High Nitrites in cycled tank?

[kimbowee]

Help. I have had a 20 gal tank set up for about 3 months. Tank was fully cycled & all readings were good. Just added 2 Mollies, 3 guppies & a pleco yesterday. Just tested water & nitrites are through the roof about 5 ppm, Ammonia 0, Nitrates 20, Hardness 120, Alkalinity 120 & pH is about 7.4. I cycled the tank using Mollies but had lost 2 in the beginning. Before adding fish my Ammonia was 0, Nitities 0 & nitrates 20. What did I do & what can I do to save my fishies. I have already done a 25% water change today but readins are still the same.

TIA.

Kim

 

[kimbowee]

Oops, temp is between 78-80.

 

[WILDER]

Plecs are big waste producers, i would do some daily water changes, are the fish coping, and do you have an airstone for aeration.

 

[kimbowee]

I do have an airstone in the tank, fish seems to be doing ok. They are all active, Mollies are trying to mate. They don't seem to be gasping or hovering at the bottom. Should I try lowering the tank temp a little to help with aeration also? Thanks again!

Kim

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You added too many fish at once even though the tank was cycled, the filter didn't have enough time to adapt to having a large load of fish put in the tank- preferable you shoudl try to only add 2-3 fish a week at most with daily breaks inbetween each new fish; I would be worried about the plec not only because of the huge amount of waste they produce in general in comparison to most other fish, but also because many of them grow huge(there are thousands of types of plecs) and the most common being "sailfin plecs" which grow to 18inchs+ and "common plecs" which grow to 12inchs+, both of which growing too big for a 20gal so you may have to rehome him unless he is one the smaller varietys of plec.
My best advice to you right now is start doing those regular water changes- 5 nitrites is more than lethal enough to kill all your fish and you realy don't want it above 1 while cycling- the only way to remove it is with nitrites is via water changes and i suggest you do a 40-50% water change now, carrying on with a 30% water change each day after that until the nitrites have been lowered- the best number for nitrites like ammonia, is 0.

 

[kimbowee]

OK, I did a 50% water change. Nititrites still reading at 3, Amonnia 0 and nitrates at 20. Lfs also told me to add Melafix or Bio-spira? I do have some Melafix but do I want to use it now and chance killing off the good bacteria that I have? Anything else I can do naturally without chemicals? Also, what exactly should I be looking for to tell if they are stressing?

How often should I feed them right now?

Also, the Pleco I have is a bristlenose, I was told they get to be about 6in. I have a 55 gal that I am trying to fishless cycle right now. Would he be better off in there. Right now he is a tiny little squirt.

I really appreciate everyones help again.

Kim

 

[Tolak]

Melafix, properly dosed, won't hurt them. Bio-spira, if properly refrigerated before you got it, is one of the only bacterial agents I've heard of that are helpful in cycling a tank. Your tank is going through a mini-cycle due to adding too many fish at once.

Nitrites inhibit a fish's ability to process oxygen. Along with the daily water changes to keep the levels of nitrites low, increase aeration, either with an air stone, or dropping the water level a little if you have a hob filter. Dropping the temp a little will help also, as warmer water holds less O2.

I would leave the plec in there. Feed every other day, just a little bit, this will make the fish produce less waste, as well as keeping accumilated food from adding to the problem.

Tolak

 

[kimbowee]

I did lose one guppy the first day But otherwise everyone is looking ok. I lowered the temp to about 76 and have been doing about a 30% daily water change. Everyone is eating good. I don't see any clamping or gulping for air. Nitrites are still at about 3 before water changes but no ammonia and nitrates are still a 20.

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the help. Sorry to say I found the site too late for fishless cycle on this tank but am hoping for much better results for my new 55 gal I am trying to fishless cycle.