I created a mini-cycle :(

[awolf3303]

I just made a stupid mistake and replaced my filter media with a new one, and now my nitrites are increasing. Do I just do constant water changes until the nitrifying bacteria is built back up in my filter?

 

[Colin_T]

reduce feeding to once every couple of days.

do a 75% water change any day your ammonia or nitrite is above 0ppm.
make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

If the tank has plants and gravel in, and had been established for a while before this happened, the filter should cycle a bit quicker. You can add some liquid filter bacteria supplement to help speed things along. I recommend a double dose every day for a week, then pour the remaining contents into the tank. Try to add the bacteria near the filter intake so it gets drawn into the filter where it belongs.