new member with ? about my water quality.

[creg1974]

I have a 20 gallon aquarium that has been going for about 5-6 weeks.I used tetra safe start when first set up.Everything has been good,0 ammonia,0 nitrites,about 10-20ppm nitrates.I have been doing weekly 25% water changes and tank has looked great.Noticed yesterday water is a little cloudy.After doing my water change today I tested water.My ammonia is 0,nitrites is in the purple now 2ppm - 5ppm,hard to tell from my scale,colors look the same,and nitrates is about 30ppm.What has changed?I feed fish 1 time a day and no more than they can eat in about a minute.Is the tank cycling?From what I read about safestart it would cycle without having high readings.I have put a capful of prime in to try and lower nitrites and will continue to change water daily until its under control.Is there anything else I should be doing?Any advice would be appreciated.Thank you.

I have 3 guppies,2 neon tetras,2 glow danios,1 glow tetra,2 mollies and 1 pleco.

 

[Old Scales]

It sounds like your tank is in the final stages of cycling. Which is good. The milky water is a bacterial bloom related to the beneficial bacteria(akaBB) starting to convert the nitrites into nitrates. Don't disturb your BB in your filter and increase your 25% water changes to 33% and do every other day until your nitrites go to almost zero. You can add 1 tsp of aquarium or kosher salt per every 5 gal of water and this will help detoxify some of the nitirites. After adding the salt the first time, half the amount of salt you put in the water change water so it won't get too strong. Good luck and welcome to AA.
Caudially, OS.

 

[shellieca]

I will respectfully disagree some with Old Scales . . . I would do 50%+ water changes daily since nitrites are >2. I would do a 50% water change, do another test an hour or so later then do another 50% if nitrites are still >.5. Plus with nitrates at 30 it won't take long for them to hit 40 which is also considered unsafe for your fish. That's what I'd do anyways.