any tricks to remove nitrite??

Sounds like you have a good handle on it already. You could try Seachem's Purigen in place of the Nitro sponges.

So is this a recent development? One thing you may want to do is check that your test kit has not gone bad on you. have you tested some bottled, distilled/RO water with it?

my nitrates are just fine, it is the nitrites that are over the top. I would imagine this product might work for both. I will look and see if anyone has it locally. I can't really wait for shipping the item.

For now I have the nitrasorb in the big tank and with a poly filter, hate to think of what it is doing to my plants but my fish need releif.

I didn't beleive the test kit after all the water supply was tested as bad so I ran out and got my ap kit I prefer and it tested all bad too.

I am totally over the public water folks. It is against the law here to have nitrites in the water. No reported line break either. I did talk to the evironmental protection folks and they are checking further. The water department lab is hiding from the world it seems.

If I wanted any further confirmation the disloving fins on my fish tell the other side of that one. I am just glad I caught it this morning and they didn't have anything to help all day.

I just check water perameters more frequently when I get a new shipment of fish in.

Prime is supposed to detoxify nitrites so you should already be one up on the situation using that to treat your water.

Seachem website said:

DIRECTIONS: Use 1 capful (5 mL) for each 200 L (50 gallons*) of new water. For smaller doses, please note each cap thread is approx. 1 mL). This dose removes approximately 0.6 mg/L ammonia, 3 mg/L chloramine, or 4 mg/L chlorine. May be added to aquarium directly, but better if added to new water first. If adding directly to aquarium, base dose on aquarium volume. Sulfur odor is normal. For exceptionally high chloramine concentrations, a double dose may be used safely. To detoxify nitrite in an emergency, up to 5 times normal dose may be used. If temperature is > 30 °C (86 °F) and chlorine or ammonia levels are low, use a half dose.

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yep at quadruple doses it drops the nitrite. I just worry it eventually breaks down and it will spike again. I rather take it all out. I read that thread and wonder if using the sponges will cause another problem.

I just love it the fellow was questioning the accuracy of my test kits and I told him if two different kits didn't get it for him the watching my fish fins disolve did it for me.

Since you are already talking to the right people (EPA) you probably already know this from the EPA web site:

The MCL for nitrates has been set at 10 ppm, and for nitrites at 1 ppm, because EPA believes, given present technology and resources, this is the lowest level to which water systems can reasonably be required to remove this contaminant should it occur in drinking water.

MCL is the legally enforceable maximum level allowed in drinking water supplies at the treatment plant - it might change by the time it gets to your tap, but they should help investigate that. What level are you measuring??

CarolF said:

yep at quadruple doses it drops the nitrite. I just worry it eventually breaks down and it will spike again. I rather take it all out. I read that thread and wonder if using the sponges will cause another problem.

I just love it the fellow was questioning the accuracy of my test kits and I told him if two different kits didn't get it for him the watching my fish fins disolve did it for me.

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Are you referring to me? If you are then I have to question the open mindedness of posters who don't fully detail their problem in the OP, then take offense when respondents aren't able to read their minds. If you had stated that you checked your water with multiple test kits I would not have brought it up.

Until your water supply is free of nitrites perhaps you should just do some water chages with bottled water instead.

I was talking about gthe water lab in Public utilites. I would never insult someone that was trying to help. The guy at the water department haqs salt water tanks and was trying to tell me my kits were not right.

Sorry I wasn't clear and you thought I was talking to you

The water tests at 5ppm at the tap after the water softener, .25ppm after r/o which is about right.

By time the water department gets out here probably on Monday the problem should have cleared.

Hopefully my water guy will get here before it disappears and I can get a sample to the lab to verify my findings. He will also take tests but an independant lab will lock it up.

Prime is only available in the tank for 24 hrs:

Prime and Nitrites.....

It needs to be redosed every 24hrs to keep ammonia or nitrites locked up.

HTH

Thanks I felt that the prime would not hold up for the long term this confirms my feelings. I used far less in my big tank so that I could physcally remove the nitrites to have a clean tank when the prime quits working.

I hope that the plants also take up some of the overload. Last night and this morning readings are all clear.