High Nitrites..please Help!

[mayurkirti]

I have a 10 gallon tank, external filter, heater setup at 20C/82F, 6 fake plants, one large rock, and gravel.

1. 1st week: Setup new tank and left everything running for one week (did not add any ammonia). Ph: 7.8ppm.
2. After 1 week: Added 4 guppies to start the fish-in cycling. 2 guppies died after one week. Ammonia 0ppm. Ph: 7.8ppm. No other tests
3. After 4 weeks: Tested nitrite higher than 5ppm in water. Started large water changes. 60% water changed every second day. Ammonia 0ppm. Nitirite > 5ppm. Ph: 7.8ppm.
4. After 5 weeks: Nitrite is still off the chart. Did a 90% water change. 1 guppy died immediately after the water change. Ammonia 0ppm. Ph: 7.8ppm.
5. After 6 weeks: Nitrite is still off the chart. There is only one guppy in the tank. Did a 90% water change last night and replaced the filter media with another media that was sitting next to it for last 3 days. Tested water for nitrite this morning, which is still above 5ppm. Ammonia 0ppm. Ph: 7.8ppm.

I dont understand where I am getting so much nitrites from? I have learned that fish-in cycling was a mistake, but I dont know how to fix the problem now. I only have one guppy in the tank and I dont really want to start over again. Can someone help me understand what is going on in my tank?

 

[gaz gun man]

unfortunately, I am afraid, you havent even started really. One guppy is not enough to create a healthy population for when you stock it.

The new filter media you put in after 6 weeks, where did it come from? by replacing it, you've lost what little bacteria you did have.

Have you thought about fishless cycling? It would be the easiest and kindest way foward. You'd have to rehome that single guppy to start with.

This thread will tell you how to fishless cycle;
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

I know it sounds like alot of work, but once you're underway its a smooth and easy process to run through.

 

[mayurkirti]

unfortunately, I am afraid, you havent even started really. One guppy is not enough to create a healthy population for when you stock it.

The new filter media you put in after 6 weeks, where did it come from? by replacing it, you've lost what little bacteria you did have.

Have you thought about fishless cycling? It would be the easiest and kindest way foward. You'd have to rehome that single guppy to start with.

This thread will tell you how to fishless cycle;
<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861</a>

I know it sounds like alot of work, but once you're underway its a smooth and easy process to run through.

Thanks for replying.

The ammonia was high few days after I added the 4 guppies, which gradually dropped to 0. I am guessing nitrosomonas bacteria has colonized in that sense, which also explains the presence of nitrite.
I have some room in the filter chassis, where I left a new media for 3 days before replacing the old one.

 

[Rediahs]

Ummm you said 20 C/ 82 F?

Those are very different temperatures unfortunately... 20 C is 68 F and 82 F is 28 C.... which do you mean?

 

[arobinson1984]

I'm guessing the op meant to put 29c but hit the '0' key instead of the '9' key

Andy

 

[Rediahs]

Ohhh that would make sense.

 

[mayurkirti]

sorry, I meant 28C.

 

[mayurkirti]

**Bump**

comments?

 

[waterdrop]

What are you using to test with? Have you got a good liquid-reagent based test kit?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mayurkirti]

What are you using to test with? Have you got a good liquid-reagent based test kit?

~~waterdrop~~

I have API liquid drops to test nitrite. The scale is between 0 to 5.
For ammonia, I have "Red Sea" brand liquid drops.

 

[waterdrop]

Are you performing the nitrite test correctly? Very odd to have such a high nitrite level persisting past things like 90% water changes. You can perform another large water change as soon as an hour after a previous one and you may want to try doing 2 or 3 in a row which should make it impossible for a correct test not to see zero or close to that I'd think.

If the level really has been 5.0 then its also odd that the last guppy has survived this long.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mayurkirti]

Are you performing the nitrite test correctly? Very odd to have such a high nitrite level persisting past things like 90% water changes. You can perform another large water change as soon as an hour after a previous one and you may want to try doing 2 or 3 in a row which should make it impossible for a correct test not to see zero or close to that I'd think.

If the level really has been 5.0 then its also odd that the last guppy has survived this long.

~~waterdrop~~

I re-read the instructions to make sure I am doing the test right.

I made a mistake in the first post. The nitrite level after 90% water change was 1ppm. It was more than 5ppm the next morning.
I did another 90% water change 2 days ago with similar result.

 

[waterdrop]

I wonder if ammonia is high too and the red sea test is just not getting it?

Its still very odd that nitrite is coming back that fast to that level in a 10g with one guppie. Almost makes one wonder if there's some strange other source of ammonia, like the fake plants or something else...

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mayurkirti]

The fake plants seem less of the possibility. I am not sure the kind of rock I have in my tank is. I just picked it from the store. I dont even know what section it was in. It looks like a what you usually have in a coral tank. Something like this:

http/www.gurucollege.net/pix/thumbnails/..._coral_rock.jpg

Can it be the culprit somehow? I just did another 90% water change after my last post. I am going to reach in and pull out the rock just in case.

Thanks.

 

[mayurkirti]

Nitrite is between .25-0.50ppm immediately after 90% water change. Removed the rock from tank. I am reading online that a coral rock can change raise PH and change water chemistry. If the rock I have is actually a coral rock, I dont want it in my tank.