High Nitrite & Fish Are Dying

[trinity_lee1]

Hi, I have a 130 litre tank with 8 neons (just lost one) 2 female platys (just lost one) 2 keyhole cychilds, 5 corys (2 albino) & 2 bristlenose (1 albino)
 
Amonia fine
Nitrite has been high for 3 days (that we know of, could be longer) I have done just over a quarter water change last night and earlier today did 3 quarters of the tank water change, used the sucky thing to clean gravel a bit and nitrite tests are still showing purple on the API liquid tests which is 5.0ppm or more i believe.
PH is also showing 7.6 or more (this is the highest it goes to on the colour slip).
 
No new fish added, tank very well established, I treated the tank with one dose of internal bacteria treatment last week and this all seems to have happened since then. I didnt do the second treatment as I noticed my albino bristlenose looked like she has an amonia burn, fine now tho, its just all the others!
 
Currently my two cychilds are hovering at the top along with the corys darting up and all the other fish not looking to happy either. Already lost two last night and dont want anymore to die.
 
I thought the Nitrite levels would be improved, whats going on??? Never had this problem before.
 
Help!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Another water change, this time ~95% (leaving just enough old water to cover the fish) ASAP.
 
If you use Seachem Prime, I would would add excess to the first few buckets of fresh water to help mop up any remaining toxins for 24 hours, by  which time hopefully the stats have settled down.
 
IME anything over 0.25mg/l nitrite needs an emergency massive water change of 75-95% in one hit.

 

[Zikofski]

i agree 95 to 100% water change imediatly and i would check and monitor the stats every few hours if possible  hope things get better soon

 

[trinity_lee1]

Thanks both, am doing another water change now, if only id known to take a few more bowls worth out this morning

 

[trinity_lee1]

95% water change done - cichilds are fairly large so just left enough to cover them, military operation completed, roped a neighbour (friend) in to help. Replaced ALMOST all of the water taken out as just had enough fish safe left, was also adding easy balance with it. When will a test show true results? I cant change any more water until tomorrow morning regardless due to no more fish safe left. Hopefully this has worked!

 

[trinity_lee1]

Ive just done a water test 30 minutes after the big change and its now showing between 0.25 & 0.50pm, I would say that its much closer to 0.25pm if not exactly, if this still reads this tomorrow what size water change should I do considering what I have done tonight? PS This reading is a HUGE improvement on the readings of the past 2 days, it was dark purple before on the API liquid test even with the other two fairly large water changes!
 
Do I now need to watch out for the amonia levels? If so is there anything I can do to stablise?
 
Thanks again

 

[the_lock_man]

Glad to hear you've made progress.
 
I would suggest another big change again today to get that nitrite level right down. Keep testing daily, and whenever you see a reading, do another change.
 
It doesn't sound like you need to worry about the ammonia, since the bacteria are obviously processing the ammonia into nitrite, but since you are testing anyway, you may as well test for ammonia as well.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Do get yourself some Seachem Prime to dechlorinate your water. It's a bit pricier than others but you'll use less and save in the long run. 

 

[trinity_lee1]

Ive just tested prior to doing anything with the water since last night and its shot back up again - what is going on?? Am I going to have to do a 95% water change every night??
The fish seem ok at the moment at least they arent gasping like they were last night...
 
Help??

 

[the_lock_man]

It sounds like the antibacterial med you used may have killed off your colony of N-bscs, so yes I think you are.

 

[trinity_lee1]

Do I still need to get Seachem Prime to dechlorinate my water, or should I now be getting something else? Does this mean one dose of that internal antibacteria treatment has 'de-cycled' my tank?? How long am I likely to be doing 95% water changes? It takes about 2 hrs every time.

 

[the_lock_man]

Bummer!
 
You aren't completely de-cycled, since it seems that you don't have an ammonia issue, so obviously the A-bacs have survived whatever catastrophe has hit the N-bacs. Why the med (if indeed it was the med that caused it) only hit the N-bacs, and not the A-bacs, I haven't the foggiest, to be honest.
 
Prime does detoxify nitrite for a short period, so it's a good choice for a dechlor, as well as being very concentrated, so it lasts ages.
 
It may well be that the med has just shocked or stunned the N-bacs, and they may recover quickly. Or it may have killed them totally in which case it might take a few weeks. No real way of knowing.
 
Fingers crossed!

 

[trinity_lee1]

Nitrite level appears normal again!! Will retest tomorrow just in case!! Thanks for all your help

 

[This Old Spouse]

 

 

 

 

[the_lock_man]

Happy days!