high nitrite

[not so master reefer]

my tank is running for 5 weeks and im getting high nitrite. i did a 25 water change yesterday but my nitrite is still high

[Eddie]

my tank is running for 5 weeks and im getting high nitrite. i did a 25 water change yesterday but my nitrite is still high

The only way to eliminate the nitrite is to remove it through water changes. You'll be juggling the cycle this way, making it take longer. It's best for your fish, if you do not allow the Nitrite to get too high. What type of fish did you say you had...Convicts?

Eddie

[Don Trinko]

1 teaspoon to as much as 1 tablespoon of salt per 10g of water will protect the fish from nitrite poisoning. Don T.

[not so master reefer]

yup i have convicts. does this mean that my tank is still cycling?when will this end?:confused: when the cycle is finish, how should i clean my tank?should i clean my filter media every month? will that kill the bacteria and reset the cycle again?

[Eddie]

yup i have convicts. does this mean that my tank is still cycling?when will this end?:confused: when the cycle is finish, how should i clean my tank?should i clean my filter media every month? will that kill the bacteria and reset the cycle again?

Yes, your tank is still cycling. The cycle will end when your nitrite drops back down to zero naturally and you have a build up of nitrates. When the cycle is finished, you just clean the tank however you like. The filter media is the part you need to be careful with. It is best to only rinse it or shake it out in a bucket using water that is from the fish tank. This will keep the bacteria from being killed off by chlorine or chloramines. ;)

Eddie

[not so master reefer]

ok thanks guys!

[not so master reefer]

Yes, your tank is still cycling. The cycle will end when your nitrite drops back down to zero naturally and you have a build up of nitrates. When the cycle is finished, you just clean the tank however you like. The filter media is the part you need to be careful with. It is best to only rinse it or shake it out in a bucket using water that is from the fish tank. This will keep the bacteria from being killed off by chlorine or chloramines. ;)

Eddie
how often should i clean my tank and filter?

[waters10]

In my case, I always found the nitrite to nitrate part of the cycle harder than the ammonia to nitrite. It took longer and any setback (like me forgetting the filter off for the night) would affect only that part of the cycle!

I'd measure nitrite before and after water change, so you can get a feel how the water change is affecting nitrite levels. If it's still high after water change, I'd increase the ammount of water you're changing and maybe change it twice a day. I spent 1-2 weeks doing 2 40% daily water changes to keep nitrite low when I first set up my tank. I thought it was fully cycled, but I was wrong ...

[KDodds]

Before you start doing 100% daily water changes, remember it's spring, planting season. Many localized water supplies get contaminated by agricultrural run off. I'm not saying not to do the changes, but to test the source water before settling on this as a solution. In some cases, it may actually be the CAUSE of a problem, rather than a solution.

[Bobears]

As far as I remember if your 5 weeks in on a cycle your close to the end. I would expect a nitRITE spike to be at it's highest level just before the niTRATE bacteria take over.

But, I'll tell that nitRITE part of the cycle seems to take forever, I feel for you. Prime can also help at 5 times the dosage.

Good luck.