# Nitrite levels out of control



## Fish_Fan (Nov 5, 2011)

So I just did a 90% water change and tested my water and my nitrite is still showing 5 ppm the highest that the API freshwater master test kit goes to. What can I do to fix this problem?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Check your tapwater. Sometimes that has nitrate in it, too, making waterchanges no use. if your tapwater is full of nitrate, then you'll have to use some other water.


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## Fish_Fan (Nov 5, 2011)

Nitrite is the problem not Nitrate yet. I just checked the nitrite levels in my tap water and they are 0 ppm. I literally just changed out 90% of the water in the tank and nitrite is still high. Not sure what to do.


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## betelgeuses pal (Nov 18, 2011)

Fish_Fan said:


> Nitrite is the problem not Nitrate yet. I just checked the nitrite levels in my tap water and they are 0 ppm. I literally just changed out 90% of the water in the tank and nitrite is still high. Not sure what to do.


Hi Fish Fan. What about the ammonia levels both in your tank and in the tap water?

Could this tank be in a mid-stage of cycling where the bacteria which convert Na2 to Na3?


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

are you sure your tank is cycled?


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## Fish_Fan (Nov 5, 2011)

Yes the tank is in a mid-stage of cycling (I've had it a little more then 3 weeks) and my ammonia has lowered to between 0.25-0 ppm. I want to make sure that the nitrite doesn't kill my fish. I don't understand how it can still be so high after changing 90% of the water.


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

Fish_Fan said:


> I don't understand how it can still be so high after changing 90% of the water.


That statement is too vague to be of much use. How high is it?

Consider adding some plants.
Are you overfeeding or have decaying detritus in the substrate?
How are you testing nitrite, strip of liquid? How old is the test kit?

That last question is particularly important as I have had false positives with old chemicals.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

What else have you added to the tank? You can get high nitrite from any source of high ammonia, such as dead fish, algae, poop, or uneaten food rotting. You can also get nitrite from nitrate is you are using certain "cleaning" products that reduce nitrate to nitrite to ammonia to nitrogen gas. These products can clean up the filthiest, nitrate off the scale, tanks, but I would never use them in a tank with fish. Running the cycle the other way mean deliberate nitrite and ammonia spikes. Labels mention controlling nitrate, removing sludge or 'never change water'.


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## Discordia (Nov 16, 2011)

I had the same problem with my tank. Believe me, it's frustrating. I am still new at this, but the only thing that helped lower my nitrite levels was to do partial water changes daily. I did this for over a week and they finally reached zero. My Nitrites were at 10 ppm. 

Make sure there isn't nitrite in the tap, continue doing partial water changes daily, and be patient. They will drop. I did a 50%, followed by 10% water changes. Keep testing your water daily. The nitrite readings may not drop at all even after a few changes. The nitrates probably won't get too high either because you will be removing them with the water changes. 

Good luck!

A side note: Aquarium salt is beneficial, as well as Prime. Prime will help the fish tolerate the nitrites a little better. You can also use up to 5x the regular dosage of prime to help detoxify the nitrites.


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## Aquarion (Nov 16, 2011)

Fish_Fan said:


> So I just did a 90% water change and tested my water and my nitrite is still showing 5 ppm the highest that the API freshwater master test kit goes to. What can I do to fix this problem?


Can you provide more information?

What size tank?
How many fish inside?
How long have you had it (you said three weeks?)
What have been the test results for the previous 3 weeks?
What kind of filtration are you using?


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## Mr. fish (Mar 8, 2011)

What fish are you using to cycle? If you have some hardy fish in there it shouldn't be much to worry about.

In fact by you doing these huge water changes so frequent your tanks gonna take forever to cycle.


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## Discordia (Nov 16, 2011)

I would suggest to quit feeding them for a few days (no more than 3). They won't starve and they will produce less waste. After, make sure you are feeding them only once a day. Control how much food you are giving them by dropping very small amounts in the water and letting them eat. Keep repeating this for a couple of minutes. The goal is to keep the food from falling to the bottom. Excess food breaks down into nitrites. I made the mistake of over-feeding mine. Continue small water changes 10-20% everyday like it's your new religion. I made the mistake of not testing my water for 3 weeks after I had it. I didn't know about the nitrogen cycle... It took me about 7 days of water changes to correct my errors. 

The smaller your tank, the harder it will be to cycle. 

Knowing the tank size, the filter you are running, and whether or not you have airstones would be helpful.


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## Fish_Fan (Nov 5, 2011)

- 10 gallon tank
- Aqueon M size filter 
- gravel substrate with aquarium sand on top
- Have had aquarium for 1 month
- pH has stayed between 7.2 and 7.5 consistently
- Ammonia is staying at a steady 0.25 ppm
-After preforming daily 20% water changes for the last 4 days Nitrite is starting to lower from too high for my test kit to measure to what I believe is around 2-4 ppm.
- Current level of Nitrate is around 5 ppm
(Nitrite and Nitrate are very hard to match colors using API freshwater kit)


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## Fish_Fan (Nov 5, 2011)

- 1 Dwarg Gourami
- 1 hatchetfish
- 1 bristlenose pleco
- 6 live plants


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## giants1249er (Aug 3, 2011)

You probably have to do multiple pwc daily to keep your nitrite levels as low as you can. If you're not using Prime, you should, as it helps detoxify ammonia and nitrites. Read the directions on the bottle...it should help. When I did the fishin cycle, I had to do multiple pwc daily to get low ammonia readings at first, then nitrites. My levels were still high after nultiple pwc, but not as high as if i did not do any pwc. Luckily my platies were hardy enough to survive and thrive today.
Just keep doing multiple pwc. You're almost done with cycling. Good luck.


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

If your nitrate levels are starting to drop and all else is unchanged, you are in the homestretch.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

IME the nitrites will get scary high and then plummet overnight. Sounds like you're getting close.


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## Fish_Fan (Nov 5, 2011)

Nitrite levels are at 0! Thanks everyone!


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