What reading of nitrite does this appear to be?

[WhistlingBadger]

No. And sorry, I don't have the attention span right now to read the whole thread. Is your tank still cycling? If so, there's your answer. You aren't cycled yet. in a cycled tank, I've had extreme disruption of the substrate cause ammonia and nitrate spikes.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

No. And sorry, I don't have the attention span right now to read the whole thread. Is your tank still cycling? If so, there's your answer. You aren't cycled yet. in a cycled tank, I've had extreme disruption of the substrate cause ammonia and nitrate spikes.

No, tank had an established filter to begin with so mini-cycled for four days, then was fully cycled. changed filters for other established filters, was still cycled. removed one filter, leaving other filter, expected and got mini-cycle, added brand new canister filter too, but it's been two weeks now of large daily changes, and I'm getting zero ammonia, but high nitrates and high nitrates for two weeks now. Wouldn't expect nitrates if there weren't the second kind of bacteria present.

 

[Spalders]

No, tank had an established filter to begin with so mini-cycled for four days, then was fully cycled. changed filters for other established filters, was still cycled. removed one filter, leaving other filter, expected and got mini-cycle, added brand new canister filter too, but it's been two weeks now of large daily changes, and I'm getting zero ammonia, but high nitrates and high nitrates for two weeks now. Wouldn't expect nitrates if there weren't the second kind of bacteria present.

Have you tried not changing water for a day or two to see if it lowers itself? Sounds crazy but if you have 0 ammonia and high nitrate / nitrite you must have beneficial bacteria doing something??!?!?
High'ish nitrites shouldn't kill your fish, maybe leave it a few days and keep an eye on the parameters to see if it sorts itself out?
If I'm incorrect someone please give me a damn good thrashing

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Have you tried not changing water for a day or two to see if it lowers itself? Sounds crazy but if you have 0 ammonia and high nitrate / nitrite you must have beneficial bacteria doing something??!?!?
High'ish nitrites shouldn't kill your fish, maybe leave it a few days and keep an eye on the parameters to see if it sorts itself out?
If I'm incorrect someone please give me a damn good thrashing

I haven't tried it, because I have fish and shrimp in there, and shrimp are especially sensitive to high nitrites and high nitrates, so I've just done the changes, but the fish and shrimp haven't been freaking out either, so might be worth a try! I'll monitor them and do water tests, and might skip tomorrow's change and see how it goes, as long as the livestock still seems okay. Thank you for the idea!

 

[Naughts]

Aquarium salt is meant to reduce the toxicity of nitrite without removing the nitrite. Would normally only recommend water changes but if you're going down this route anyway it could be a safer way of doing it.

 

[AilyNC]

Still struggling to get this tank to cycle
75-85% daily changes, changed 85% yesterday, and today, here are my test results before yet another 80% water change.

Nitrites:
View attachment 118009

The nitrite tests from the last few days:
View attachment 118011

Ammonia still zero, but here are the nitrites and nitrates, and just to show it isn't my testing method or the kit, far right is the nitrite test from my oto tank:
View attachment 118010

This is the tank, taken today post water change:
View attachment 118012

15.5 gallons, four adults guppies (one of those isn't even full size yet)
eight young-ish fry, coming up on two months old, so perhaps they're larger and producing more of a bioload than I'm giving them credit for? 25 ish (guesstimate) red cherry shrimp, a few MTS that have just produced young MTS.

I've been feeding really lightly. I can't stop altogether because of the young fish, but I am feeding far more lightly than I usually do.
Tank set up August 25th. Had a double sponge filter on at first that had been established for a year, and did go through a mini cycle then, but nitrites never went above 0.25ppm and after four days of daily water changes, it was fully cycled again, ammonia and nitrites staying at zero, and nitrates between 5-10.

4th September I switched filters around on tanks to make more space in this one. Removed double sponge filter, and replaced it with this single sponge filter that was relatively new, but had been cycling on a 12 gallon tank and was cycled. Also added a small all ponds solution canister filter that has been established for more than a year and was on their previous tank.

