Anyone else have problems with nitrite?

[Rivercats]

It will always cycle unless you add enough seeded BB to cover the amount of ammonia tank stock produces. You've has some nitrates because you did add some seeded BB which can process a tiny bit of ammonia and nitrites but it still has to grow more BB to be able to process all the ammonia produced in the tank.

 

[Jujubee]

My 20 gal has only been up 5 days and there are already nitrites! Ammonia is around a 2 in the tank atm. Nitrite is at .50
Will this be damaging for my plants? I've been adding a little bit of fish food to get the cycle going and it worked but I'm worried my plants may be starting to suffer :/ I know you said I should wait until the cycle is complete to add ferts and co2 (is liquid carbon the same??) but would it be so terrible to add them anyways?? Maybe I've kept the make shift light on them too long each day? About 11-12 hrs.

The plants in my 10 gal are doing okay one lost a few leaves and I'm not sure why. It just kind of started dying :/ my fish have been nibbling on all of my plants too! Could the plants dying leaves be caused by this?

 

[Rivercats]

Don't add ferts as you want plants to use ammonia for now but you can use liquid carbon if you want.

What kind of fish do you have that are plant nibbling? Without seeing pic's of the leaves it's hard to say what is going on. But if fish damage a leaf enough it will usually deteriorate and die.

 

[Jujubee]

I will invest in my heater and liquid carbon for now then. Will root tabs be bad idea?

& I saw the vermin eating them! They ate 4 leaves off of one of my plants and one off of another! They're platys and I know their omnivores.
They deff hurt one of the plants though so I moved it to the 20 gal.

I usually feed them twice a day but keep it to a minimal so my nitrites don't spike too high by the time I get back from work. I've been doing water changes going on 3 weeks now every day just to keep dang nitrites down. (They're the 4 in the 10 gal)

 

[Rivercats]

You only need root tabs if you have swords, crypts, bulb plants, or wisteria. Otherwise you don't need them.

Have you considered adding zucchini to the tank? I take and slice a 3/8" thick piece the length of the zucchini, lay it on a paper towel and nuke it 7 seconds. I then rinse it under cold water and put it on a veggie clip that suctions on the side of the tank. Many fish other than the standard algae eaters enjoy this. Plus if you add it in the morning they can nibble on it all day.

I also cook frozen pea's, deshell, and slightly smush them. Then I add a small amount after they get their regular food every 2-3 days. Most all my fish eat them.

It's how I keep my angels from munching on my more delicate plants in the 220g.

 

[Jujubee]

Hey Janis! Here's an update on the 20 gal, still doing a fishless cycle. Should I do a water change with these readings??





Not the best sorry! But everything is sky high!

 

[Rivercats]

Yes do a WC or 2. Then test your levels as you want them in the readable levels not super high or your cycle can stall. Also depending on where your ammonia level is after you get ammonia and nitrite levels down you may not want to dose ammonia right away. Post your results after you do the WC's and we can decide how to proceed.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Whoa that's high!

You have ammonia in the tank according to those tests.

3 weeks seems a little too long for no change?

Is this still the same dilemma as your original tank in your original thread?

 

[Jujubee]

Just finished up a big change will give new results in a little.

& no it's my 20 gal used fish food to start cycle added bb in a bottle as well tests went in the air. That's all

 

[J.Mcpeak]

The trick is to leave some reading on amm and trite, this will provide a source of food for the bac. Trate is less important for now. Nothing forms to consume it, plants will use it to a certain extent.

If you reduce to zero, there is no food.

 

[Jujubee]

This is after a 90% wc

 

[Jujubee]

This is nitrite testing (1st tube) 20 gal
(2nd) 10 gal
(3rd) 1.5 gal fry tank

 

[Jujubee]

These little guys aren't doing so good :/ I just got my light though




This is with it on, I think it's fantastic

 

[J.Mcpeak]

The tank does look fantastic, agreed. Shiny new lights!

I have a question, when you do a water change, you take three out and put three back. One bucket full.

Edit- that's what I can make out.
Try this, a.m. take out two or three buckets, add one bucket, this will have a greater effect as you are diluting more of the measured levels.
P.m. Then fill up 1-2 buckets return level to full.

Ideally one third of removed water goes back, then the remaining two thirds later that day.
The first "change" must be enough to reduce levels, the second "top up" will be slightly larger to allow for more tank water volume.

If you change water, remove/replace per bucket it only slightly reduces levels. If you take out all the water for example 50% at one time then refill the new water does more work.

 

[Jujubee]

The tank does look fantastic, agreed. Shiny new lights! I have a question, when you do a water change, you take three out and put three back. One bucket full.

I'm able to fit 4 gallons into my bucket. I use an empty (spring water gallon jug) to fill another gallon so 5 gallons in total I take out 5 gal of the 10 gal. And I don't fill the water all the way to the top leaving space for the filter to airate the water more.
The 20 gal since it's right next to my sink I was able to easily use a syphoner and have the water go into the sink. I added a gallon at a time back in making sure to use a few drops of prime in each gallon before putting into the tank.
I know I know why use prime if I'm cycling? I think I put too much bb in a bottle and that's what made everything go crazy. I'm hoping tomorrow's test are better!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

I'm able to fit 4 gallons into my bucket. I use an empty (spring water gallon jug) to fill another gallon so 5 gallons in total I take out 5 gal of the 10 gal. And I don't fill the water all the way to the top leaving space for the filter to airate the water more.
The 20 gal since it's right next to my sink I was able to easily use a syphoner and have the water go into the sink. I added a gallon at a time back in making sure to use a few drops of prime in each gallon before putting into the tank.
I know I know why use prime if I'm cycling? I think I put too much bb in a bottle and that's what made everything go crazy. I'm hoping tomorrow's test are better!

Use prime because chlorine kills bacteria. That's good. It will be a never ending circle otherwise.

Additional surface agitation via filter, that's good.

Sorry, my remark of return tank to full is misleading, return tank to its previous level would be better.

 

[Jujubee]

I keep all my tanks with about an inch or two of space, I've gotten much better results this way.
Trial and error as always with this hobby

 

[Jujubee]

10 gal Is almost fully cycled! Do you suggest a small water change to drop nitrites down a little more or just leave it be for now?

Still working on the 20 gal. Nitrites rise high over night I only took 2 plants from the 10 gal so I doubt it was much of a seed. But it'll get there I can't put anything in until January anyways :/

 

[Rivercats]

I think I'd do one since it's hard to tell if it's slightly over the .25ppm.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

The majority of the biological bacteria is housed in the sintered glass or ceramics in the filter. Some is in the gravel, not worth noting unless it is a deep substrate 10+ cms or plenum chamber DSB, Deep Sand Bed.

Otherwise, see above.