the reading for ammonia?

 

[chasgood]

Sounds like you are at the peak of the nitrite phase of the cycle. You should start to see it come down slowly over the next week or 2. Once it gets to zero the cycle is all done.

The quick strips are easy to use but generally not as accurate as a liquid test. But much better than no testing at all.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

How long does the nitrite cycle tend to peak for and will adding any of the chems that are advertised as reducing nitrite and ammonia slow down the time before the tank is completely cycled. I am very curious to know as my tank is in its 7th week of operation and the nitrites are still very high. I am changing about 10 % of the water each day. On the plus note, the fish seem happy as clams. Jeff

 

[toughguy1]

The nitrite was ppm - it said 0.5 was safe, 5 warning, 10 dangerous. Mine is at 10. Also, you said "daily water changes". Do you mean 10%, 20%? I thought that during a cycle, if you remove too much water, the levels don't get high enough, and you cycle can't complete itself. Please clarify.

 

[toughguy1]

To give an update, I did a 20% water change, and my nitrites went down to 5 ppm (lower end dangerous). I assume if they go back up, I should do another water change. Hopefully the cycle will complete and they will go down further.

I am still confused about Total Alkalinity. The PH test indicated 7.2 and the total alkalinity was near zero (200 ideal, I think). Obviously, total alkalinity is different from an alkaline water when you talk about PH. Is low total alkalinity (with good PH) a bad thing? How do you fix it?

 

[toughguy1]

I have found some answers about total alkalinity:

First, understand that the term “alkaline” is often used to indicate a pH above 7.0. A basic (as opposed to acidic) substance is referred to as alkaline. This has nothing to do with alkalinity as we will describe it here. Alkalinity may effect pH and it’s definition involves pH, but it is an exclusive measurement that should not be confused in any way with pH.

So what is the definition? Well, the one chemists use isn’t written in a language anyone but a chemist understands, so we’ll simplify it. Alkalinity is a measure of how much acid it would take to lower the pH of a solution to a specified point. So if I have to add a whole bunch of acid to get a pH 8.3 solution down to 7.0, the substance had a high alkalinity. But if I only need to add a little bit of acid to get a pH 12.6 solution down to 7.0, that solution had a low alkalinity despite having a very high pH.

WHY IS ALKALINITY SO IMPORTANT?

From the definition above, we see that alkalinity is all about stability.

Also, Adding carbonate, bicarbonate, and borate salts to an aquarium will raise the alkalinity.

I think total alkalinity is more important in SW tanks for growing reefs.

 

[Menagerie]

The nitrite was ppm - it said 0.5 was safe, 5 warning, 10 dangerous. Mine is at 10. Also, you said "daily water changes". Do you mean 10%, 20%? I thought that during a cycle, if you remove too much water, the levels don't get high enough, and you cycle can't complete itself. Please clarify.

I'll let someone else tackle the alkalinity Q.
Changing the water will prolong the cycle; however, this is necessary when cycling with fish (especially since your daughter is so attached to them ).
It's not that the levels don't get high enough, in fact the nitrite level may be too high and the bacteria are having a hard time establishing themselves. All you need is some nitrite to get the bacteria going. If there's too much, the bacteria simply will not convert it all and you end up with a nitrite level of 10! I will compare it to Thanksgiving dinner. There's too much food to eat at once! image if everynight the same amount of food was served. Your fridge would be overstocked and the levels of food would never go down.
I recommend doing a 50% water change ASAP to cut the level of nitrite in half and I recommend another 50% water change the following day. This is still dangerous to the fish when nitrite is at 2.5ppm. You should test the water daily and continue with 20% water changes to keep the nitrites from rising into the "warning" zone.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

Would something like Amquel which is advertised as reducing ammonia and nitrite bring the nitrite down without also affecting bacterial development. The bottle says it will have no effect on beneficial bacteria, but it would say that, wouldn't it!
Jeff

 

[pkremer]

I would try not to use chemicals if possible, that's only adding another potential issue.

But definitely daily water changes! During the nitrite paradise that my 10 gallon experienced, my levels were ranging around 5 ppm. I did a 25-33% water change daily for longer than I cared to. The ammonia eating bacteria took hold pretty quick, but those nitrite eaters took their sweet time, which is probably what you are experiencing.

Even though water changes could potentially slow the cycle a bit, it is a balance between keeping enough nitrite present to get the bacteria growing and keeping not enough nitrite to kill your fish. I have found fish to be pretty hardy. My killifish survived almost 2 weeks of elevated nitrite and daily water changes before I finally got it under control. Just keep doing daily water changes and don't let the levels get away from you!

Paul

 

[toughguy1]

Thanks for the advice. I look forward to more. I will continue to do water changes, and I think I will get the water professionally tested at the LFS.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

Mine's a 55 gallon.
The fish seem pretty happy so I plan on doing 10% a day until things get under control. I don't remember having a tank take so long to cycle before. Jeff

 

[Fishalicious]

But definitely daily water changes! During the nitrite paradise that my 10 gallon experienced, my levels were ranging around 5 ppm.

Nitrite paradise? hahaha I CAUGHT YOU!!
I think you meant to say phase?

Happens to the best of us!
-Dan hehehehehehe

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

 

[pkremer]

No, Fishalicious, I meant to say 'nitrite paradise'.

I was being facetious...no matter what I did, I couldn't get the nitrite levels down below 5. A daily water change would drop it down, but it would register at 5 again the next day....for weeks. It was a nitrite paradise!

"And the nitrites did cometh and runneth amok in the 10 gallon. And they did causeth the killifish gill issues with their suffocation methodology. And they did laugh at the poor man who attempted to drive them away with fresh water, and continued to reproduce and to fill the tank and become many. And they did party until the man got tired of their celebrations and dropped in a biowheel from his other aquarium and droveth them out of their paradise."

Hehe! Sorry, I think I need some sleep.

 

[toughguy1]

I think I am going to do a 20% every other day for hopefully no more than another week. I am also replentishing the stress coat and stress zyme and salt. The fish are active and eating. I will also get better tests at the lfs. Thanks for your advice. Other advice is welcome.