Tank parameters remained stable, 0/0/5

Ended up removing that canister filter because shrimp deaths spiked and it seems that canister was contaminated by the pesticides, so pulled that canister filter on September 14th, leaving the single sponge filter. Fully expected to experience a mini cycle. Sure enough it did showing nitrites, so large daily changes started on the 15th.

New canister arrived and added 21st September. Tried to seed it by squeezing the single sponge filter into it several times. So it's been two weeks of a mini cycle, a full week with the addition of a brand new canister filter, and you can see I have nitrates, so I have to assume both kinds of bacteria are present. Why on earth is it taking so long to stablise? Any ideas, any! Very welcome, since these large daily changes are getting to be a lot when I also have three other tanks and elderly parents to look after. @Ch4rlie ? @kwi ? @mbsqw1d ? @essjay ?

Oh, also no deaths in the tank, have searched carefully for dead shrimp too, unless one has died inside the holes in the dragonstone, nothing in the tank is dead and producing ammonia.

It's a very beautiful tank. You've a real skill with plants

 

[seangee]

I'm getting zero ammonia, but high nitrates and high nitrates for two weeks now. Wouldn't expect nitrates if there weren't the second kind of bacteria present.

The nitrate test reads both nitrite and nitrate and adds them together. There is no point intesting for nitrate until your nitrite is 0.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

The nitrate test reads both nitrite and nitrate and adds them together. There is no point intesting for nitrate until your nitrite is 0.

Ah, that explains why nitrates are so high then! Thank you

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It's a very beautiful tank. You've a real skill with plants

Thank you love, that means a lot
I think I got lucky with my water more than anything, All I've added is some cheap root tabs, and I dosed it once with Tetra Plantamin, but I've done so many water changes since that dose I doubt there's much left in there than plants haven't taken up. No skill involved!

 

[AilyNC]

Thank you love, that means a lot
I think I got lucky with my water more than anything, All I've added is some cheap root tabs, and I dosed it once with Tetra Plantamin, but I've done so many water changes since that dose I doubt there's much left in there than plants haven't taken up. No skill involved!

It's not just that. You've a good eye for it. What cheap tabs? I had to buy another 10 tabs at £12. Eek.

On the nitrite thing for whatever reason it seems like this tank's mini cycle was disrupted but I don't know why daily changes are still giving high numbers

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It's not just that. You've a good eye for it. What cheap tabs? I had to buy another 10 tabs at £12. Eek.

On the nitrite thing for whatever reason it seems like this tank's mini cycle was disrupted but I don't know why daily changes are still giving high numbers

Hmmmm..... cheap root tabs, high nitrites... what if they're connected?

 

[itiwhetu]

May be put a dark card behind the tube. It looks almost like a false reading to me

 

[mbsqw1d]

Hmmmm..... cheap root tabs, high nitrites... what if they're connected?

That could well be it! How many tabs have you put in? They'll be throwing out ammoniacal nitrogen so your stage1 BB will be busy converting any that your plants dont use to nitrite.. I couldn't say why nitrosomonas are taking so long..

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

That could well be it! How many tabs have you put in? They'll be throwing out ammoniacal nitrogen so your stage1 BB will be busy converting any that your plants dont use to nitrite.. I couldn't say why nitrosomonas are taking so long..

Hmm, not sure, 5-6 tabs? But they're a cheap Chinese brand, maybe producing too much yak. Plus a few little balls have been uprooted at times when fish get it among the rotala and uproot it, and when I accidentally uprooted vallis the other day.

Not gonna recommend you buy these cheap Chinese root tabs @AilyNC if they might be what's doing this!

 

[itiwhetu]

Ideally and none of us do it. The tube and cap should be cleaned with distilled water and dried between each test. I encourage people if they get an unusual result always retest.