nitrite reading 0.5ppm :(

[houndour]

My tank is nearly 4 months old now. I'm not brilliant at doing regular testing (maybe do them every 3 weeks)...but tonight I did one and my nitrite reading is 0.5ppm.

other stats:
nitrates 5ppm (this is too low...cos I have a planted tank I need it at about 20)
ammonia 0
pH: 7.2
kH: 5.5

I lost a fish a few weeks ago (female gourami, died of suspected infected injury). I was testing the water on a daily/or every 2 days basis cos someone said that the treatment I was using might cause a mini cycle. This was at least 2 weeks ago now, so I don't think that could be the cause of the nitrites.

Anyone know any other reason?

I feed my fish every other day. And I did my last water change on Sunday (about 30%).

Sam

 

[WILDER]

Need to no how many gallons the tank is, which fish you keep and how many of each, what med did you use, do a water change as it wants fetching down to 0 nitrites, you have an excellent nitrate reading so don't why you want to get it up, low readings are better.

 

[houndour]

sorry details are in sig, but I keep forgetting people have them turned off.

19UK gallons, 22 US gallons.
4 Cory Metae, 3 Botia Striata, 3 guppies, 1 dwarf gourami and 3 amano shrimp

I treated with Melafix orginally. and then a anti-bacterial med. just going ot look back on when I did this...

ok it was the 21st of June I think that I treated with melafix. Then on the 24th I did a water change and started the course of anti bacterial meds. Gourami died on 8th July.

So it's been 18 days since the meds...I did a water change after she died. And I kept an eye on the ammonia and nitrites for a few more days after that.

And yes, I do need to up my nitrates. They're a bit low for a planted tank.

 

[houndour]

oh forgot to mention...one of my guppies has what I think is air gas bubble disease (or whatever it's called). I noticed it on the 22nd and did tests then...nitrites and ammonia were 0 and nitrate was around 10 ish. With regards to this I didn't know what to do. Everything I've read says you can't reverse it...the only thing I've done is stopped, opened, closed and restarted filter...guppy hasn't got worse and is still eating a swimming well.

 

[houndour]

anybody?

 

[@ombomb]

Anti bacterial meds kill bacteria, you probably wiped out a good amount of the beneficial bacteria in your filter and started a mini cycle.

 

[Dubby]

the only thing I've done is stopped, opened, closed and restarted filter...

I can see 2 possibilities:

- the medication killed off the bacteria
- How long was the filter stopped? This may have caused the bacteria to die...

 

[houndour]

the filter was stopped for like a minute. Less than when I clean it! (when I say clean...I mean swishing the sponges in tank water).

I spose it's more likely to be the meds, but I just thought it would happen sooner. Will test nitrites again everyday to keep an eye.

Thanks

 

[@ombomb]

I know what you mean, but if you haven't been testing regularly you may have missed the Amonia spike and be on the very end of the Nitrite spile now. I really can't see how stopping the filter for a minute or do could do any harm to the bacteria.