Cycling Disaster! Help!

[ziggyboy]

Recently I have posted that my nitrites were dropping. WRONG! What I thought was blue in my API nitrite kit was actually light GREEN and now has turned to brighter green! After doing a bit of online research I found someone who contacted API if they had a fouled test kit for getting green. API replied that green comes up when there are MASSIVE amounts of nitrites...like 20+ppm...something that is very very unusual.

5 ppm of ammonia is still dropping to 0 every 12 hours so that's ok. But what the heck happened with my nitrites? What's inhibiting nitrobacter/nitrospira from multiplying? I have done a 95% water change and there's now something like 5 ppm of nitrites but is still climbing!!!

Any ideas what's causing this to happen?

Edit: Btw, I'm running a planted tank and injecting it with CO2. PH is around 6.6-6.8.

 

[rdd1952]

How long has your tank be cycling? It isn't unusual for the nitrites to get very high. After all, you are technically adding 5 to 10 ppm of nitrite a day when you add 5 ppm of ammonia once or twice a day so it takes a while for the nitrite processing bacteria to develop to the point it can handle it. That's why the nitrite generally goes from off the chart high to 0 overnight.

 

[ziggyboy]

I've been cycling for 4 weeks now, but it was disturbed sometime in week 2 when I replaced 50% of my gravel with 'river sand'. I've also had a lot of dramas with my plant setup:

* Started off with DIY for 2 weeks then moved to pressurized
* Plant behavior was erratic because of so many changes to the gravel, CO2, etc.
* A few plants were dying for a while...some recovered so I don't know if this added to my ammonia load

My ammonia bottle does not indicate the ingredients but I've read comments from other Australian fishkeepers to beware of ammonia bottles. Some of them claim to be pure but contain chelating agents or surfactants. In case mine has some, would this definitely be the reason for my nitrites not dropping?

 

[cookie_db]

Don't panic just yet. I've been cycling my tank for 8 weeks and my nitrites did exactly what yours have done. I also thought they had dropped until i found out about the green colour. Mine have now dropped to 2 but have sat there for a while, just keep at it.

Dani

 

[ziggyboy]

Don't panic just yet. I've been cycling my tank for 8 weeks and my nitrites did exactly what yours have done. I also thought they had dropped until i found out about the green colour. Mine have now dropped to 2 but have sat there for a while, just keep at it.

Dani

Did you do any water changes at all? And what type of ammonia are you using?

Oh and I think it might have been your post that I saw...yours and someone else's in a seahorse forum.

 

[cookie_db]

This is the only forum I'm on for fishes. I have only done water changes when my pH has crashed and stalled the cycle, about 4 times if I remember correctly. I'm using Jeyes 'Kleen off' ammonia but I'm in the UK so don't know if you can get it where you are. i'm thinking of using some Tetra safestart to boost my bacteria levels and help speed things up a bit. This is the thread I've started about it and what people have said http/www.fishforums.net/Tetra-Safestart-t199305.html

Hope this helps you in some way

Dani

 

[rsands]

If you can answer the below to we see what is happening

How often do you do water changes?
whats your ammonia, nitrite, nitratem,ph readings on average before a water change?
what temperature is the water?
what filter are you using?
no fish in the tank i take it?
Any surface agitation being supplied?
any plants in the tank?

 

[mp7125]

Recently I have posted that my nitrites were dropping. WRONG! What I thought was blue in my API nitrite kit was actually light GREEN and now has turned to brighter green! After doing a bit of online research I found someone who contacted API if they had a fouled test kit for getting green. API replied that green comes up when there are MASSIVE amounts of nitrites...like 20+ppm...something that is very very unusual.

5 ppm of ammonia is still dropping to 0 every 12 hours so that's ok. But what the heck happened with my nitrites? What's inhibiting nitrobacter/nitrospira from multiplying? I have done a 95% water change and there's now something like 5 ppm of nitrites but is still climbing!!!

Any ideas what's causing this to happen?

Edit: Btw, I'm running a planted tank and injecting it with CO2. PH is around 6.6-6.8.

That's very useful information. My nitrite test (API kit) was showing a light green which I interpreted as no nitrites. In didn't matter in the end as my cycle stalled at the weekend which I had to kick start with a 75% water change which has raised the PH level over 7 again. The nitrite yesterday was showing about 5ppm and today it was going back to green. I'm just waiting now for that day when it will turn blue = 0 and then i can rejoice.

 

[ziggyboy]

I've done a major water change since as I have said and tried to feed the tank only 1 ppm of ammonia. Last Friday I also seeded my filter with filter media from my friend's established tank. This morning my nitrite went down from 2 ppm last Friday to 0.25. The problem was lack of oxygen. My tank is heavily planted and being injected by CO2 so my surface agitation is minimum. After increasing this significantly my nitrite levels are finally dropping.

Increasing surface agitation might cause my CO2 levels to drop...causing me to post this thread in the planted tank forum:

http/www.fishforums.net/Planted-Tank-Wit...mp-t200013.html