nitrite up

[wildone]

So today my nitrite was up .25 everything else read a 0, I haven't changed anything tank has been up for 6 weeks now thought it was done cycling as 3 weeks ago my ammonia was 1.0 then nitrite was off the chart, next my nitrate was off the chart as well, last week all readings were 0 ph 6.4 temp 78. I added the 2 bristle nose plecos 4 days ago, and today nitrite is up.....Why?

 

[Rivercats]

What is your ph right now? Just so you know when ph drops to 6.5 and below biological activity slows and when ph drops to 6 or below biological activity stops and BB can begin to die. If you have naturally low ph water you may want to consider adding some crushed coral to your filter or in a media bag hung under your filter outflow. It will slowly leach buffers into the water which will in turn raise ph. You start by adding a small amount wait a few days and keep adding alittle more CC at a time until you reach the ph you want.

 

[wildone]

My ph is 6.4, with plants (3) and(2) onion bulbs that are starting to grow, duel whisper 30-60 filters. Is the ph too low at 6.4 ? Thank you for your help.

 

[Rivercats]

Personally I would add crushed coral to keep ph higher but right now you need to do a big WC to keep nitrites down to .25ppm or lower.

 

[wildone]

I did a 50% wc today, and will continue to do so until I can get to my lfs, 100 miles away, how much coral do I need?

 

[Delapool]

Personally I would add crushed coral to keep ph higher but right now you need to do a big WC to keep nitrites down to .25ppm or lower.

Can the crushed sea shells or beach shells be used instead? Off to the beach in a few weeks so could put kids on collecting.

 

[Rivercats]

I did a 50% wc today, and will continue to do so until I can get to my lfs, 100 miles away, how much coral do I need?

It depends on the size of the tank but you can start with say 1/2 a cup (rinse it well) to start and wait a few days before taking a ph reading. If ph is still too low for your liking then you can add more. If ph is too high for your liking then just remove some. There is no set amount so you have to fiddle with it until you get the proper amount you want.

 

[Rivercats]

Can the crushed sea shells or beach shells be used instead? Off to the beach in a few weeks so could put kids on collecting.

Many people use sea shells they collected. I would really rinse them well and let them soak a few days in water, changing out the water daily, so some of the salt they might have absorbed comes out before adding them to the tank.