Nitrites off the charts

[bettaman95]

Hello, I have been doing a fish in cycle in a 20g long with 1 betta fish. For the first few weeks at 50% pwc a week the cycle didn't start. I decided to dose stability at 10ml for a week. A couple days ago nitrites shot way up. I did a 50% pwc first day, next day 3 back-to-back 50% pwc and levels were still crazy. What should the wc regimen for this emergency be and is there other modifications I should make? I feed him 3 mini pellets in the morning and night. I have new amazon swords with fluorish root tabs and pebble subtrate, so probably not all detritus is removed after gravel vac on surface. Levels are 6.5 ph(municipal water ph), 0 - really high - 0 on api kit. Tank is 80f with eheim 100w heater and fluval 107 canister with a custom sponge on output to eliminate current for betta(airstone is used to maintain surface agitation) and on input to keep betta safe. Prime is used for water changes.
Thank you.

 

[Aiken Drum]

What nitrite level are you seeing?

It doesnt take much ammonia to make a lot of nitrite. 1ppm ammonia goes to 2.7ppm nitrite.

Your water changes should be whatever is needed to keep ammonia + nitrite combined no higher than 0.5ppm.

You are probably feeding too much. While cycling, especially if your parameters are out of hand, half feeding once a day or a full feeding every 2 days.

 

[bettaman95]

The reading is dark purple so greater than 5 ppm. Thanks, I will keep doing pwc until nitrites are safe. I will scale back feeding as well.

 

[Aiken Drum]

1 betta in a 20g should barely be producing any waste, even if you are overfeeding a little. If you are seeing significant increases in nitrite overnight something else will be contributing to poor water conditions.

I would stop adding stability. Its often speculated that stability is a nitrite source.