Still Can't Get Nitrite Down And A Bad Algae Problem

[cdncrouton]

We've had high nitrite since Saturday evening.. Have done 4 water changes 2@15% and 2 @ 30%

Nitrite has been going up and down. Was at 5, got it down to 1.25 and now it is back at 2. I didn't feed the fish at all sunday (three colombian red-fin tetras) and only a tiny portion tonight (no feeding this morning) of some freeze dried worms.

Ammonia is at 0, Nitrate was at 25 on Saturday but now it is at 15. PH is 7.6 - is that too high?

Had to buy an algae eater tonight - a flying fox as the tank is covered in algae - especially the plants (thread algae?)

Have only had these fish for a week and a bit now and before that killed off three cardinal tetras with new tank syndrome (oops). The tank has been running for just over 3 weeks, we had 6 days with no fish, 3 days with the cardinals, 4 days with no fish and then the colombian guys have been in there for 10 days now.

I'm trying so hard to figure get this right as I don't want to kill these guys too.. Any ideas on what I can do? I just don't know how to get the nitrite down.

I have a 10 gallon tank and the only chemicals I have used are the water conditioner, cycle and the waste control stuff they tell you to add in for weekly maitenance.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

that sounds like the filter cycling to me. Should have done a fishless cycle before adding any fish, tetra's aren't the hardiest of fish and may not survive it. Don't really know what to suggest except to read up on fishless cycling, look in the begginers section, there's about 40 billion topics on it there