Nitrite level high

[mathman]

I have a couple of plants and my tap water shows 0 Nitrites. I have just completed a 4 gal water change out of 29 and my nitrites are still very high. They have always been high. What suggestions do you have and what could be causing this? Over feeding? There is aperently no algae in my tank so I am feeding my pleco algae disks. My mollies including fry and guppies are getting flake and sun dried shrimp. I feed about 3 times a day sometimes 4 but they finish it off in less than 2 minutes. My water movement is high so the food falls almost immediately.

 

[Angel Lady]

I have a couple of plants and my tap water shows 0 Nitrites. I have just completed a 4 gal water change out of 29 and my nitrites are still very high. They have always been high. What suggestions do you have and what could be causing this? Over feeding? There is aperently no algae in my tank so I am feeding my pleco algae disks. My mollies including fry and guppies are getting flake and sun dried shrimp. I feed about 3 times a day sometimes 4 but they finish it off in less than 2 minutes. My water movement is high so the food falls almost immediately.

you are feeding to much I have been jumped on time and time again for feeding to much Is your tank all the way cycled my nitrites is high to they are something called nitro sorb is supposed to take it down the lfs has it ordered for my but it wont be here until thursday so I cant tell you if it works or not so mabey you might want to see if you can buy it and let me know if it works dont get mad at me for telling you that you are feeding to much it only causes you a lot of extra works.

 

[mathman]

I'm not mad.

I wont get to a lfs till next weekend (thought I could this but life happens )

I just did another water change, 8 gal this time and it is unchanged.
That's about 40% or more and no change. sheesh I don't know what to do.

My tank has been set up for about a month.

 

[mathman]

I'm not mad.

I wont get to a lfs till next weekend (thought I could this but life happens )

I just did another water change, 8 gal this time and it is unchanged.
That's about 40% or more and no change. sheesh I don't know what to do.

My tank has been set up for about a month.

 

[sgtbirch]

what is the reading. some test kits are very uninformative like mine jumps from .3 to .8 to 1.6 to 3.2 doubling every step so if you geta a reading of .8 ot would take about a 2/3 or 20 gallon water change to get it down to .3

hth
steve

 

[CFC]

Nitrites or nitrates? If it is nitrite i would have thought you would be suffering disease outbreaks and fish deaths by now and would be a sign of an uncycled tank or as previously stated severe over feeding.If its nitrates its nothing much to worry about as long as its below 40ppm,try doing bigger water changes of around 25% a week and see if it makes a difference,adding a few fast growing nitrate absorbing plants will help too.

 

[gadazobe]

It sounds like your tank is in the 2nd part of cycling - 1st being the production of ammonia, 2nd is nitrite and 3rd is nitrate. Once the ammonia has broken down, nitrite is produced. It can take a week or so before this is turned into nitrate. It takes about 6 weeks to fully cycle a tank. Just when you think that the nitrite will never go, your tests will show 0% One day it's there, the next it's not. Patience is all you need together with small frequent water changes to keep your fishies happy.