Nitrite Spike

2653 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Jdub777, Mar 18, 2009

xiyu123

Discussion Starter · Nov 25, 2007

I'm not entirely sure what to do -

My tank's been up and running for months and on Monday last week, I added three Corys to a 27L tank with 10 guppy fry of various ages from 3 months to a few days. Nitrite has been at 0 mg/l and all the other parameters were at acceptable levels.

Since addition of the Cory's, I've checked ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and they were all fine. But come Wednesday evening, nitrites went up to 2.0 mg/l. Since then I've been doing water changes twice a day. Once in the morning before work and another before I go to bed. When I check the water parameters in the mornings, it's around 0.50 mg/l. The tap water has been treated with dechlor and was at the same temperature of the tank water.

On Saturday, I added some activated carbon to my filter and when I checked nitrite levels this morning, it was at 0.25 mg/l. I then decided to add some filter floss from my 220L tank to try and bump up the bacteria count. I've checked the nitrite levels just now and it's climbed up to 0.50 mg/l.

I've just done a water change to bring nitrites down, but I've spotted one of my Cory's with white spot. So I can't shift these fish into the 220L tank and give this 27L a chance to re-cycle. I can't add activated carbon since that'll just take out all the white spot meds. I'm not entirely sure if water changes with replacement of the white spot meds would do the fish any good either.

So now, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

Any suggestions?

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mistergreen

· #2 · Nov 25, 2007

27 liter = 7.13264538 US gallons
way too much fish. Get a bigger tank.

Get a 10 Gallon tank to treat the fish untill they're healthy again.

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xiyu123

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 25, 2007

Even for guppy fry? It's a fry holding tank at the moment with Corys for scavenging.

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Naja002

· #4 · Nov 26, 2007

Are there plants in this tank or just fish?

If its just fish you can add some aquarium salt which will help reduce nitrite effect. You can with plants also, but they might not appreciate it very much.

You can also add Prime or some other dechlor that will specifically bind the nitrite. Prime will bind the nitrite and ammonia and is active for up to 48hrs or until its binding ability is used up.

Additionally, nitrite effect lessens over pH 7.0, but free-ammonia effect increases. Vica versa at pH below 7.0......

HTH

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xiyu123

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 26, 2007

It's a heavily planted tank with CO2. I have the CO2 on during the light period and in the past week have added an air pump which is switched on in the dark period. So with CO2 the water is at pH 6.4. Tap water is hard with GK and KH at 13 and at pH 7.2.

I've only added literally a dash of salt. I've read that Cory's don't appreciate salt much so have been rather apprehensive at adding any more than that.

I tested the water last night and this morning and nitrites are at 0.50 mg/l so it appears to have stabilized.

All the fish appear to be just fine so I'm not sure if addition of white spot meds has an effect on my nitrite test kit or if it really is what it says it is.

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Naja002

· #6 · Nov 26, 2007

xiyu123 said:
I've only added literally a dash of salt. I've read that Cory's don't appreciate salt much so have been rather apprehensive at adding any more than that.

Great, I'm glad you remembered that.

roud: I rarely use salt, but I do use it sometimes on my feeder fish holding tank (comets and minnows) since I have to constantly re-cycle it.

xiyu123 said:
It's a heavily planted tank with CO2. I have the CO2 on during the light period and in the past week have added an air pump which is switched on in the dark period. So with CO2 the water is at pH 6.4. Tap water is hard with GK and KH at 13 and at pH 7.2.

As you probably know, the N02 is more toxic/effective at the lower pH. You can consider reducing your lighting and photoperiod and eliminating the C02 until you get through this (to up the pH)--but that would probably just bring more problems for you over the long haul.

xiyu123 said:
I tested the water last night and this morning and nitrites are at 0.50 mg/l so it appears to have stabilized.

All the fish appear to be just fine so I'm not sure if addition of white spot meds has an effect on my nitrite test kit or if it really is what it says it is.

I don't know either, but Prime can help get you through this. Its safe to overdose up to 5x according to Seachem, but watch the 02 levels in the tank. Stability is good and can help.

HTH

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xiyu123

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 26, 2007

At the moment, I've taken the air pump off and added a one of those very small internal filters with an air venturi on. But instead of using the supplied sponge, I've added about 1 or 2 tablespoons full of zeolite. I figured this will reduce nitrites a bit and also aerate the water.

Upon Naja002's advice, CO2 has been reduced even further but not completely off just to acclimatize my fish to the rise in pH. I'll probably reduce lighting to 6 hours from 8 and use Excel as my carbon source.

Any one got any more ideas how to speed things up? What I don't want to do is make excessive waterchanges and having to redose the white spot meds (Interpet Anti-Whitespot).

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Naja002

· #8 · Nov 26, 2007

Turning off or down the C02 will allow the pH to rise and should make the nitrites less toxic. But may bring other problems with it--meaning algae. Turning down the lights will definitely help prevent that. So, be aware of these things------

roud:

When C02 goes down is often when algae shows up. Why? Rubisco.

But when we increase C02--algae doesn't show up. Why? Rubisco.

You can crank it back up without a problem--algae-wise, but just keep your eyes open while its turned down/off.....

roud:

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Buck

· #9 · Nov 26, 2007

xiyu123 said:
So now, I'm at a loss as to what to do. Any suggestions? Any one got any more ideas how to speed things up?

Yup... just put the cory's under your thumb and save them from a bad day! :hihi:

3 cory's have no business in a 7G tank and you will never solve your original problem. Its obvious by the rise in nitrites, that your heavily planted 7G tank is not keeping up and the 3 cories will only cause more fluctuations then whatever it is you want them to "scavenge for" would cause in the first place. As a matter of fact, I dont think that 3 cories could survive scavenging off the small floor that you are supplying them without feeding them additional food thus causing more problems.

All cories do is swim, eat and poop !

Move the cories and just enjoy the fry tank :thumbsup:

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Jdub777

· #10 · Mar 18, 2009

I'd like to bump this, instead of me starting a new thread.

I have a similar issue right now.

My tank cycled, so I figured I throw in a small bioload. Within the next 2 days my nitrites spiked.

The nitrate is very low between 10-20 ppm.
The nitrite is 3-5ppm
Ph dropped down from 7.0 to 6.6
gh is 75 ( never changed)
kh is 120 (never changed)
Ammonia is 0

I lost 4 Red Cherry shrimp. Only have one Amano and one Red Cherry left. Once the deaths occured, i did a 50% WC and dosed the hell out of the tank with Stability and Prime. That stopped the poor lil neons(6) and Dwarf Rainbows(4) from gasping, and I checked my nitrites which was at .3-ish.

I come home today from work and find my nitrites at 3ppm again

. When I did feed the fish it wasn't much at all, tbh i don't think all of them had a chance to eat lol. Should i just continue wiht the emergency WC's and OD'n with Stability/Prime? I turned down my CO2 and have my powerhead agitating the surface for more O2. I'm hesitant adding aquarium salt, i don't know how much is ok.

Tank info:
45Gal high
96watts 10k - 96 watts 71k( only use one bulb atm)
Pressurized CO2
Moderately planted: 6 pots of Hemianthus callitrichoides spread around, 3 big bunches of Ludwigia Repens, Java moss on driftwood, Telanthera alternanthera reinekii, Lindernia anagallis, Ludwigia palustris. * plants are doing well -red palnts are red, all have new growth
Temp: 78-80f

Let me know if any more info is needed.

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