# Help, I can't seem to get my nitrite level to drop



## *Angie* (Sep 29, 2010)

I hope someone can help me figure out what the problem is. 

My 33 gal tank finished cycling on Wed Oct 13. Ammonia was 0, Nitrites were <0.3 (mg/L), Nitrates were 5 (mg/L). Did a partial water change (10 gal). Added a single cherry barb Thurs Oct 14. Fed it one flake of food every other day. 

All levels remained the same as above for a full week (checked every other day). Added 2 more cherry barbs on Thurs Oct 21. Test levels on Fri Oct 22 were Ammonia 0, Nitrates 0.8, Nitrates between 5-10. Did another partial water change of 10 gal. 

I checked the levels again yesterday Sun Oct 24 and again Ammonia was 0, Nitrites hadn't moved from 0.8 and Nitrates were solidly 10. The test book was clear that Nitrites above 0.3 are not good, so I did another water change, this time almost 15 gal. That was early yesterday. Another test this morning showed no changes in the test levels. I haven't added food to the tank since Oct 20. Each bucket of changed water (2.5gal) gets 1/4 capful of Aqua Plus (to remove chlorine, ec) and a 1/4 capful of Cycle.

Am I wrong in thinking that the water changes should result in a fairly quick, noticible drop in Nitrite levels? 

Also, and I'm not sure if this is relevant, I have 3 of my plants that are dying (all the same type... not sure what it's called, the closest I could find browsing photos was the African Water Fern, which if it isn't it, is quite close in looks). Anyway, they're losing leaves (branches?) on a regular basis, which I'm constantly fishing out of the tank. I noticed yesterday that one of them, the bottom leaves were looking quite rotten, and since it had lost most of its leaves anyway, I just took the plant out altogether. The other two are still losing leaves pretty much constantly, though the ones left don't look rotted at this point. Could the (obviously) dying plants be contributing to the high nitrite? Should I just take these ones out? The rest of my plants seem to be thriving.

The fish seem to be thriving, also, for the record. No signs of stress or anything that I can tell.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Yes, a rotting plant can be the source of ammonia, which could be driving your nitrite levels. I'd remove it. Any dead leaves can do the same thing. 

Your tank is not finished cycling until your nitirite levels read 0. Sort of sounds like although it was close to finishing, it wasn't quite there and you started adding fish. If your fish are doing fine, I'd leave it alone and let it finish. If the levels continue to climb then do a water change.


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## *Angie* (Sep 29, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Yes, a rotting plant can be the source of ammonia, which could be driving your nitrite levels. I'd remove it. Any dead leaves can do the same thing.
> 
> Your tank is not finished cycling until your nitirite levels read 0. Sort of sounds like although it was close to finishing, it wasn't quite there and you started adding fish. If your fish are doing fine, I'd leave it alone and let it finish. If the levels continue to climb then do a water change.


Not to say that it didn't finish cycling, but just to explain why I thought it had. The test kit says that a reading of 0.3 or less is considered safe, and someone with more math knowledge than me said that a reading of 0.3mg/L is essentially 0ppm. Just to give some insight where I'm coming from 

In any case, thanks for your response! I'm going to take the dying plants out, and I'll continue to monitor the water.


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

Actually I think that your tank has not completely cycled. Nitrite levels will read zero when it has.

I just recently set up three tanks and all three of them sorta got stuck at zero ammonia with high nitrites for around 7-10 days. I would do a w/c during this time frame and it had little to no effect on the nitrite level.

From what I have researched on this it seems that the bacteria that converts the nitrites to nitrate take longer to establish than the ammonia converting bacteria.

Roting leaves would probably add to an increase in nitrate. Some plants require Co2, proper substrate and lighting to thrive. I have fake plants so my experience with them is limited to what I have read here and in other forums.

I'm sure others with more experience than I will be chiming in shortly.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

stop adding food until nitrItes drop to 0.


my .02


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Tank might have finished cycling but then something added might have changed the nitrite levels again. I would keep doing some partial water changes. Leave the water that is going to be put in the tank out in a bucket for 24 hours before adding it to the tank and skip the water additives, if possible. I don't add anything to my water when putting it in the tank but I do make sure to run the water for at least 5 minutes before putting it in the tank to make sure to clear out anything that might have higher levels. Also, have you tried testing you tap water untreated? That might be very informative for you. Plants: the dying leaves might not actually be a dying plant. Some plants that are recently transplanted to a tank might lose their leaves anyway simply because of differences in the water. If that's the case they will grow back. Not sure how that will effect the nitrites. Don't consider anything above zero for ammonia or nitrites as being zero or as good as. Your friend might be a math wiz but fish don't do math. 

IMO yes a water change should change your levels very quickly. Like I said test your tap water and start leaving your water out 24 hours, if possible.

