Help !! Nitrite levels too high - Aquarium Advice

dgoingsjr · 11-21-2006, 11:32 PM

Help!!! This is my first tank set up . It will be just fish and rocks (not live). I have had the tank cycling from about a month now. I used a product called bacter boost which is suppose to cycle the tank in three days. After a couple of weeks I took a water sample to the pet shop and they tested the water and told me that everything was peaking and that was normal. But the other day (two weeks later ) i took another sample and was told the everything was fine except for my nirites . Which never dropped with my ammonia after the peak . PH perfect , ammonia perfect , nirites high . I was told to do a water 30% water change so I did . That was this past sunday . Tested the water tonight ph good , ammonia good , NIRITES NOT GOOD . Please help !!!!

**melosu58** · 11-22-2006, 12:20 AM

The nitrates should be high at the end of the cycle. PWC`s will keep nitrates diluted. When you have zero ammonia and zero nitrites and high nitrates then your cycle is done and that is when you do PWC`s. Good Luck

zenkatydid · 11-22-2006, 04:59 AM

i believe he has high nitrItes, not high nitrAtes. this means your cycle has not completed. if you have fish in your tank already you should be doing lots of water changes to get the levels down until the tank finishes cycling.

dgoingsjr · 11-22-2006, 10:32 AM

I have green chromis only . I was told they would help cycle faster. Should i just wait a couple more weeks or just do another water change?

Hara · 11-22-2006, 11:41 AM

That is the problem with taking short cuts. There is another post where we discussed this at length. The bottled additives never allow the cycle to progress in a normal fashion and so now you are paying the price. Bad advice from a LFS trying to sell products.

At this point in time, if you dont do the water changes, the fish will most likely die. That should be your primary concern. If at all possible, take them back and allow the tank to cycle normally. If this is not an option then do the water changes and understand this will mean your cycle will take a couple weeks longer but at least the fish will have a chance.

**melosu58** · 11-22-2006, 01:18 PM

Sorry I thought you said nitrates. Yes your cycle is not done if you are having high nitrites.

dgoingsjr · 11-22-2006, 01:56 PM

Thanks !!! I have one question. Is it possible that my tank has not finished cycling and in a few weeks my nirites will drop? I have read some threads on cycling and they say that your ammonia and nirites will peak and then drop , but your nirites will be the last to drop and once that does then your tank has finished it cycle.

Hara · 11-22-2006, 02:18 PM

yes, that is how it works, but your live fish are living in a toxic waste dump. You need to be concerned about their well being.

dgoingsjr · 11-22-2006, 03:09 PM

Ok , I will remove they (return they to the pet shop) . After removing them should I then just leave the tank alone and let it run for a few weeks then test the water ? And should i do a water change after removing them ?

Hara · 11-22-2006, 03:14 PM

do not do any water changes, let the denitrifying bacteria grow. Do the water change after nitrite test reads zero.