Sos - Nitrate High, Fish Dying, Water Cloudy

[Aqua Tom]

Aghhhhh

I did a test this morning

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite up to 5!

This is after a 35% water change!

Advice pleaseeeee

Do another water change urgently, maybe down to the last inch or so in the tank. 5ppm of NitrIte is not good at all.

 

[RobGoldsmith]

I have now done 3 water changes of around 40% and the nitrite hasnt dropped at all!

 

[Aqua Tom]

I have now done 3 water changes of around 40% and the nitrite hasnt dropped at all!

Test your tapwater. If it is 0ppm nitrate then do a massive water change, this will bring the nitrites down to a controlable level.

If your tapwater has Nitrites in it then we will have to rethink a bit.

 

[Whitey_144]

is there any reason why you're doing small water changes rather than say a 90%?

 

[Rynofasho]

Nitrites of 5ppm or 0.5ppm? That's a lot of nitrite if it is the first. Ya, either do one big change to get a ton of fresh water in there or keep doing your smaller ones, but either way you need to keep putting clean water in there as it is always your best bet.

 

[RobGoldsmith]

Tap water was at 0.
By last night the fish were up and swimming again instead of sat on the bottom after I did a 50% change.
Will test and see again tonight!
I still have a small white film over all the plants though

On a more positive note, the "No Planaria" product did work!!!!! No more worms, might not put my shrimp back in there for a while though

 

[Aqua Tom]

If you are doing 40-50% water changes & not seeing a big improvement. It is time to do some massive water changes.

If you have 5ppm nitrite & you do a 90% water change that would bring it down to 0.5ppm. Then if you did another 90% water change you would bring that down to 0.05ppm. etc.

It the way to go

 

[RobGoldsmith]

Unbelievable!
Ammonia is at 0
Nitrite has gone from 2 to 0.1ish over night without me even touching it!

Guess all my good bacteria were enough to bring the last few scores back to almost normal.

Only lost one fish but still a price to pay to get rid of the flatworms!

 

[Aqua Tom]

Unbelievable!
Ammonia is at 0
Nitrite has gone from 2 to 0.1ish over night without me even touching it!

Guess all my good bacteria were enough to bring the last few scores back to almost normal.

Only lost one fish but still a price to pay to get rid of the flatworms!

Phew!