Nitrite spike

[flitabout]

Ok so I am embarrassed to even say this I have a nitrite spike. I noticed last night that my tank was cloudy. I was figuring just a bacterial bloom and that I would just wait that out. But just to be on the safe side I decide to test the water. I have kinda been watching it closely this week because I added new fish last Tuesday. Two angels and a gbr. As an after thought I think this was just to much with what I had stocked I don't think I had a very large bb filter. All I had were 8 platy fry 2 oto and 5 cardinals in a 37g planted.
So I tested everything last night and my ammo was at .25 and Nitrite was at 3ppm and trate at 10ppm. I did a 4x dose of prime and added some bb in a bottle that I had laying around. I have been sick this weekend and I just didn't have it in me to deal with a water change. So I ran my tests again this morning and my ammo was at 0 and the trites were down to 2ppm and trates were up to 20ppm. I changed the water with the RO I still had here for my drink use which was 5g I know it wasn't much but I did what I could. This brought the trite down but not obviously enough. So I started getting ready to go to the store and get more water and my 3year came and told me he didn't feel good and promptly barfed all over me. I can't very well take a sick kid to the grocery store to get more water and I won't have anybody to watch him while I do until this evening. I dosed again with prime, but will my fish be ok until I get back tonight to do the water change? And how much should I do until the filter has time to catch up with the new additions?

 

[mrvincent]

If you have nitrites, it's because that tank is not fully cycled.

You have fish, so i'll recommand 50%WC for dropping nitrites level to half.

You'll have to make WC often, until ammonia and nitrites drop.

 

[flitabout]

But I haven't seen ammo or nitrite for around 4 months wouldn't that make it cycled?

 

[mrvincent]

Hmmm in this case, your tank have uncycled, or maybe cycle was not enough strong to add more fish.

Did you added a lot of fish recently? What's your filter, and did you cleaned or replaced the ceramic blocs part ? It look like white cylinders or grinded ceramic...

 

[mrvincent]

I will also suggest you test your tap water for ammonia / nitrites

 

[flitabout]

Like I said in my post I just added 2 new angels and a gbr and I only use RO because my tap water is awful lately it has been ammo2 trites 1 and trates 40ppm. I tested just a minute ago but it hasn't had time to off gas and it actually reading good for once at 0 ammo and nitrite and nitrates are down to 20 ph is saying 7.4-7.5 but with it not off gassing I'm not sure if I trust it.

 

[flitabout]

Filters are 2 topfin 40s I haven't replaced anything on the filters. I did rinse them in tank water after my last water change which was on Wednseday and the ceramic rings I haven't touched. Although the filters weren't made for them I did jimmy rig it so I have them in both filters. I also added a few more plants from my mini tank to help eat up some of the toxins. They are just floating and I didn't think messing with the substrate would help to much atm.. I just retested the nitrite and it's down to .5ppm and I found someone to go to the store for me so I can stay with the sick baby.

 

[mrvincent]

It look like your tank is in cycling process for an unknown reason, maybe your new fishs. Add some Cycle, Prime, Seachem stability, etc, any product that contains BBs... Add it directly to your filter bios.

Keep making water change.

 

[Rivercats]

You have a very small bio-load in a 37g tank so you probably had very little BB so now it's just growing more which means it's mini cycling again. The Prime should be fine to keep nitrites less toxic but if you have any aquarium salt you can use 1/15th of a teaspoon of aquarium salt to every 10 gallons of water which will counteract 1ppm of nitrite. At this low level the salt will not hurt or affect plants.

 

[pip walters]

A tank is never 'cycled' it is constantly cycling.

You added new fish, which increased the bio loading in the form of more ammonia. Your BB are developing and multiplying to cope with this, hence your ammonia is quickly back to 0. Your nitrites have increased as the ammonia has been broken down. Keep an eye on the nitrite, do a series of small water changes, which will help dilute the nitrites while the BB catch up.

Are your fish looking lively? Eating? swimming? Breathing normally? I have yet to see fish effected by nitrite poisoning and I work with seriously 'high' stocking levels

 

[flitabout]

Fish are all good. I did a heavy dose of prime and a tsp of salt in the water and did a 75% water change and nitrite is down to almost 0. I'm not sure what it is. But the blue on the test just isn't quite as clear blue as it normally is. So it should be pretty close to 0. Now I just have to wait it out I am so kicking myself I have a bn pleco coming in next week. I think it's time to start looking a bit more seriously into an ro unit for the house.

 

[mrvincent]

Did you added normal salt or aquarium salt ?

 

[flitabout]

Aquarium salt. I don't normally use it but I do keep it on hand just in case I end up needing it.

 

[mrvincent]

Do water change, will drop nitrites levels, and add BB's, will help cycle establish.