Nitrite Spike From Re-scape

[ColR1948]

Something I never knew, doing a rescape can cause a Nitrite spike, I did a mini water change as well doing the rescape, but apparently disturbing the substrate can cause this.
After I did the rescape I was pleased then a little later noticed the all the fish at the surface, luckily I looked it up and realised what I had done.
I did another water change and added Prime, I read I could double the dose on such cases, any way the fish are midstream again now and hope fully it will rectify soon.

 

[ColR1948]

After the large water change and adding Prime the Nitrite read zero, this was 2 days ago, noticed again this morning the fish were at the top again, tested the water and sure enough I had another spike, reading of 0.3
So did a 50% water change and added Prime again, I thought after the first one and it seemed to go I thought the Prime and the water change did the trick so it seems not, I'll check it again later this evening.

 

[bmonki]

prime only detoxifies nitrites for 24 hours. you really need to do a much larger water change first, then if you get another reading and cant do another change then use prime.

 

[ColR1948]

Thanks, didn't think I would get this from disturbing the substrate, well that's something else I've learned.
So tomorrow I'll probably have to do another water change will I?

 

[coolie]

I have heard that about disturbing the substrate, and my question lingering in my mind is, does gravel cleaning with a plastic gravel cleaner \ syphon attachment
also cause a spike, or is the spike confined to the water sucked up the syphon and out?

 

[CezzaXV]

It's likely that the spike was caused by fish waste which had sunk into the substrate (especially if you've got gravel) which has now gone into the water and caused your spike.

If you always clean your substrate when you do a water change, it should stop it building up to such bad levels.

Just keep doing water changes and you should be fine.

 

[ColR1948]

I do use a gravel cleaner and I try not to overfeed as well, any way I had 2 fish die this morning so I decided to take the remaining fish out and transfer them to one of my other tanks.

I cleaned everything out of the (spiked) tank and plan to set it up again soon.

This brings me to another question, do fish actually need a substrate, I'm thinking of adding somthing else instead that can easily be vacumed without anything sinking in?

I'm not sure yet what to put there instead this is just a thought, I don't want just the bare glass bottom though.

 

[Aquascaper]

Play sand doesn't allow detritus to sink into it and can be easily vacuumed up.