Nitrite!

[chrisrm]

hi
i have just tested my water with an api kitand hve found the following
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 5+ppm

any one know why tis would be?
could it be as i added 2 rams on friday?

help!

 

[glolite]

How big is the tank?

How often do you do water changes?

I would do a 50% water change and see if this helps.

 

[chrisrm]

the tank is 350l i do water changes every two weks but check levals weekly. ive done a 25% change and will check again in a bit

 

[m00se]

Your test readings have previously been stable, I assume? Added anything else to the tank recently (ornaments, plants, etc)?

 

[chrisrm]

yep readings have been fine, i didnt notice any ammonia increase. the only things i have added are the rams.

 

[m00se]

Looks like it's just mini-cycling for some reason. Mini-cycles settle down after a few days, generally speaking. There may not be any particular need to worry right now, but I'd get on top of the big volume water changes and start some more regular testing, maybe step it up to twice a day and change as appropriate. Your nitrites need to be much less than 1ppm, and at 5ppm a 25% water change will only bring it down to 3.75, which is still dangerously high. I'd confirm the current levels again now, and then go from there.

Let's say they're at 4 for the sake of ease of calculation: two 50% water changes one after the other would bring it down to 1ppm (which is still too high, but better than 4). Better yet would be two 80% water changes, which would bring it to 0.16, which is a much better place to be going on from.

 

[chrisrm]

odd... i just tested gin after the 25% and go a reading nearer 0.5! once more for luck

 

[m00se]

Added too many drops the first time? Who knows. Just stay on top of it

 

[chrisrm]

i suppose i must have. just tested it again and it pretty much 0!?
Who knows maybe somthing in the test tube?!
thanks all

 

[Truck]

did you have lots of plants prior to the spike? which may have died off or slowed in growth?

 

[chrisrm]

did you have lots of plants prior to the spike? which may have died off or slowed in growth?

no i have silk plants as the silver dollars will eat live ones!