Nitrites just dont want to fall

[DBTetraguy]

After setting up my tank I got the expected ammonia spike (initially it went to .5 ppm) and within three days was not detectable. The problem Im having is that the nitrites dont want to come down. Ive been doing twice weekly 25%-50% water changes to keep nitrites below 2ppm. Ive been detecting steadily increasing nitrates for about a week now from just a trace to about 7ppm today. After each water change the nitrite levels fall, but slowly build back up. Im thinking that some maintenance activitiy Im performing is causing the nitrabacter to die off, or fail to flourish.

The set up is a 29 gal FW tank, current occupants 2 black skirt tetras, 3 colombian tetras and 3 buneas Aries Tetras and several small plants. Im feeding twice a day mornings with small amounts of blood worms or tubiflex worms and evenings with flake, just enough both times that the fish eat everything within two to three minutes. Filter is an Emperor 280 with a factory cartridge and diamond blend (activated carbon and ammonia absorbant) in the loose media carrier. The tank is equipped with a 20 flourescent tube (shortly this will be upgraded to 110 watt PC lighting), CO2 injection and a 150 watt heater, temp is 80 degress. The water is very soft IMO, about 2 degrees KH, PH is a stable 7.0

Not sure if Im doing things right or not, but I hate to let the nitrite levesl get too high. Sorry for the long post, just not real confident in what Im doing yet and I want to make sure you guys have the information you need to help me out if ya can.

Thanks a ton

Drew

[loganj]

Nitrite take longer to cycle than ammonia. Nitrobacter, which is the bacteria that eats nitrite, grows at about 1/2 the rate of the nitrosomas (ammonia). It may take a month to 6 weeks to completely cycle. It will happen though...just keep doing water changes to keep it from getting to lethal levels. It sounds like you're on the right track here. Keep us posted .
Logan J

[DBTetraguy]

Your right on the money Logan, in the last couple days Ive seen a drop in the nitrite levels, Paitence pays hehehehe. THanks for the help.

Drew

[DBTetraguy]

Finally Nitrite levels where undetectable this evening for the first time. Things seem to be going quite well, all fish are healthy, including the black skirt Tetra that had previously been ill. I'd like to thank everyone here for thier help in getting me off to a good start. Im sure I will be here often for advice. Thanks again, so much.

Drew

[aimeovaldi]

DBTetraguy, great name. Have you tried any Buenes Aires Tetras? They are very entertaining.

[DBTetraguy]

Yep, I keep three Bueas Aries Tetras, they are pretty mischevious little fellows, they ate all my duckweed and give my other plants a pretty good pruning (not too hard on my amazon swords). THey are also pretty aggressive at feeding time I have to keep them and my Betta from tangling over food, the biggest problem I have is that the rest of the fish get to eat very little when its dinner time while they get fat, still trying to find a solution to that one. But I love them, they are very interesting to watch, very curious and bold fish I would say. At least thats my experience with them.

Drew