Nitrite Up, Any Ideas?

[STEWARDSONS]

i just tested my water and my nitrite is up to .25

the tank has been running since feb.

the ammionia is measuring as 0.

i have introduced 2 african butterfly fish and 2 firemouths in the last week but am not sure why the nitrite is up.

any ideas?

 

[@ombomb]

your bacteria levels will grow to a point where the bacteria is balanced to the bio load of the tank

if you suddenly increase the amount of waste going in to the tank there will be marginally more ammonia / nitrite in the tank than the bacteria will be able to process but in a mature tank the bacteria will quickly reproduce to meet requirements

other things to consider:

having you been feeding more than previously to cater for the additional fish?

did you add any of the water the fish were bagged in when they went in to the tank?

 

[STEWARDSONS]

your bacteria levels will grow to a point where the bacteria is balanced to the bio load of the tank

if you suddenly increase the amount of waste going in to the tank there will be marginally more ammonia / nitrite in the tank than the bacteria will be able to process but in a mature tank the bacteria will quickly reproduce to meet requirements

other things to consider:

having you been feeding more than previously to cater for the additional fish?

did you add any of the water the fish were bagged in when they went in to the tank?

i have been feeding more, also i did add the water.

i though the extra feeding would just up the ammonia.

shall i do a large water change and stop feeing for a couple of days?

 

[@ombomb]

i have been feeding more, also i did add the water.

i though the extra feeding would just up the ammonia.

i always try and avoid any shop water going in to my tank, partly for this reason (fish goes in bag, more stress, more waste) and potential infections from the shop

more ammonia = more nitrite, one will always lead to the other

good news is that there's not ammonia showing in the tank

shall i do a large water change and stop feeing for a couple of days?

i wouldn't stop feeding altogether, just be sparing and yes, a couple of good water changes would be a good idea

 

[STEWARDSONS]

just changed about 60 ltrs two hours ago and its now testing as 0, will test again tomorrow

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

You just may have had a mini cycle which is fairly normal. Yesterday I added a few too many fish, checked the water it was .25 ammonia, tested it 4 hours later and double 0. But to be on the safe side check daily for a week just to make sure it's settled down

 

[STEWARDSONS]

You just may have had a mini cycle which is fairly normal. Yesterday I added a few too many fish, checked the water it was .25 ammonia, tested it 4 hours later and double 0. But to be on the safe side check daily for a week just to make sure it's settled down

i added the butterflies last thursday and the firemouths on saturday. the high readings were on tuesday.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Yeh just sounds like a mini cycle, you had enouph a-bacs to deal with the increase of bioload, but not n-bacs. Or your ammonia had alreay had the spike before you tested, nothing to worry about, if it goes higher than .25 do a water change

 

[STEWARDSONS]

lost my gold nugget today, would have thought it was because of this