Nitrite Problem

[busterbrit]

I had fishless cycled my tank for 2 months and I thought it was ready. I must have done something wrong. I have had my fish for 10 days and I checked my levels. Ammonia is at 0 but Nitrites are at 1. I'm at work and won't be home for 8 hours. Should I try and get home to do a water change or will they be find for a day at these levels?

Also how long will it take to until the bacteria is consuming the nitrites?

I did a 33% water change 3 days ago.

60L Biorb (modifid: took out the carbon/zeolite and replaced with those bio balls that collect bacteria).

Thanks!

 

[erk628]

What fishless cycle method did you use. You need to start doing 50% water changes everyday until its back to 0. What fish do you have in there. Waiting tell tonight when you get home from work should be ok. 1ppm is high but its not terribly high I would say it shouldn't take long to get rid of maybe a week.

 

[busterbrit]

What fishless cycle method did you use. You need to start doing 50% water changes everyday until its back to 0. What fish do you have in there. Waiting tell tonight when you get home from work should be ok. 1ppm is high but its not terribly high I would say it shouldn't take long to get rid of maybe a week.

Thanks.

I used the one on this site where you add the ammonia to get it to 4ppm.

Fish: dwarf guoromi, 3 guppies (male), 2 dwarf platies, silver molly (fully grown, given to me). They are all getting along great, although the guppies nip at each other a little, but they also swim around together.

I was going to get some cherry shrimp this week but I will wait until this problem goes away.

I'm might be able to go home for lunch and do the water change.

 

[erk628]

If your able to go home and lunch and do it check the water stats again tonight before you go to bed if there's still nitrites present I would do another 50% change

 

[mattlee]

What fishless cycle method did you use. You need to start doing 50% water changes everyday until its back to 0. What fish do you have in there. Waiting tell tonight when you get home from work should be ok. 1ppm is high but its not terribly high I would say it shouldn't take long to get rid of maybe a week.

Thanks.

I used the one on this site where you add the ammonia to get it to 4ppm.

Fish: dwarf guoromi, 3 guppies (male), 2 dwarf platies, silver molly (fully grown, given to me). They are all getting along great, although the guppies nip at each other a little, but they also swim around together.

I was going to get some cherry shrimp this week but I will wait until this problem goes away.

I'm might be able to go home for lunch and do the water change.

sounds fully stocked already, i would say the gourami and molly need more space than a 60l biorb too.......!

 

[busterbrit]

Erk628- I went home during lunch and did a 50% water change. I also did a Nitrite test and it only went down to .5. Should I do another 50% water change tonight or wait until tomorrow night? Also what are your thoughts to the the question I asked to Mattlee about the Molly?


Mattlee- The guarami I was told would be fine. It's a dwarf. The Molly does seem a little big. It was given to me from my brothers tank because he is switching over to a cichlid tank. Should I tell him it is to big for my tank? Could it be throwing me over the edge for bacteria?

Thanks for the help.

 

[waterdrop]

With nitrite(NO2) at 1.0ppm you may need more of a 70% kick to get it down below 0.25 as nitrite is sometimes a bit more stubborn than ammonia, but if you've already done your water change, let it mix and retest of course to see what you've achieved.

Also agree that mattlee has a point.. its possible you are seeing the first effects of being slightly overstocked.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[drobbyb]

Also agree that mattlee has a point.. its possible you are seeing the first effects of being slightly overstocked.

~~waterdrop~~

That's my thought as well. Keep doing waterchanges. Kick them up to 75%, and test in the morning, when you come home from work, and before you go to bed, performing waterchanges when needed.

 

[busterbrit]

Thanks for the help.

I had to keep doing the water changes every 3 days because the Nitrites would slowly rise to 1.

I finally gave the Molly back to my brother and 2 days later Nitrites are still at 0. Looks like I was just overstocked.

I wanted to add 5 cherry shrimp once I know the tank is stable. Do these shrimp add mutch to the ammonia output?

 

[mattlee]

Thanks for the help.

I had to keep doing the water changes every 3 days because the Nitrites would slowly rise to 1.

I finally gave the Molly back to my brother and 2 days later Nitrites are still at 0. Looks like I was just overstocked.

I wanted to add 5 cherry shrimp once I know the tank is stable. Do these shrimp add mutch to the ammonia output?

no not a massive amount but they do poo and do contribute towards the bioload.

i still think the gourami needs to be rehomed, they are very active and need more space than a biorb....

also what are dwarf platys...?

 

[Thecloud]

how big is the 60l orb? whats the radius/height? how much is tankn up by gravel deco n pipes?
do the current fish seem haapy and active?