High Nitrites For Several Days Even After Water Changes.

[apocd21]

Over the last 5 days my nitrites have remained over 5ppm Each day I have done water changes of 25-40% and tested afterwards the nitrites still reads over the 5ppm. That is the max on the API test master kit. I didn't have any fish deaths til yesterdsay when a dwarf neon rainbow fish died. Preacox. Another one doesn't look happy currently. My tank is 30 gallons I had cycled with 0 nitites and 0 ammonia but I guess I added to many fish to quickly and the ammonia remains at 0 but the Nitrites will not lower. What are my options to save my fish?
0 amonia
5ppm nitrite
10 nitrates
temp is 80
PH is 7.2. My PH is 7.2 out of the tap. I use tap water conditioner.
I have been using Niteout II to hopefully get more bacteria going.

 

[the_lock_man]

Over the last 5 days my nitrites have remained over 5ppm Each day I have done water changes of 25-40% and tested afterwards the nitrites still reads over the 5ppm. That is the max on the API test master kit. I didn't have any fish deaths til yesterdsay when a dwarf neon rainbow fish died. Preacox. Another one doesn't look happy currently. My tank is 30 gallons I had cycled with 0 nitites and 0 ammonia but I guess I added to many fish to quickly and the ammonia remains at 0 but the Nitrites will not lower. What are my options to save my fish?
0 amonia
5ppm nitrite
10 nitrates
temp is 80
PH is 7.2. My PH is 7.2 out of the tap. I use tap water conditioner.
I have been using Niteout II to hopefully get more bacteria going.

The usual reason this happens is that the nitrite level is so far off the scale, that the water change doesn't bring it back into the readable range. If you had a level of, say, 10ppm, then changing 40% will leave you with 6ppm, so still off the scale.

I think you need to be doing massive water changes, barely leaving enough for the fish to swim upright in.

How did you cycle the filter, and how long ago was that?

 

[CezzaXV]

What the lock man said. It's likely to be still off the scale even with a massive water change. You need to be doing massive water changes, leaving just enough for the fish to swim upright, then test again. If it's still off the scale, do another massive water change, and keep doing so until the nitrite is as close to 0 as it can be.

 

[apocd21]

I got the tank in the first week of december. I cycled it starting with ammonia and Niteout II then when I found some nitrites I added more of the niteout as it directs. once i got my nitirites 0 and had some nitrates I added 2 Dwarf gourami and no more ammonia. This was say dec 15. They lived alone with some plants for about a week. Then I got 4 corys and then they lived together for about a week. They are still alive and seem to be fine. no spikes during that time was testing about every 3 days. Then on Jan 2 I added 8 2 inch dwarf neon rainbow fish and my nitrites have been through the room since basically the 3rd day. I am down to 4 rainbows . No other deaths.

If I syphon out all the water wont i Take all my bacteria with it?
Where does the bacteria live? I think mostly in the gravel and filter right? Do i Just not really vaccum the gravel and just suck out the water?

 

[CezzaXV]

Ah, this is your problem. Just having 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite does not mean you're cycled. It has to be able to process ammonia and the resulting nitrite to 0 in 12 hours or less. It got down to 0 before, but now you've added fish they're producing ammonia (and so nitrite) faster than the bacteria can handle it.

Your bacteria live almost exclusively in the filter. There might be a small amount, maybe 1% if that in the gravel and on ornaments, certainly not enough to be worried about. I'd recommend you vaccuum the gravel as there is likely fish poop in there which will be creating ammonia in your tank.