Nitrite Too High?

[togglepin]

I have just tested my water with a tablet that came with my tank kit. I have been doing a 25% water change every other day and the results are off the chart. it is shocking pink and I am worried that I am doing something drastically wrong.
Any quick solutions please as I have fish to look after.

 

[martyn21uk]

Can you provide some more information? Are you cycling the tank at the moment. If so are you doing fishless or with fish? How long has the tank been running?

Also I would recommend getting an API master testing kit. Its what most people, myself included, on here use and its much more accurate than tablets.

 

[togglepin]

No I did not do a fishless cycle (wish I had) I bought the tank and set it up and ran it as instructed, adding filter start every other day.then added fish about day 7 then a week later added some more. I did have water tested by local fish shop at this point who advised me to do a weekly 25% water change.I will go out and buy a liquid testing kit today and come back with results later.ps. My tank has been set up now for about a month.

 

[martyn21uk]

COol, yeah its a good plan to get that master kit if you can. If its not available where you are try and get a liquid one as strips and tablets are noturiously inaccurate. Once you have tested post with your Amonia, Nitrite and nitrate stats at the very least and we can advise better

 

[togglepin]

Here goes
I have bought the API liquid test kit, results are:

Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 2.0
Nitrate 5.0
PH 7.6

Should I be doing daily water changes with water conditioner going into the new water?

 

[**sarahp**]

YES!!

Do a 50% water change ASAP then in a few hours do another one, then tomorrow do another in the morning and another in the evening - you need to get that nitrIte down to 0.25

Keep testing the water and everytime you get ammonia or nitrIte above 0.25 do a water change. Its gonna be APITA but your fish will thank you for it!!

 

[Dark Wolf]

yeah definitely, your fish are most likely suffering quite a bit with results like that. You need to keep nitrite and ammonia at 0 or very close to 0.

Your gonna have to do lots of partial water changes for the next few weeks. Good luck

 

[Chrispixx]

Dosing your tank with Prime and using it as your water conditoner will help because it detoxifies Nitrite and Ammonia.

 

[togglepin]

Thanks for that info guys, I did a water change about 2 hours ago, just tested the water again and is slightly better, I will change again tonight and then in morning as instructed.
Thanks for your help. xx

 

[Underwurlde]

Hope this helps to evaluate these important measurements for Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate.

Measured 'Ammonia levels' actually measure both ammonium (safe) and ammonia (highly toxic). The pH of the water determines the balance, in this case a pH of 7.6 approxiamtes to 0.44%, or for 0.25ppm, 0.0011ppm of actual toxic ammonia: consider anything > 0.02ppm a lethal amount.

The presence of Nitrite in the water column is particularly nasty since it replaces some of the oxygen in the fish's blood with this poison. Consider levels of below 1.0ppm as 'low', 2.5ppm as 'medium' level, 5.0ppm, although not lethal, prolonged exposure will result in stunted growth & detrimental to a fishes long term health.

Nitrate levels: Ideally below 40ppm. Anything >100ppm could cause problems for fish.

Andy

 

[Dark Wolf]

The presence of Nitrite in the water column is particularly nasty since it replaces some of the oxygen in the fish's blood with this poison. Consider levels of below 1.0ppm as 'low', 2.5ppm as 'medium' level, 5.0ppm, although not lethal, prolonged exposure will result in stunted growth & detrimental to a fishes long term health.

I was always under the impression that anything above 3ppm was really toxic for the fish, and can be lethal? And should hopefully never be allowed to get above 1ppm