I just started my first tank about a month and a half ago. I cycled my tank and all my levels were good so I started adding fish. It's a 29 gallon and right now I have 3 Cory cats, 6 neon tetras, and I had 5 black neon tetras but I'm down to 3 now. I've been checking my ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels weekly and the other day I noticed one of my black neons was dead and I checked everything again. Everything is fine except my nitrite level. It's at about 50 ppm. I did a 50% water change and added some water conditioner and quick start (for the live bacteria) but my nitrite hadn't gone down and I've lost another black neon. What do I need to do? How do I get the nitrite down? It's been 3 days since I did all of this. I'm worried about my fish. Please help.
Nitrite too high. HELP!!!
- Thread starter BobDon84
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
markunas
Aquarium Advice Newbie
This is what I did for my tank which was a similar situation. I put about a cap full of vodka in the tank once a day for three days, it helps beneficial bacteria grow. It worked for me and my levels are now at 0. Best of luck to you
Nimo
Aquarium Advice FINatic
You might have to do multiple water changes to get the levels to come down, How did you cycle your tank? and did you add all these fish at one time or gradually?
Vodka? Will that mess with any of the other levels? I'll give it a shot. Do I need to use "good" vodka or will the cheap stuff work?
And no I didn't add all of them at once. 6 neons at once. Then the 3 Cory's and then the black neons. Each addition was a week apart.
And no I didn't add all of them at once. 6 neons at once. Then the 3 Cory's and then the black neons. Each addition was a week apart.
Wy Renegade
Aquarium Advice Addict
Be very, very careful with carbon/vodka dosing. While it is a practice sometimes used in marine tanks, I've never seen anyone use it in freshwater prior to this thread. If you search you will find as many horror stories and crashing of tanks, as you will find threads saying it works. Personally I doubt that it would speed the cycle all the much in the situation you're in, while it is believed to boost levels of beneficial bacteria in an established tank, I've never ever seen anyone recommend it during the cycling stage prior to this.
Nimo
Aquarium Advice FINatic
you can use a liquid called Prime along with 20% daily water changes. The prime will detoxify the nitrites until the biologocal filter can catch up. You will have to add it every water change but it will help to save what you have left in your tank
Wy Renegade
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yep, regular and frequent water changes, along with testing to keep levels below toxic are going to be your best friends at this point.
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
I agree with Wy. I do not recommend vodka in fw tanks because it can go BAD. When water changes will do the job for you, I don't see the point in risking the booze method.
