Nitrite Nightmare! Any Help Would Be Appreciated!

[mickiedee]

Hello!
This is my first post to the forum, although I have been "lurking" for a while.

I am currently running a ten gallon (with 30 molly fry) another 10 gallon (not cycled yet) and three 20 gallons, 2 of which are cycling. I also have one 2.5 gallon with a Betta.

Here is my problem. One of my mollies just had 30 babies, so we converted our 10 gallon tank (up and running since April) into a nursery, and I removed the adult fish and placed them into my 20 gallon tank (up and running for about 6 weeks). Since then I have been having serious trouble with nitrites.

I am running two filters (Topfin 10 which was an old cycled filter and a Whisper 30 which was purchased new).

Tank size: 20 gal
pH: 7
ammonia: 0
nitrite: .25-.5ppm
nitrate: 10 ppm
alkalinity: neutral
tank temp: 79-80 degrees



I feed them dried flake food, algae thins, and treat them to freeze dried bloodworms a few times per week. They eat twice a day.

I thought maybe I had too many fish in the tank, so I moved the guppies, neons and cats to my other 20 gallon (which I thought was finished cycling) but the nitrites didn't go down. I was doing water changes daily to keep the levels in check. (Anywhere from 4-8 gallons a day). I bought a NitraZorb pouch to add to the filter, which didn't help. I just can't get rid of the nitrites. My fish don't seem to care, but I know it is very dangerous and I need to find a solution.
To even frustrate me more, the tank which I had transferred the small fish, and I thought was cycled (running for 4 weeks and processing ammonia properly) went nuts on me overnight with 0 ammonia, but nitrites and nitrates off the charts. Everything else was normal.

Tank inhabitants currently include 6 mollies, 2 guppies, 2 neons, 2 catfish and an algae eater.
I haven't been adding salt b/c I put the catfish in with the mollies, and I don't want to harm them. I will be pulling them back out when my other tanks are fully cycled.



I hope I have included all of the necessary info for someone to offer advice, and I want to thank you all in advance for your help.


Michelle

 

[WILDER]

What your tap nitrite readings.
When you added the new filter did you squeeze some mature filter sponges over the new ones which were wet before in tank water.

 

[mickiedee]

What your tap nitrite readings.
When you added the new filter did you squeeze some mature filter sponges over the new ones which were wet before in tank water.

My tap water is 0 ppm nitrites. (I thought of that too). I didn't squeeze any of the old filter sponges into the new one. I just kept the old one in there too. I started off with used gravel, decorations and the filter from my brother's tank. I added the new filter b/c the one we had was too small for the tank. I could try to squeeze some from the 10 gallon tank with the fry. I am not having any problems with that tank (as of yet).

Thanks for your help!

Michelle

 

[WILDER]

Yes do that as long as there no desease in the tank, it will help speed things up .

 

[mickiedee]

Yes do that as long as there no desease in the tank, it will help speed things up .

Thanks! Should I still do water changes every day? (I add Stress-Coat and Stress-Zyme at each one).

Michelle

 

[WILDER]

If there not gasping or in distress i would leave it for today, have you have squeezed some mature filter sponges over tjhe new ones.
Check stats tomorrow to see how its going

 

[mickiedee]

I just did. Squeezing good bacteria from my other filter won't effect my other tank, will it?
I will check the readings tomorrow and see if anything has gotten worse. If so, I will do another water change.

Thanks again!
Michelle

 

[WILDER]

What was your nitrate reading on the other tank.
As long as you didn't go mad it should be fine.

 

[mickiedee]

What was your nitrate reading on the other tank.
As long as you didn't go mad it should be fine.

My other tank is my "Nursery" which is currently at 0 nitrites, 0 ammonia and about 5 ppm nitrates.



Since you have been so helpful, I have another question. Can you over-filter a tank? For example, using a Topfin 40 filter on a 20 gallon tank, or running two filters in a tank. I know you can over-clean a tank. I did that once trying to remove snails.

 

[WILDER]

I over filter all my tanks, fine as long as it not blowing the fish around with the current.