High Nitrite level????

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Heavyhootz

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
9
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
My Nitrite levels are rising. I am at about 0.25 - 0.50. I am quite new to the saltwater thing, does anyone have any suggestions to help???
All my other tests were good except for Nitrites/amonia.

Thanks
 
Water changes are the only way I know of to get them down... I also cut back on feeding and that helped me keep my levels from rising.
 
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Please tell us more about your set up. It is common in a new tank for the nitrates to rise, but without knowing more about your system (LR, sandbed, equipment, tank size bioload etc...) waterchanges are the only thing I could suggest.
 
It is actually my brothers tank..it is a 45 gal hex., powerhead, penguin 170 filter, 4 florescent 18", heater... he has 23lbs of fiji, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 blood shrimp, pink tip anemone, 20 blue leg hermets. It has been running for a month and a half.
There is also a lot of green algae on the rock...what fish/cleaner is recommended??
He was told to not change the water a while because it could just be fluctuation.
Is this true??
 
Have the test double checked, also has he added any supplaments or additives to the tank or water conditioners?
 
I put ph buffer to raise the ph to appropriate levels , water conditioner, and no supplaments, and what do I use (fish,snail, ect.) for algae on on rock.
 
I just wanted to distinguish between nitrites and nitrates, which levels are rising? I believe that you are talking about nitrites, which are not normal to be rising in an aquarium once it has cycled....which your brother's tank should have done after the time period mentioned.

All my other tests were good except for Nitrites/amonia.

Ammonia is elevated (above 0) too?
 
If all three are elevated I would first get the test verified by taking the sample to the LFS.

If they are elevated, this means either the nitrogen cycle was not firmly established or something disrupted it. How did your brother cycle the tank? You added PH bubber to bring it to the appropriate level, but normally salt mixes to the appropriate Ph. Are you using tapwater?
 
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