New Tank - High Nitrite Levels

[Brads1]

Hi all, newbie to fish keeping here!!

I have a 80 Litre tank, which has been set up for roughly 4 weeks, got 2 mollys & 4 guppies in it!!
This last few days the Nitrite level has risen to 1.0 mg/l ??? (that make sense) so its very high!! the water is very clear and the fish seem happy, im only feeding them every other day!

I am doing regular 30-50% water changes, daily or every other day!!

Just wondering, am i doing right?? will the levels eventually decrease??

also, when should i clean my filter out?? at the end of the fish in cycle?? i havent cleaned it yet!! should i only clean it after the levels have dropped (ie the cycle has finished?)

thanks in advance

 

[blue acara]

Your tank is still cycling. Keep up the water changes and cut down what your feeding. I would feed them basically nothing(feed very very small amounts once every 3 days max) until your nitrite is 0. Don't clean the filter until your nitrite is at 0.

 

[Harlequins]

Do a water change asap,the fish will not be happy for 1.0 nitrite,this can poison them.

You are still cycling,so whenever the ammonia &/or nitrite rises above 0.25ppm then perform a large w/c to bring it back down.

The filter will cycle eventually,this will be when your daily readings for ammonia & nitrite is zero and remains this without the need of daily w/c's.

 

[Brads1]

Hi again,

Just an update, I did a 40% water change last night and just tested the nitrite levels again and it has dropped from 1 to between 0.1/0.2, which is proberly due to my water change!! would you recommend another water change or see what happens until tomorrow night?? is there a chance my filter could bring it down now?

Thanks again