Nitrite Spike!

[severina]

I thought my tank was completely cycled...I had rosy reds in there for 2 weeks, and then I added a plecostomus, and a week later I added 3 albino corydoras....I just now bought a test kit today because I thought I might of had an ammonia problem in my other tank...and when I tested this one the nitrite level was 10ppm. I flipped! My fish aren't showing any signs of stress and are just going about their business like everything is normal..I thought nitrites at this level were lethal.
So basically my question is...how much water should I change? I can take the fish out and put them in another tank....but wouldn't that cause the other tank to spike? UGH...so confused/angry/worried. I'm gonna change about 20% and put the fish in random fish bowls/vases I have around the house, until someone tells me what to do.

 

[timmystood]

I would just do a 50% water change today and leave the fish in the tank.
Then do 20-30% water changes everyday until the nitrite levels are back under control.

 

[shiftingsands]

I thought my tank was completely cycled...I had rosy reds in there for 2 weeks, and then I added a plecostomus, and a week later I added 3 albino corydoras....I just now bought a test kit today because I thought I might of had an ammonia problem in my other tank...and when I tested this one the nitrite level was 10ppm. I flipped! My fish aren't showing any signs of stress and are just going about their business like everything is normal..I thought nitrites at this level were lethal.
So basically my question is...how much water should I change? I can take the fish out and put them in another tank....but wouldn't that cause the other tank to spike? UGH...so confused/angry/worried. I'm gonna change about 20% and put the fish in random fish bowls/vases I have around the house, until someone tells me what to do.

Hi, You may wish to wait for someone more experienced to answer but if this was my tank I would do a 50% change and test the water again, and every day you have nitrite readings do a 25% change. Have a good hoover of the bottom if it needs it. When I got two quite small clown plecs, they seemed to make a lot of waste for their size.
You can consider using Prime which will lock up all toxins. I used this once togther with Seachem's Stability when I had some fish arrive through the post and the tank wasn't fuly cycled and had readings for ammonia and nitrite.
It worked fine and the tank continued to cycle as it would have done. After doing 25% daily water changes and then adding the Prime straight afterwards (its effects only last 24 hours) the tank was back to normal after about 10 days. I then put a charcoal pad in the filter to get rid of any residue from the Prime and the tank has been fine since.
I really didn't want to use the Prime as we all know that its not ideal - but it saved my fish which was the most important thing. After being stressed like this, the LFS warned me to look out for ich developing over the following couple of weeks, but they were fine. If you have a spare filter you could add that to the tank to incrase filtraton - rob some of the media from your existing filter to put in it.
Good luck.

LOL, we were composing at the same time, glad I didn't give bad advice!!!

 

[severina]

Thanks, guys! I took out just the corydoras so far...I'm gonna leave them in the other tank til things settle down...they are fast little things. Would it be horrible if I took the rest of them out and just let nature take its course and let the nitrite eatting bacteria build up in the tank? Nevermind...I'll just do the water change. I don't think my betta would be too happy about a bunch of Rosy Reds fluttering about in his tank. 50% it is!
I would add another filter if I had one..all I've got though is the one on my 5 gallon which isn't very powerful...and I think those fish kinda need it

ETA: Now I broke the heater.