1.0 nitrite water change didn’t seem to help

[Connershawzz]

I have a 36 gallon sitting at
>10 ppm nitrate
.5-1 ppm nitrite
7.8 ph
I tested this morning all was normal except for the nitrite is sitting around 1 ppm I did a 20% wc just tested again and it didn’t seem to change.

I did add salt last week to help with an infection and I don’t want to do a big water change till I’ve deluded the salt out more so I don’t shock my fish. (I’ve been doing about 10% everyday for 4 days so far). Am I safe to continue doing maybe 20% wc for a few more days then one big one over the weekend? I know it’s from my bichir just shredding the food into powder basically , even after sucking uneaten food after 2-3 minutes I’m sure I miss some. (My bichir are all juvenile of course just growing them in here till I save for my bigger tank)

 

[Naughts]

Do a big water change of 75% and replace the salt proportionately.
Fish in nitrite are really suffering. They may die if you don't get rid of the nitrite.
Feed less so there is nothing left over.
Have you tested for ammonia?

 

[Connershawzz]

Do a big water change of 75% and replace the salt proportionately.
Fish in nitrite are really suffering. They may die if you don't get rid of the nitrite.
Feed less so there is nothing left over.
Have you tested for ammonia?

I haven’t I do not have the test yet. I usually go every weekend and get it tested at the store , which I did Saturday and it was fine

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Hi-

Go here, scroll down to the section on nitrite it should help. https://www.fishforums.net/threads/rescuing-a-fish-in-cycle-gone-wild-part-il.433778/

Since ammonia is the precursor to nitrite, you may have some of that. The section above nitrite in the link above will help with ammonia.

Once ammonia as NH3 is in the danger zone, water changes help. As can chemicals. I prefer not to use those unless things are pretty poor....

 

[Colin_T]

Salt helps reduce the damage done to fish bu nitrite.

Yeah you can do 20% water changes now for a few days then do bigger water changes after that.

 

[Connershawzz]

Salt helps reduce the damage done to fish bu nitrite.

Yeah you can do 20% water changes now for a few days then do bigger water changes after that.

Just did another 20% , I’ll keep doing this till Thursday and do one big one Friday morning since I’m going out camping Friday-Sunday. Hopefully all will be well. I skipped feeding last night to try and help lower it , and as I was doing my water change this morning one of my plants looked a little wilted and dying so just to be safe I pulled it. They are acting normal , my delhezi likes to pose for pictures. Excuse the drip marks I was running a bit late this morning

Thank you!!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Water changes are the evenly of cycling. The more water changes you do, the slower the cycling will go and the longer it will take.

Not any reading of wither ammonia or Nirite means a water change must be done. For ammonia you can live with it as long as the amount that is in the form of NH3 is now much above 0.05 ppm.

The chloride in salt prevents nitrite from entering the fish. The problem with nitirite is that once inside the fish it taks some time to work its way back out. it can be a day or two, However, if there is still nitrite in the water and you have not protected the fish with salt, the nitrite will keep going in even as some is coming out.

Therefore, if one wants to complete a cycle with fish in the tank ASAP, minimize water changes. Do not do them automatically, do them when they should be done. Read the link I provided and follow the instructions. It will be better for the fish and easier on you as you will know you are actually in control of the situation and the fish are OK. You will complete the cycle faster.

Besides, science says that any study of the effects of nitrite on fish that does not contain data on chloride levels in the water renders that research meaningless.

 

[Connershawzz]

Water changes are the evenly of cycling. The more water changes you do, the slower the cycling will go and the longer it will take.

Not any reading of wither ammonia or Nirite means a water change must be done. For ammonia you can live with it as long as the amount that is in the form of NH3 is now much above 0.05 ppm.

The chloride in salt prevents nitrite from entering the fish. The problem with nitirite is that once inside the fish it taks some time to work its way back out. it can be a day or two, However, if there is still nitrite in the water and you have not protected the fish with salt, the nitrite will keep going in even as some is coming out.

Therefore, if one wants to complete a cycle with fish in the tank ASAP, minimize water changes. Do not do them automatically, do them when they should be done. Read the link I provided and follow the instructions. It will be better for the fish and easier on you as you will know you are actually in control of the situation and the fish are OK. You will complete the cycle faster.

Besides, science says that any study of the effects of nitrite on fish that does not contain data on chloride levels in the water renders that research meaningless.

Thank you! I will look into it , I am only doing them daily as to the salt in there , when it’s back to normal I’ll be back to once a week

 

[TwoTankAmin]

It should have ready enemy not evenly above.

The amount of salt needed to block nitrite from entering a fish is fairly small. It is much less than would be used as a med etc. The chloride blocked the nitrite from getting into the fish.