Gravel Change Nitrite Spike

[RossC]

Just a word of warning for anyone considering a gravel change, I changed mine yesterday and whilst my ammonia is still reading 0ppm my nitrites are high at 5ppm Could it be that a lot of the nitrite processing bacteria lived in the old gravel rather than the filter? But more importantly how do I go about treating this? Daily water changes I'm guessing?
Thanks guys

 

[fluffycabbage]

Just a word of warning for anyone considering a gravel change, I changed mine yesterday and whilst my ammonia is still reading 0ppm my nitrites are high at 5ppm Could it be that a lot of the nitrite processing bacteria lived in the old gravel rather than the filter? But more importantly how do I go about treating this? Daily water changes I'm guessing?
Thanks guys

Interesting. I wonder if regularly disturbing the gravel would prevent that happening? Thats what i do with mine, and the sand in the tank; just run my fingers around a bit to release any nasties trapped when i do water changes

 

[RossC]

Ok so the water is getting pretty cloudy, I originally thought it was from the rocks I put in but after a 60% water change the cloudiness looks the same which leads me to believe its a bacterial bloom. Gonna put an air stone in and do 15% daily changes hopefully this will control the situation until it sorts itself out. Does this sound suitable?

 

[Staxx]

i have gravel and normally i stir it up a bit when i do a syphon just to try and limit the ammount of dirt which gets trapped.

 

[RossC]

I think I might have confused people in this thread LOL, I completely swapped out my old sharp gravel for some small grain black gravel. Taking everything out the tank and keeping in a box, scooped out all the old gravel, cleaned the floor of the tank with a cloth and tank water, washed new gravel, put it in, replanted and aquascaped. So basically I believe a lot of the bacteria that processes nitrite to nitrate was surviving in my old gravel and so I've lost a lot of it. Hope this is clearer.
My normal routine is a 40% water change a week week with a full gravel vacuum. As well as an air powered gravel vacuum just to pick up debris between water changes.

 

[RossC]

Ok so left the airstone running all night and its really cleared up and the fish aren't gasping at the surface. Done a 10% water change, going to test in half an hour fingers crossed its getting back to normal.

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Good news nitrites have dropped a little, unfortunately ammonia has risen to 0.25, done another 10% water change. I also found out my filter was clogged up so gave the intake a good clean and its running as it should now.