Nitrite levels through the roof!

Help! I've had my aquarium for over a month now stocked with fish after the LFS assured me my water tests were fine. Don't know if I'm just now going through the nitrogen cycle or what but my nitrite levels are 5.0ppm on my ApI master kit and my nitrates are 20ppm. Already did a 30% water change this afternoon and I'm still reading 5.0. Should I do another one now or wait until tomorrow? I've already lost 3 green tiger barbs to this. Oh I also have an ich problem so my temps now held steady at 86F. I have 2 air stone on either side of the tank running to help with oxygen levels. Anything else I can do to help speed this along? Am I really just now going through this cycle? Thanks for any input

 

EToward the end of my 10G cycling, my nitrites were very high. I recommend frequent (if not daily) water changes to get the nitrites to a less toxic level. I think after about 1 days my tank was finally cycled. Be sure to treat the water before adding to tank. Seachem Prime is what was recommended to me and I use with each PWC. Good luck!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using the Fishlore App
Edit: After 10 days...not 1

 

You are in quite the bind... fish really should never die of ich if you find it early enough keeping the temp at 86 was a good move keeping it there for 2 weeks will eliminate the ich... 5.0 ppm nitrite is not good at all and your fish will likely not last the night with elevated nitrite and dealing with ich AND the elevated temperature. definitely do a massive water change till you have 0 nitrites. then check on it tomorrow... Did you add medication to your tank.. or do anything else that might mess up your bio filter?

 

Yeah mines a 30 gallon, I forgot to mention. I do treat the water, but I use a python system which I HIGHLY recommend to anyone. I treat the water while it's going into the tank. Have done that for quite some time and I can assure u that it hasn't effected my fish at all. The ich and nitrite I can't say the same about.




Nope no medicine. I did before but. Have since given up on that and I'm more inclined to go the natural route. So you said to keep temp at 86, keep doing water changes until I see lower nitrite at 0? It's a planted aquarium btw.

 

yikes... when did you stop using the medication and what kind was it? some medications will absolutely wreck your biofilter and definitely get your nitrites down to 0 (nitrites are as bad for plants as they are for fish)

 

It was called nox-ich. Contained sodium chloride and malachite green.

That didn't work after 3-3day treatments so I tried tetra Ick guard. That contained Victoria green and acriflavine.

Then I thought it may be gill flukes cuz fish kept dying so I tried ApI general cure. That contained metronidazole and praziquantel.

The nox-ich hasn't been used in over 2.5 weeks. While using that I had a different filter than what is in now which I cut the carbon out of. I threw that one away thinking the ich had somehow infested the filter and that was why It hadn't gone away (I now know otherwise). I then did 2 doses of the Ick guard with the current 2 filters thatre in. Both have carbon inside. Only did 2 treatments of that one which ended about 1.5 weeks ago. I then did 2 treatments of the general cure which ended 3 days ago.

I know I made some rookie mistakes especially along the lines of going overboard on medicating the ich. Hopefully I can get through this and have a healthy aquarium soon. I love this hobby so far and want it to be a lifelong adventure (I'm only 21 years old).

On a side note, about a week ago I put in some marineland aquarium bacteria. After a few days I took a look at the filters and my filter wheel and both quickly became covered in brown slimy bacteria. Maybe that's what spiked the nitrite? The filters are both covered in it (yes my filter media is designed to hold 1 or 2 filters. I opted for 2 be cuz I have a friend who may want to use the other one to jump start an aquarium cycling of her own.

Thanks again




Also, when doing these water changes can I also take advantage of the opportunity and go ahead and clean the gravel? Or will this cause too much good bacteria loss as well as not clean the water as much as just sucking it from the middle of the tank? Ps I did a gravel cleaning yesterday and plan on doing them twice a week as I treat the tank for ich.

 

yep figured your cycle has been almost wiped out >. Keep doing massive water changes till your tank stabilizes again. never heard of this marineland bacteria stuff(most on here use tetra safestart (I use apI quickstart)). Lastly don't give your friend that filterpad till you are COMPLETELY done with ich... after your 2 weeks at 86 wait a month to call it gone.. keep us posted

 

Okay so it's safe to assume my tank never got to fully cycle due to medicating ich/removing filter? I have 5 TBS, 3 tetras, and 6 JuliI corys in there. Already lost 3 tbs. All 3 had ich though and one other shows signs. Why is my nitrite not lowering!!!!!! Did second water change about 50% change and still at or over 5.0ppm see picture attached...







Also here's the marineland aquarium bacteria


I still have more, will it help to add more or no?

 

I can't even find that brand online so I really can't vouch for it. if you used the directed amount don't add anymore. keep doing water changes :|

 

One after another? Don't want to kill my fish with all this new water...?

 

they'll enjoy it, and won't die unless you empty the tank.
EDIT: you can always wait till someone else chimes in and possibly gives you another alternative.

 

Coreyg, please use the edit feature to add to your previous posts so not to clutter your thread. Before you do massive water changes, please test your water source for PH, ammo, nitrite and nitrate so you know what you are adding to your tank. Changing the tanks PH with water changes can further stress your fish.

The nox ich treatment you used is basically salt with malachite green. I'm assuming the malachite green affected your bio filter. I believe many of your issues are stemming from water quality, but you need to be careful to consider all factors before correcting with large water changes. What type of dechlorinator do you use ?

 

You need to vacuum your gravel real well. If you have not done so before, turn over a third of your gravel at a time, it may have established anaerobic bacteria/gases there, which can kill fish. After that make sure you swish around your gravel every water change.

Don't worry about loosing BB on your gravel, there is very little of it there. Most of your BB is in your filter.

If I understand your situation correctly, you need to start your cycle a new. Do you know what is your pH?

 

I use ApI stress coat +. Sorry I'm new to the thread and just now learning the features. Thank you for the heads up on testing my water source.

Results from water source:
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0.5ppm ???????
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5.0ppm

Any clue as to why my tap water is alkaline, had ammonia and nitrate in it?

**The ph is at 7.2 currently in my tank**

 

Corey, some water companies use ammonia or chloramine which is chlorine and ammonia to disinfect water so it is potable. This is common in many areas. I suggest you start using Prime as your water conditioner and proceed with water changes. Prime will bind to the ammonia and maintain it in an inert state until your bio filter can take care of it slowly. Nitrates are common as well and are due to dissolved organics in your water.

 

Thank you for the clarification. Just to be certain, from now on you recommend seachem prime as my water conditioner rather than ApI stress coat.

Your suggestions sparked my interest in doing some research and it seems that seachem products get great reviews all across the board. I may move over to being 100% using seachem products for my water.

 

I personally haven't used prime(I have plenty of conditioner and haven't had ammonia nitrite issues) but I hear wonderful things about it. I don't think API stress coat is a bad product(I have used it before and its always treated me well) but I think prime gives you a bit more benefit.