Nitrites very high after a CO2 boost and a Filter cleaning

[eddyk]

Ugh.

29G planted community, with 20 or so small fish. Everything was fine then I had BBA. Used API CO2 supplement ( probably over did it a bit to shock the algae ) and every thing seemed fine. Filter flow dropped off, I assumed due to the liberated algae. Cleaned my canister filter, not using tap water but tank water.

A few days later, a couple dead fish and some very lethargic fish. Nitrates were elevated ( sorry no ppm numbers but pink on the test strip ) Ammonia 0 ppm

I did a 90% water change, and added the recommended Prime and some live bacterial) Tested and nitrites back to norm Ammonia 0 ppm

The next day elevated again. Another 90% H2O change, that afternoon elevated again, Ammonia 0 ppm , and another 90% water change.

This morning elevated another 90% water change, this afternoon, elevated again and another 90% water change.

I have added an air stone and angled the spray heads from the canister filter to break the water, to provide oxygenation.

The only thing I can gather, is that when I washed out the filter pads, I removed all the nitrobacter.

Could the stronger than recommended CO2 booster killed the nitrobacter?

Maybe a combo move of the two variables?

I don't over feed the fish, and keep light to 6 hrs a day or so, combat the BBA

The twin 5 gal bucket boogie is getting old. Although my kids love playing with the siphon hose out the dog door!

Any tips, input or pearls of wisdom?

 

[Mebbid]

Unless you dosed a TON of co2 booster then it's not going to bother your BB, however at the amount high enough to kill BB I would expect fish to die as well. I dose 1ml of glut per gallon of tank volume which is 10x the recommended dosage with no ill effects.

I would really test your tap water for ammonia. If the tap has an ammonia reading then the 90% water changes are adding fuel to the fire. I would highly recommend no more than a 50% change.

 

[eddyk]

Thanks for the reply. My ammonia levels are 0 ppm. I don't think the tap water is the culprit. I have always had 0 ppm after water changes before and after this fiasco.

Any other possibilities you can reckon?

 

[Coyne]

Sounds like, despite all precautions, cleaning the filter may have inadvertently caused a mini-cycle. Not a whole lot to do other than power through it.
I'd agree that 90% PWCs sounds like a lot, unless the nitrites are so high that you need to do that much to get it safe again.


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[eddyk]

I found this posting, disregarding the zeal of the author, this could be a possibility:

Buyer BeAware: SeaChem Excel

Glut or glutaraldehyde being a strong disinfectant would and could kill the bacteria in my filter, depending on the dosing. That being said nitrobacter being aerobic would be susceptible to exposure through the filter. My ammonia is still low because nitrosomonas is anaerobic bacteria and is hidden inside my biohome ultimate filter media, and possibly was not exposed to the glut in concentrations high enough to kill them off.

Again this is a hypothesis. One mans feign attempt to explain the ever expanding universe...... but i digress.

Anyone else have a thought?

 

[eddyk]

Sounds like, despite all precautions, cleaning the filter may have inadvertently caused a mini-cycle. Not a whole lot to do other than power through it.
I'd agree that 90% PWCs sounds like a lot, unless the nitrites are so high that you need to do that much to get it safe again.


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I hope I don't have this problem with my 125g tank. I'd be spending hours daily doing water changes!

 

[Mebbid]

Again, I and many others use massive amounts of the stuff despite having well oxygenated tanks and very little room for anaerobic areas in the tank. As coyne said, that cleaning the filter could have caused a mini cycle.

It's really not that easy to create anaerobic areas in a tank and by nature they have very very poor flow to keep the area anaerobic. Anaerobic bacteria aren't going to be able to manage the bio load of a tank.

 

[eddyk]

Mebbid,

Thanks, Occams's razor - I like it. Your probably right. I guess its the two five gallon bucket boogie, for the near future.

 

[Caliban07]

In addition to this. Nitrosomonas and nitrobacter/spira (needs revising) are both aerobic nitrifying bacteria. When we add things to our tanks we change the chemistry of the water.

People might have done something similar with no ill effect but that doesn't mean it hasn't effected your fish. Perhaps the fish didn't take too kindly? Everyone's water chemistry is different and these products could act differently in any one of our tanks to different species of fish.

Are you sure there is nothing else decaying in the tank that would result in rapidly increasing nitrates?

Is it just coincidence that you have checked the parameters after a couple of deaths and noticed high nitrates or do you regularly check the nitrates?

High nitrates can be caused by many things. Are you over feeding? Does the tank seem overstocked? What is the stock?

Also apparently, test strips are notoriously inaccurate according to many members on here. Try the liquid kit?

Just other possibilities, I'm not suggesting you don't look after your fish.

The thing is with this hobby it's so easy to Jump to conclusions. We try to rectify what we think has gone wrong and end up making things worse.

Earlier in the hobby I once medicated for ich and whacked the temperature up for what tuned out to be a couple of missing scales. My fish didn't like me for a while after that.


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[eddyk]

Great feedback, Thanks.

I have checked the tank for dead flora and or fauna. Pretty clean, I have 6 or so ghosts and a bamboo shrimp keeping the substrate clean.

I have about 20-25 fish ( neon Tetras, Mollys and 2 Cory's some ghosts and a very orange bamboo shrimp)

Last Night and This morning again a 90+ % change. Ammonia 0 ppm nitrites elevated. Finally the Nitrates are rising. ( showing some color on the test strip)

I know what your saying about the precision of the test strips. I just hate the test kits, what a pain. But I will probably go that route.

I think Mebbid was on to something with his theory. The Nitrates were zero and now they are rising. Ammonia is still very low.

Not sure, but I guarantee that I will be very careful of what I add to my tank, moving forward.

 

[Caliban07]

I read nitrites as nitrates so my post is pretty moo now.

Sorry about that.


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[eddyk]

HA !

I had to correct myself 4 times when I wrote the post.

I'm glad I am on the right line of thinking with my chem.


Thanks, I appreciate your input.

BTW great soccer team ya'll have....