Let us know how it goes


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## nraposa (Oct 17, 2010)

There is a product called nitra-zorb that can nutralize nitrite and nitrates. I have never used it but have read a few posts about it maybe something to check out if your levels continue to rise


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

If you use something like that make sure beforehand to find out if it will CHANGE your readings or not. Some products that neutralize ammonia and nitrites DO keep them from doing harm in your tank but DON'T actually change your readings so you would still have nitrite readings on the test but would not know if it was neutralized or non neutralized nitrites.


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## sivakv (Aug 6, 2010)

Plants: Like Amie mentioned, if leaves are dying, remove the leaves, i am just going through the same. 

Check the light adequacy. Rest i am trying to understand from other experts


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

beaslbob said:


> stop adding food until nitrItes drop to 0.


+1 I'd try no food for two or three days, that should help.

How long had your tank been cycling for before you thought it finished?

What filter do you have? If the filter is not very powerful it could have trouble keeping up with the load your fish plus dead plants are creating.

As Amie said it would be worth testing your water before it goes in the tank. It is not unusual for tap water to contain nitrates there should be no nitrites (that means water quality issues for drinking) but you would not be the first.


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## *Angie* (Sep 29, 2010)

Hey all, thanks for all the advice. Here's where I'm at, 6 days after my first post...

I've done two partial water changes in the last 6 days (approx 10 gal each time). None of my tests are changing at all. Ammonia is always 0. Nitrates float between 5 and 10. Nitrites are still solidly 0.8, before and after water changes. 

I removed the dying plants, and the rest of the plants in the tank appear to be thriving. No dead leaves or anything. I did find another snail hitchhiker in there yesterday. Don't know where all the buggers are coming from, but I just keep scooping them out.

I did break down and put in a single broken up flake of food yesterday, since it had been 10 days since I'd fed them and it was making me nervous (sorry!). 

All three fish still seem to be fine. They're all swimming, exploring, chasing each other around, nibbling the plants, etc. The littlest one, though, seems to be fading in colour somewhat? It was always a paler red than the other two, but now his underside is looking almost silver, as though his red colour is literally fading away. I can't see any spots or anything that looks like the common fish diseases I looked up online, and he doesn't act stressed at all, so not sure what's going on there :fish9:

oh, my filter. I have an aquaclear filter 70 which is labled for tanks between 30-50gal, my tank is a 33 gal. I sometimes wonder if it's not a bit too strong for my tank, even with it turned as low as possible, the current makes an interesting sand dune on the bottom of the tank (clear down to the bottom in a narrow strip along the front edge). I keep it set to about medium strength. It has a foam insert, the carbon/charcoal insert, peat granules and the biomax rings insert.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

At least you haven't lost any fish. Sometimes the nitrites will be persistent for some time when some of your bacterias haven't fully developed. Just watch your fish and make water changes when they are stressed or on the schedule you have been working with. You'll get there.


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## carpus (Oct 16, 2010)

*What? You are starving your fish??*

*WADR, you are starving your fish!? * The fish are not your problem, your "cycle" is the problem, treat _that _not the fish. The fish may survive that abuse, but will be weak and may succumb anyway to bad conditions due to problems with the cycle. 

_Feed the fish_ and fix the "cycle". You can do substantial water changes *on a daily basis *while you fix the problem. When you remove water do you vacuum the bottom with a siphon? If not get one and learn how to use it. All of your water can be removed that way. You will get the rotting crapola off of the bottom of the tank. 

Your "cycle" is not finished. *Your biofilter is weak*--it is inefficient at the nitrite step. Did you use a bio-filter additive?? 
If not go out and buy the big bottle of *Tetra Safestart *and pour it, cap by capful, _over a period of hours _into the side of the filter with the impeller in it. For this time only, having the filter rate reduced--the tube moved over a bit away from the impeller--is good. Use the whole bottle. After that, while you are "cycling" it helps to put as much water through the filter as possible. I just did an actual semi-scientific comparison of a Seachem, Microbe-Lift, and *Tetra Safestart * biofilter additive, and only the *Tetra Safestart * worked (made nitrate). Seachem stalled at nitrite. Microbe-lift did nothing.

FWIW, buy more of the Hagen bio-media, throw out the carbon bag, and use the extra biofilter media in the filter.




*Angie* said:


> Hey all, thanks for all the advice. Here's where I'm at, 6 days after my first post...
> I've done two partial water changes in the last 6 days (approx 10 gal each time). *Nitrites are still solidly 0.8*, before and after water changes.
> 
> 
> ...


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Angie: Forgive me if I am repeating something above. I just read the last few posts. Are you letting your tap water run before drawing off the water for the tank?? You should let it run for at least 10 minutes and, if possible, let it stay in the bucket for 24 hours before putting it in the tank. Are you using test strips or the liquid test kit? From what you said in your last post it sounds like you have sand as a substrate?? What color is it?? Light colored sand can sometimes fade the colors of the fish in the tank. Dark colored substrate deepens their color. Try testing your tap water too. That way you will know what the water is like that you are starting with. Feed them a little for the next few days. We don't want them to get too hungry. I wouldn't go longer then a week without feeding them. Try feeding them just a few flakes. Make it a time when you can pay attention to their eating and if they eat the first few flakes really fast then add another few. Let us know how it goes.


