Nitrate and Nitrite

[Swusch]

Hello! I’ve doing daily water changes to lower the ammonia in my bettas tank. My Nitrite and Nitrate numbers are not going down though. Is there a trick to get these numbers lowered? He’s not doing to good.

Nitrite: 0.5-1.0
Nitrate: 5.0
Ammonia: 0.5
pH: 6.8

 

[Slaphppy7]

Hello! I’ve doing daily water changes to lower the ammonia in my bettas tank. My Nitrite and Nitrate numbers are not going down though. Is there a trick to get these numbers lowered? He’s not doing to good.

Nitrite: 0.5-1.0
Nitrate: 5.0
Ammonia: 0.5
pH: 6.8

The only way to lower the numbers is daily water changes, with a good water conditioner...Seachem Prime, or API Tap Water Conditioner.

Wait to run another test a full 24 hours between WC's.

 

[Swusch]

The only way to lower the numbers is daily water changes, with a good water conditioner...Seachem Prime, or API Tap Water Conditioner.

Wait to run another test a full 24 hours between WC's.

Ok. I have top fin and someone said it would be okay to finish it out but then buy Seachem. Maybe I’ll just go grab that. Thank you!

 

[Essjay]

Both ammonia and nitrite should drop to zero once a tank is cycled. Nitrate will not drop to zero by itself, though, as it is made by the nitrogen cycle. It is lowered by weekly water changes once ammonia and nitrite remain at zero.

 

[Bdoggy]

Hello! I’ve doing daily water changes to lower the ammonia in my bettas tank. My Nitrite and Nitrate numbers are not going down though. Is there a trick to get these numbers lowered? He’s not doing to good.

Nitrite: 0.5-1.0
Nitrate: 5.0
Ammonia: 0.5
pH: 6.8

I'm fairly new to this, however. What I did that helped a ton was to take filter media from my friends tank. It is a well established tank... I cut it to fit in a small hang on the top filter. After running that for 2 days my nitrites went to 0... Also you can ask your local store to sell you one of their sponge filter. Maybe you can ask if you buy a new filter they can trade you for the used one...
After talking to my local shop, the owner said that wouldn't be a problem if i ever needed one in the future. Basically they just want you to replace the filter they are giving you..
B.

 

[Colin_T]

Ok. I have top fin and someone said it would be okay to finish it out but then buy Seachem. Maybe I’ll just go grab that. Thank you!

Keep using the topfin, there's no need to change until you run out. Most dechlorinators contain the same basic ingredients.

Don't bother testing for nitrates until the tank has finished cycling. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate, and give you a false reading.

Just keep doing a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm, or a nitrate reading above 20ppm.

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You can add liquid filter bacteria supplements (available from most pet shops). These help speed up the filter development.

If you have lots of true aquatic plant sin the tank, they can use the ammonia and help keep nitrite and nitrate lower. Floating plants work better than plants growing in the gravel.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Your ammonia level at your pH is not an issue. However, nitrite is. Please have a read here on how to deal with nitrite. The answer is not water changes. these will just slow down the cycling pricess and are not needed to handle nitrite.

https://www.fishforums.net/threads/rescuing-a-fish-in-cycle-gone-wild-part-il.433778/