Nitrite high? what did I do wrong?

[Don Trinko]

29 gal discus tank with 4 small (2.5")discus. (bigger tank as they grow). I vacumn the sand every 2 or 3 days and get very little dirbus. I feed them 3 times a day. 1=chichlid flakes,2= blood worms, 3= color bits.
My nitrites tested high(5) nitrates (20) Amonia(0)PH(7.5) DH(7) . Filter is biowheel 150. Several days ago I rinced the filter in cold tap water. I did not touch the biowheel. Today I added filter floss because the tank was not as clear as I like. My tap water has 0 nitrites and nitrates. My other tanks test fine.
I did a partial water change and I am running an extra filter with Nitrazorb in it. Anything else I should do? What did I do wrong? Thanks; Don T.

[Graham]

5.0ppm NO2 just from rinsing the media out. Hmmmm doesn't sound right...a spike is one thing but that's well up there, but maybe the combination of gravel cleaning media washing did it but it still seems high......possible you meant 0.5ppm

G:huh:

[Don Trinko]

The chart said 5. ( purple?) The fish seem fine but I don't want to push my luck. Don T.

[Graham]

Scratching my head on this one...is the test kit fairly new?...have you tested the ohter tanks with the same kit?.....pull some established media from one of the other tanks or add a bit of salt if the spike doesn't drop in the next day or so.

G

[Boomer]

Not sure I can give any suggestions either, except unless the filter media needs to be replaced it is best to clean it in tank water so you are not "cleaning" all the good stuff out.

I would check the expiration date of the test...what name was it - there is a name brank out there that is famous for giving the wrong readings. Try finding a LFS that will do a water test for you (some do them for free) and see if they get the same reading.

[Don Trinko]

I have tested other tanks and they test Nitrite=0. I also have the test strips and they agree. the strips and test kit are less than 3 months old.
I tested again after partial water change and several hours of nitrsorb in filter. Nitrites now test 2.0 Thanks for all the help. I have 10 tanks, Murphy's law say's this would happen in the Discus tank not the guppy tank!

thanks; Don T.

[Boomer]

Naw, it'd happen with guppies - but chances are you wouldn't be so concerned!

[Elite Aquaria]

Not sure I can give any suggestions either, except unless the filter media needs to be replaced it is best to clean it in tank water so you are not "cleaning" all the good stuff out.


I do the same as Boomer. Cleaning filters in tap water will kill your bacteria. Since I use sponge filters this would be a big problem for me. Also I have a lot of Chlorine and Chloromine in my tap water.

Dan

[dishpanhands]

You should always clean your filter and its parts in old tank water. Never use tap water on your filter or you will kill it...Do larger daily WC till filter has time to grow back..All of the bio-filter will not only grow on your bio-wheel but in the filter..Atleast with the bio-wheel still alive it shouldn't take too long to recover..

[Alight]

I'm guessing the tank was never cycled from the beginning. Is this a recently setup tank, or a tank that had no fish in it for a while, then you added the discus?

For sure, start doing massive water changes, and take a filter out of one of your established tanks and put it in the Discus tank. Get rid of nitrites and ammonia as fast as you can.

[Boomer]

You can always add a Pothos (not sure if that is the correct name of the plant) to the tank. It will use up the Nitrates/ites up through the roots (just make sure there is no dirt!). It won't work quickly - but if this is long term and not something that can be easily fixed with some good water changes - it can't hurt.

[Royal_Discus]

if you want to lower the nitrItes down to 0ppm FAST than go out and buy some bio-sphira!!! no need to stress over it by doing very large daily waterchanges. it will cycle the tank faster than you can say Royal_Discus.... :) ........Bio-sphira can be found at your LFS Refrigirator. :) lol

[PDX-PLT]

Cleaning filters in tap water will kill your bacteria.


Only if you have Chlorine or Chloromine in your tap water; not all of us do. ;)

[White Worm]

Try having extra media in the tank like a sponge filter so you can alternate cleaning and not lose alot when you do it. With well-established media, you will not kill all good stuff with a quick rinse under tap. I always over-filter so I can alternate and have extra if I needed to start another tank in a pinch.

[Elite Aquaria]

Only if you have Chlorine or Chloromine in your tap water; not all of us do. ;)

Everyone has Chlorine....Maybe not Chloromine....

Dan

[Graham]

Seems to be a lot of reading between the lines here..........whether Don's tank is cycled or not is a question mark.........if anything it well on it's way as there is no NH3 reading and a NO3 level........Don has a lot of tanks so one would assume that he has some idea what he's doing......

As far as the affects of washing bio-media out in either chlorinated or chloramines water, a lot will depend on the age of the bio-media and the levels of chems in that water....going to kind of repeat what Mik stated

The longer that your bio-media is established the tougher it becomes. The bio-film will consist of numerous species of bacteria, from the aerobic nitrifiers that we want to anaerobic hetertrophs. A bio-media with just nitrifiers on it doesn't exist. As that matrix/film ages it gets tougher and becomes harder to hurt...regardless of what you're throwing at it....within reason!.

