Nitrite Levels Rising!

[Greenneonlove]

I've had my aquarium for two months now and about two weeks ago my nitrite levels began to rise. Currently it's at 2ppm. Unfortunately I did not know about cycling my tank prior to adding fish and i feel this is the reason for the problems since i have no bacteria to control the nitrites, but shouldn't i be growing the needed bacteria after 2 months now? I am doing a 30% water change daily which I started two weeks ago when i noticed the nitrites were on the rise. I even tried to eliminate any possibility of the tap water contributing to nitrite levels by only doing the water changes over the last two weeks with pure spring water (which i tested and is very soft with no impurities). I have 5 green neon tetra, 5 glolite tetra and 3 ghost shrimp to clean the bottom. I have a 10 gallon tank with an air stone which is always on, and an over-sized marineland penguin filter with a bio-wheel. Does anyone have any advise? I'm really worried about my fish and shrimp, thank you so much!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Kordon Amquel Plus is a chlorine and chloramine remover which also detoxifies Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia; and is suitable for both fresh and saltwater.

A standard dose of Amquel is 1 teaspoon (5ml) of Amquel+ for every 40litres of water. Each standard dose will remove more than 1.2ppm of Ammonia, 2ppm of nitrite and 13ppm of nitrate, as well as detoxify chlorine and chloramines added by public water suppliers. In well aerated water Amquel Plus can be safely applied to remove toxins. Always allow a 24 hour period between single dose applications.

Available in the USA nad UK.

 

[Greenneonlove]

Well, thank you so much for your help. Do you have any idea what might be going on in the tank? I guess my biggest question now is, how do I prevent these spikes? Is it just a time issue, will it resolve itself?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Cycling is not a precise thing. It is a process and the time it takes can vary from one tank to another. The nitrite eating bacteria make nitrates. If you are seeing these in your tank at levels greater than in your tap water than the odds are good that you are in declining nitrite levels.

Doing water changes during the cycle will extend the time it takes. On the other hand exposing fish to ammonia or nitrite is not a good thing. So we balance the two factors as best we can. Using the Amquel plus should not impede the cycle if I remember right. Read the label and enclosed information and directions thoroughly.

From FINS

 

[algir]

You are in a fish-in cycle. There are many resources on the forum about the topic that you can look into! Good luck!