Adding peat

[glolite]

Hi guys. My 30g has a trio of apistos in and I've recently added some peat to a tank filter as per instructions and my nitrites spiked but only to 2.0 I had done a water change of 25% and lightly rinsed the floss but not changed any filter material other than add peat. Any obvious reasons for this? The nitrites have come back to nil with daily 10% water changes.

 

[Fish_Mike]

I'm guessing that you replaced the Peat with some filter media you were already using?

Anyways, i'm just asking because if you did, it would make sense that the bacterial colony in your initial media were taken away and there wasn't enough bacteria to fight off the nitrites, but it's regrown now. That's what i'd think.

 

[glolite]

I think I put that question wrong. The existing media was rinsed in old tank water and replaced and new peat material added. I didn't remove any of the old media.

 

[modernhamlet]

Peat really shouldn't impact nitrites. How long has the tank been setup?

 

[glolite]

Peat really shouldn't impact nitrites.

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That's what I thought. The tank's been set up for 3 months now. Usual weekly stats are: amm nil; nitrites nil; nitrates 20. Weekly water changes of 25% and it's not overstocked. Don't know what's going on