High Nitrite

[Miss.Ward]

Hey guys just a quick quiestion.
I have a 5 ft tank that has been cycled

Nitrate; 5
nitrite; 3
Amonia; 0
Ph; 7.1
Temp 28oC

6 Zebra guppies
1 rainbow shark
2 small angels
3 kuhli loaches

How do i get my nitrite down? My fish are all healthy and happy! just dont like my nitrite levels so high

 

[dh058977]

Im afraid if your nitrite really is that high then your fish are going to be neither happy or healthy. Nitrite is harmful at much lower levels than Ammonia, you need to being doing a large water change asap.

 

[Miss.Ward]

OK thankyou heaps. what causes high nitrite?

 

[TropicalJuwel]

Nitrite is next on the line from ammonia, ammonia is turned into nitrite and then nitrite is turned into the less harmful nitrate which then if you have live plants, they use nitrate as one of there sources of food. I think high nitrite levels would suggests that the tank hadn't fully cycled but there maybe other reasons I dont know.

As said above nitrite is harmful more so than nitrate unless you have very high readings of nitrate which you dont so large water changes and keep testing your water. You may notice as your readings of nitrite go to zero your nitrate slightly rises, dont worry that is normal.

 

[soybean]

Your tank isn't fully cycled yet, that's why you're getting nitrites.

If you added fish before the filter was matured enough it will now be playing catch up as it tries to cope with their bio load.

In order to reduce your nitrite, you will have to do lots of water changes, every day if need be. Nitrite is extremely toxic to fish so they won't be as 'happy and healthy' as you think.