An established bio-media that's only a few months old will be severally affected by meds and chems, where as one that is a year or more old will take a washing in the sink, a round of meds or a blast from a hose, what ever....it all but can't be hurt.

The medical profession, industry, use heat, bleach, sand blasting to clean away bio-films. We brush our teeth a couple of times a day but once or twice a year we go to the dentist for bacteria cleaning...................our bio- medias are no different.

In Don's case if this is just a spike then add a bit of salt...1 teaspoon per gallon...that will protect the fish till the nitrifiers catch back up

G

[GrillMaster]

Graham...It has me scratchin my head also!! It dont make any sense...

Don sayin he is testing 0 amonia, 5 ppm nitrites, an 20 ppm nitrates is tellin me his tank is cycled, but something is spiking the N02.

Don you say that you have tested N02 in other tanks an it tested zero. You never mentioned testing other tanks for N03.

The only thing I can gather from this now is that the N03 test kit is bad, which is pretty common. N03 an P04 are the most inaccurate test kits on the market.

You never mentioned testing N03 in other tanks. Try that an get back to us.

I for one think your N03 test kit is bad.

tc
Mark

[Don Trinko]

I have both test strips and test kits. I just tested the discus tank and another tank for nitrite,nitrate, and amonia. The test kits are working. Amonia was 0 in both,Nitrates were 10 in both ( the nitrzorb must have removed some since it was 30 the other day) Nitrite was 0 in other tank and 2 in Discus tank. The fish seem fine and are eating well. A book I have say's toxicity starts at nitrites =10 but I know it should be =0. This sort of thing will drive you up a wall! Thanks; Don T.

[Graham]

Glad to see that the levels are dropping........I don't know if you could put a number on where NO2 starts being toxic...it is at any level.....it's a long slow process though. As the fish takes up the nitrites via the chloride pumps in the gill, the haemoglobin is slowly oxidized into methaemoglobin, which can 't carry O2. So the fish is under constant stress from low O2 in thier body.

[Alight]

Oops, misread the original post. I thought it said Ammonia 20 and nitrates 0. That's what I get for popping in when my eyes are googly from analyzing data!

I'll go for the chlorine/chloramine partially damaging the biofilter when he rinsed it. I've actually done that before, with similar results. The biofilter should recover quickly (2-5 days) from this.

As for those who routinely wash filter media with tap water with no problems, the amount of chlorine/chloramine coming out of any tap varies considerably depending on your distance from the treatment facility and the amount of organics in the water and the pipes, and the amount of water being used in the system. It's quite likely that many have amounts that are in the non-toxic levels, at least most of the time.

However, levels can be quite high on an ongoing basis, and can vary dramatically between summer and winter (because of use, and variations in the organics in the water supply).

OK, short explanation, your mileage may vary considerably, when it comes to the amount of chlorine/chloramine that comes out of your tap!

[Don Trinko]

What abought adding salt? I have read that it couteracts nitrite poisoning but doesage recomendations vary from 1/2 oz per galon to 1 teaspoon per 300 gallons. Will discus take a small amount of salt? As a rule I don't add salt but I know many people routinely use salt.
My nitrite is still 2. The fish are fine. I'm probably checking it too often. (a watched pot never boils?) Don T.

[White Worm]

In Don's case if this is just a spike then add a bit of salt...1 teaspoon per gallon...that will protect the fish till the nitrifiers catch back up

G

G already gave you the directions for salt use.

[Don Trinko]

sorry abought that I missed the dossage. Thanks; Don T.

[PDX-PLT]

Everyone has Chlorine....Maybe not Chloromine....

Dan

Only you city slickers. We country hicks pump it straight from the underground aquifer right into the house - no chlorine added nor needed.

[Elite Aquaria]

Only you city slickers. We country hicks pump it straight from the underground aquifer right into the house - no chlorine added nor needed.

LMAO:D :D :D

Dan

[Don Trinko]

Just to update everyone. My nitrites are now between 1 and 2 on the color chart. My wife say's it's 1 I say 1.5.
I talked to a tech at Aquarium Pharmacuticle; He said the bacteria that convert amonia to nitrites are fairly sturdy but the ones that convert nitrites to nitrates are fragile and I probably killed them cleaning the filter.
I changed part of the water again and added salt to compensate for the water change. Anyone know how long this will take to finish cycleing? 2 days or 2 weeks??
Thanks again for all the help.Things in the tropical fish world have changed a lot and I am gradualy catching up. Don T.

[Alight]

5-10 days has been my experience. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Al

[Don Trinko]

It's now down to Nitrites =1. It bothered me more than it did the fish. Don T.

[Don Trinko]

nitrites now = .5. Thanks everyone for the help. Don T.

[Boomer]

That's great. congrats!