Nitrite levels off the chart!!!!!!!!

[FishieKeeper429]

I just checked my levels again tonight after they read 0ppm and my chart only reads up to 5.0 and it looked like the test tube was saying 10.0!!!!!! I just had a fish die 1 hour ago from a different cause but could this have caused the nitrite spike???????? WHAT SHOULD I DO????? TOTAL PANICK MODE!!!!! My ammonia is at 0ppm right now though! HELP!!!!!!!!

 

[Scottyhorse]

Do at least two 75% water changes ASAP.

 

[FishieKeeper429]

Do at least two 75% water changes ASAP.

That's what killed my last fish!! I did a huge water change and it died.

 

[Scottyhorse]

My guess is your fish are stressed for some reason, but if you don't get your nitrites down to .25 or less, the fish will die, too.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Make sure you are preforming the test right and letting it develop for exactly 5 minutes before checking it. Nitrites can't jump like that.

 

[Budda619]

Your ammonia nitrite and nitrate will raise because of the dead fish, unless you removed it quickly. Do a 30% water change. Leave your lights off for the next day and make sure your temp is optimal. Next morn do a 20% wc. And retest. That should lower your nitrites. What are your water parameters at the moment?

 

[Budda619]

Api usually test high if done wrong.

 

[Mebbid]

That's what killed my last fish!! I did a huge water change and it died.

Correlation does not imply causation. If you temperature matched the water and there isn't a large difference between pH values then a large water change is generally fairly harmless. It is more likely that the fish was already about to die.

There really isn't anything to do wrong with an API nitrite test unless you add the wrong number of drops and 1 hour of a dead fish in the tank is nowhere near enough to raise the nitrite levels by that much.

Do 3 50% water changes with an hour in between them and then see how your nitrite levels are looking.

 

[Budda619]

I would suggest quarantine your fish with your current water with a 50% wc in the q tank. That way you can bring down nitrites level in your display tank without worry if its gonna kill your fishes.

 

[Fishperson]

I think the OP is getting overwhelmed. Too many suggestions. This is what the problem is Fishiekeeper. Your nitrite levels are too high, and all of your fish will die soon if it doesn't get down to .25 or less. But first, I would retest. I don't think your nitrite would jump that high unless you are cycling. Do you know what cycling is? If not, read this:
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
and this:
How to Cycle a Fish Tank - Oscarfishlover.com

Anyway, the best course of action would be to immediately test your water again, following the instructions and doing exactly what they say. By the way, what test kit do you have? Then, if your nitrite is still above .25, then do a water change do get it back down. Basically, if your nitrite is above 10, do 2 80% water changes. If it is between 5 and 10, do 2 70% water changes. If it is between 2 and 5 do 2 60% water changes. And if it is between .5 and 2 do 1 50-75% water change, depending on how high the nitrite is. If you nitrite levels are still >.5 after doing whatever of those steps that applies to you, then do another few water changes to get it down to at least less than .5. Under .25 is preferred, but your fish will be okay in .5 nitrites for a little bit, but try to get them under .25. Basically, when doing a, say, 50% water change on water with 2 ppm of nitrite, then to find out how much will probably be left just do 2*.5. But you should still test afterward.

 

[dmolavi]

I think the OP is getting overwhelmed. Too many suggestions. This is what the problem is Fishiekeeper. Your nitrite levels are too high, and all of your fish will die soon if it doesn't get down to .25 or less. But first, I would retest. I don't think your nitrite would jump that high unless you are cycling. Do you know what cycling is? If not, read this:
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
and this:
How to Cycle a Fish Tank - Oscarfishlover.com

Anyway, the best course of action would be to immediately test your water again, following the instructions and doing exactly what they say. By the way, what test kit do you have? Then, if your nitrite is still above .25, then do a water change do get it back down. Basically, if your nitrite is above 10, do 2 80% water changes. If it is between 5 and 10, do 2 70% water changes. If it is between 2 and 5 do 2 60% water changes. And if it is between .5 and 2 do 1 50-75% water change, depending on how high the nitrite is. If you nitrite levels are still >.5 after doing whatever of those steps that applies to you, then do another few water changes to get it down to at least less than .5. Under .25 is preferred, but your fish will be okay in .5 nitrites for a little bit, but try to get them under .25. Basically, when doing a, say, 50% water change on water with 2 ppm of nitrite, then to find out how much will probably be left just do 2*.5. But you should still test afterward.

+1 to this. So long as you aren't changing out your filter media when you're doing your water changes, your BB population won't be reduced drastically by these changes. I've got 75% changes in the past with no ill effects. Make sure the new water is dechlorinated and as close to the temperature of the tank water to avoid any undue stress.

WRT the test kit: API states to let it sit for 3 minutes after adding the drops and shaking well. I use a digital timer and read with the tube against the card in good lighting.

 

[Babymama18301]

Test your tap water also

 

[FishieKeeper429]

Test your tap water also

I did do that. I live above a bar so they filtered the whole building and its as clean as bottled water.

 

[jd99]

This might be a stupid question, but if the water change killed the fish I gotta ask.

Are you treating your new water with Prime or something like that?

 

[FishieKeeper429]

This might be a stupid question, but if the water change killed the fish I gotta ask.

Are you treating your new water with Prime or something like that?

Yup I use it everytime.