Nitrite spike!

[RIA.1005]

I changed my bettas tank water recently after my ADF died, the tank stats were doing great for the last few days but today I came home to see a nitrite spike in my water. I read that its called "new tank syndrome". Nitrite was at 1.0 so I did a 30% water change and added a seachem PRIME which is supposed to break down the ammonia and nitrites. However it only lowered the nitrite down to 0.5? What do I do?!

 

[mark4785]

How old is the tank? If under 3-4 weeks old this could be new tank syndrome. If over 3-4 weeks the other possibility is that you cleaned the filtration media, which contains the bacterial colonies for removing ammonia and nitrite, too vigorously or by using water that hasn’t been dechlorinated.

You should do a 80%+ water change to remove the remaining nitrite and only clean the filtration media if it is very dirty as you want to preserve the bacterial colony that is growing there. Reduce feeding by 75% daily or feed every 3 days to lower the amount of waste input that will contribute to ammonia and nitrite build up.

Prime can affect testing accuracy and also isn‘t a long term solution to ammonia and nitrite toxicity so I would refrain from using it and do what is described above for a long term solution.

 

[RIA.1005]

How old is the tank? If under 3-4 weeks old this could be new tank syndrome. If over 3-4 weeks the other possibility is that you cleaned the filtration media, which contains the bacterial colonies for removing ammonia and nitrite, too vigorously or by using water that hasn’t been dechlorinated.

You should do a 80%+ water change to remove the remaining nitrite and only clean the filtration media if it is very dirty as you want to preserve the bacterial colony that is growing there. Reduce feeding by 75% daily or feed every 3 days to lower the amount of waste input that will contribute to ammonia and nitrite build up.

Prime can affect testing accuracy and also isn‘t a long term solution to ammonia and nitrite toxicity so I would refrain from using it and do what is described above for a long term solution.

I did a water change at 80% yesterday like you said with dechlorinated water, nitrite remained the same after testing just now

 

[RIA.1005]

The tank is 4 months old, but I cleaned everything at 80% after my ADF died about a week ago.

 

[Essjay]

Prime doesn't break down ammonia or nitrite; it converts them temporarily into a non-toxic form. After around 24 hours they revert back to their toxic form. The way to use Prime is to keep the fish safe between daily water changes until the spike is over.



An 80% water change should not cause a nitrite spike. Did you clean the media or change the media at the same time?

 

[RIA.1005]

Prime doesn't break down ammonia or nitrite; it converts them temporarily into a non-toxic form. After around 24 hours they revert back to their toxic form. The way to use Prime is to keep the fish safe between daily water changes until the spike is over.



An 80% water change should not cause a nitrite spike. Did you clean the media or change the media at the same time?

Yes, I changed the filter cartridge. Is that what caused the spike?

 

[Slaphppy7]

How old is the tank? If under 3-4 weeks old this could be new tank syndrome. If over 3-4 weeks the other possibility is that you cleaned the filtration media, which contains the bacterial colonies for removing ammonia and nitrite, too vigorously or by using water that hasn’t been dechlorinated.

You should do a 80%+ water change to remove the remaining nitrite and only clean the filtration media if it is very dirty as you want to preserve the bacterial colony that is growing there. Reduce feeding by 75% daily or feed every 3 days to lower the amount of waste input that will contribute to ammonia and nitrite build up.

Prime can affect testing accuracy and also isn‘t a long term solution to ammonia and nitrite toxicity so I would refrain from using it and do what is described above for a long term solution.

"Prime can affect testing accuracy and also isn‘t a long term solution to ammonia and nitrite toxicity so I would refrain from using it and do what is described above for a long term solution."

DO NOT refrain from using it, it as a water conditioner! But DO ascertain what caused the trIte spike...

 

[Slaphppy7]

Yes, I changed the filter cartridge. Is that what caused the spike?

Yes.
You will be doing a fish-in cycle.

 

[RIA.1005]

Yes.
You will be doing a fish-in cycle.

How do I change filter media without disrupting the cycle for next time?

 

[jonny-5]

Dont change it, is the honest answer.
Rinse it in a bucket of old tank water during a water change. Obviously if the media is falling apart then it needs changing but otherwise keep rinsing it out in old tank water. Do not rinse it out with tap water, it will kill all the beneficial bacteria

 

[Slaphppy7]

Dont change it, is the honest answer.
Rinse it in a bucket of old tank water during a water change. Obviously if the media is falling apart then it needs changing but otherwise keep rinsing it out in old tank water. Do not rinse it out with tap water, it will kill all the beneficial bacteria

^^This^^

The filter manufacturers want you to replace it, so they make more $, but the media is the most important part of your filter, it's where your BB (beneficial bacteria) grows.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

You can cut any filter sponge to fit against the cartridge, and use those sponges for years, until they're falling apart. Most of us modify our filters; it's much better to have media that you keep, and rinse that in old tank water, than it is to replace all the time, losing those beneficial bacteria, and it's cheaper too!

Remember that the filter doesn't just mechanically remove particles in the water. It's where a huge amount of your de-nitrifying bacteria live. We don't want to throw those away, or kill them by rinsing the media in chlorinated water, since chlorine kills bacteria.

This vid is helpful for teaching how to modify different filters. The manufacturers just want your money every month! But their sales tactic kills a lot of fish. It's a good thing you noticed the spike and that you're fixing it!

 

[mark4785]

"Prime can affect testing accuracy and also isn‘t a long term solution to ammonia and nitrite toxicity so I would refrain from using it and do what is described above for a long term solution."

DO NOT refrain from using it, it as a water conditioner! But DO ascertain what caused the trIte spike...

The problem is you can’t use it as a typical dechlorinator and decide not to use it as a short term ammonia/nitrite remover. It provides both the former and the latter, the latter being an expensive, temporary option that starves the filtration media bacteria from its source of ammonia and nitrite.

Huge repeated water changes are the way to go with a dechlorinator like Tetasafe in my opinion.

The continued presence of nitrite after a 80% WC just indicates that the 20% of remaining water was still quite toxic. It might be better that the fish are taken out of the tank and do a 100% water change to ensure you get all the nitrite out.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Daily water changes are key in an uncycled tank, regardless of the water conditioner you use, I've just had continued success with Prime.

I've never used it as a "short-term" fix, that's what water changes are for.

It doesn't affect water testing accuracy, as long as you wait 24 hours AFTER a WC to test params (with a liquid test kit), to give the BB in the tank filter sufficient time to consume the detoxified ammonium Prime will produce.

The API liquid test kit doesn't differentiate between (toxic) ammonia and (nontoxic) ammonium..

The OP killed the cycle in the tank (if it was indeed cycled) by removing and replacing seeded media; no indication from the OP of ammonia levels in the tank, but you won't register nitrItes w/out ammonia present.