If your tank has nitrites, there must be some nitrification happening. Full stop of nitrification doesn't happen until the pH is lower than 5.0. It just slows more and more the closer to 5.0 you get. To better help you rectify this, you first need to get accurate pH and KH values and then we go from there.
Beneficial bacteria that live in your filter turn the ammonia into nitrite and then finally into nitrate. Nitrite and nitrate are acidic, and because they are constantly being produced, the pH of your aquarium will decrease over time.
I think you are missing the back story. If the tank water pH is above 5.0 ( which it is), the nitrifying microbes that were there are still there. The fact that the ammonia is reading 0 shows that. That the nitrates are also 0 can be explained by the uptake from the plants since they are probably absorbing it faster than the microbes are producing it. That leaves the nitrites which may actually be a false reading. Without testing this theory first, doing any changes is premature. The OP's fear that they lost the biological filter ( cycle) is incorrect because the pH is not low enough to kill them off. They are slowed/ suppressed due to the lower pH but not gone. If they were gone, there would be an ammonia reading as well. Yes, raising the KH will help prevent these pH falls in the future but won't do anything for the current situation. Once the OP knows the actual KH level in the tank and source water, then a better water change schedule can be suggested.
There is bacteria that reduces the nitrites to nitrates that is not working. He should have a nitrite level of 0 as well. I have never seen tap water that has no KH so he needs to do water changes to get that buffer up. It interesting that his ammonia is 0 but his nitrites are not? He needs to do water changes to prevent the nitrites from harming his fish.I think you are missing the back story. If the tank water pH is above 5.0 ( which it is), the nitrifying microbes that were there are still there. The fact that the ammonia is reading 0 shows that. That the nitrates are also 0 can be explained by the uptake from the plants since they are probably absorbing it faster than the microbes are producing it. That leaves the nitrites which may actually be a false reading. Without testing this theory first, doing any changes is premature. The OP's fear that they lost the biological filter ( cycle) is incorrect because the pH is not low enough to kill them off. They are slowed/ suppressed due to the lower pH but not gone. If they were gone, there would be an ammonia reading as well. Yes, raising the KH will help prevent these pH falls in the future but won't do anything for the current situation. Once the OP knows the actual KH level in the tank and source water, then a better water change schedule can be suggested.
If the nitrite reading is a false reading, there's nothing wrong.
Well, we have to go by what he said, he is measuring high nitrites.
Yes, usually you have to go by what is posted but when what is posted doesn't make sense, you have to dig a little deeper.
I agree, so what makes you think his ammonia reading was not a false negative? How is he measuring his ammonia? I have a set of ammonia test strips that give a false negative, which is why I use a liquid test kit. With limited information, I always error on the side of caution and doing a water change is the safest way to protect his fish, which is the priority.Yes, usually you have to go by what is posted but when what is posted doesn't make sense, you have to dig a little deeper.
Because the OP's other thread said that the ammonia and nitrites spiked but in this thread, the OP states that the ammonia is now 0. This is why they should get a second opinion on the test results. The good news is that even if the ammonia spiked, at a pH below 6.8, the ammonia is converted to non/less toxic ammonium so it's not an issue. As for test strips vs liquid tests, both have pluses and minuses. It's too easy to incorrectly store test strips so I always question their accuracy. I also know people who have had their test strip results verified by other tests with different testing materials so in the right hands, they are okay. I prefer liquid tests and unfortunately, until recently the only good affordable test was the API one but over years of experience using it myself, I have repeatedly had their nitrate reagents go bad long before their expiration dates so I always get a second opinion on that result.I agree, so what makes you think his ammonia reading was not a false negative? How is he measuring his ammonia? I have a set of ammonia test strips that give a false negative, which is why I use a liquid test kit. With limited information, I always error on the side of caution and doing a water change is the safest way to protect his fish, which is the priority.