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

*Angie* said:


> Hey all, thanks for all the advice. Here's where I'm at, 6 days after my first post...
> 
> I've done two partial water changes in the last 6 days (approx 10 gal each time). None of my tests are changing at all. Ammonia is always 0. Nitrates float between 5 and 10. Nitrites are still solidly 0.8, before and after water changes.


I have had nitrite problems in the past too on new tanks. I tried everything, and all the usual bacterial additives did nothing. My fish guy told me that the nitrifying bacteria needed to be supplemented because the first step of cycling had taken hold (ammonia --> nitrite) but not the second step (nitrite --> nitrate). He sold me this stuff called Nite-Out II. It is the best!! By the next morning I was at 0 nitrites. Now I could not find this at any regular chain pet store where I live. He is a small specialized pet store so maybe you can get it where you are or maybe you have to get it online. If you want more info on it let me know and I'll send it along. Good luck to you! I know it can be frustrating.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

First off: when we talk about cycling, what we're really talking about is culturing micro organisms that feed off the chemicals we are trying to control. There is a set of microorganisms that feed off ammonia, converting it to nitrite. When those organisms are in balance with the fish and the amount your fish are eating, they will be able to bring your ammonia levels to zero. There is a second, different set that convert the nitrite to nitrate, and when they have grown to the place where they are in balance with what the ammonia eating organisms are putting out, they will be able to bring your nitrite to zero. 

But there's a problem here. Every time you add a fish, you change the balance, and that means that the population of ammonia eating microorganisms has to grow. So until it grows big enough to balance your number of fish, you will have more ammonia than the ammonia eaters can balance out. And until the nitrite eaters get into balance, the nitrite will be more than they can eat. And plants, if you have them, never really get to the place where they can eat all the Nitrate, so you are always going to have to do partial water changes. 

But here's the rub, that orangey brown stuff that is in among your gravel, in your filter, places like that? That's the culture we're trying to build. If you're too aggressive a tank cleaner, you could be cleaning out the very microorganisms you are trying to culture in your tank. By all means clean out dead leaves and dead animals and extra food, but don't do too good a job digging around in the gravel. Better by far to not overfeed in the first place. Fish can live for days without food, they certainly do it in the wild. Guppies in particular are notorious for becoming fat, because they'll eat anything that's not nailed down whether they're hungry or not. You will be able to tell by looking if the sides of your fish are sleek or hollow. Take it from someone who's raised a lot of really fat guppies, your fish will do far better on a diet that keeps them trim in superior quality water than a diet that keeps them plump in scuzzy water. 

In Review: Your tank will "cycle" every time you add fish. It won't be as drastic, but any change in population of fish will cause a change in the population of your microorganisms. If you overclean your gravel, the same thing will happen, you will be forcibly lowering the population of microorganisms and your tank will have to "cycle" all over again. 

Good luck, we're all rooting for you-
Chris OE


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## *Angie* (Sep 29, 2010)

I want to thank everyone for all you advice and taking the time to share it! I've had an awful flu the last few days, and so there was no water testing, water changes, tank cleaning, nothing. The fish got a flake or two of food every couple of days, that's it. I did have my smallest cherry barb die, but I honestly think it was mostly due to the biggest one incessantly picking on it (chasing it, fin nipping, and I'm pretty sure preventing the poor thing from getting anything to eat  )

Anyway, I finally felt up to checking the water yesterday, and lo and behold, the Nitrite test turned up clear as glass! Ditto the ammonia, and the Nitrate test barely registered any colour, so less than 5. Checked it again today to be sure, and got the same results. I'm thinking those of you who said the cycle had never finished were right on the money.

Now I've got a couple of fish in a bag acclimating to the tank water. Hopefully I won't have any major issues as we work to get the tank stocked over the next few months!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Good to hear. Go slow on the stocking....as hard as it may be.


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## *Angie* (Sep 29, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Good to hear. Go slow on the stocking....as hard as it may be.


Won't be too hard, as hubby just came back from 5 months working out west and is now currently unemployed LOL Some of these fishy buggers are really expensive!


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Angie, do you live in Canada?? I ask because a lot of the men here where I live 'go out West' to work and usually 4 or 5 months of the year. The ones here mostly go to Alberta.


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## *Angie* (Sep 29, 2010)

Amie said:


> Angie, do you live in Canada?? I ask because a lot of the men here where I live 'go out West' to work and usually 4 or 5 months of the year. The ones here mostly go to Alberta.


Yes, I'm in New Brunswick! My husband was gone for about 5 months. He spent part of that Saskatchewan while he took some courses that he needed, then was at the camps at the oil sands in Alberta (Syncrude).


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