Nitrite Problems

[Erk]

I dont have any discus yet, but I am planning on getting some in the near future, and in the meantime I have been trying to get my water and plants under control. I seem to be having some major nitrite issues. I have done a 20% water change on friday, sunday, monday, and prolly about 25% last night. The test kit is the purplest its ever been. I have lost 2 cardinal tetras so far, and I dont really know what else to do. None of the plants look dead, and I gravel vac everytime I do a water change! I know if I cant keep these cardinals alive, I cant get any discus.

Thanks for any advice you can give me

[samir]

you could get some sera nitrivec or Seachem prime (i think that detoxifies nitrite) how many fish do you have in what size tank ?

[Erk]

Thanks for the quick reply samir.

I use prime in my water changes. I have 12 fish now. 5 starter (Danios) 2 clown loaches, 4 Cardinal Tetras, and one Queen Arabesque Pleco. Its a 46 gallon bowfront tank.

This has been going on since the weekend, and I dont know what else to try....maybe a bigger water change?

Thanks for your help

[samir]

on the prime bottle read the directions, your answer lies there

[Erk]

I just re-read the bottle, and added some more prime to the tank. Thanks for your help! We will see how things go from here!

Thanks a lot!!

[Robdog]

I have two points.
How long has your tank been setup for it still to be having existing nitrite?
And I wouldn't worry about the Cardinals, I'd be more worried about the Queen Arabesque keeling over. I guessing it would be a lot more expensive to replace.

Dose with Prime as samir has said and probably hold off on the WC's. Let it stew and let the bacteria do its thang

[Merrilyn]

Sounds very much like this is a new tank going through a normal cycle.

In the beginning you will get an ammonia spike, then a couple of weeks later you will get a nitrite spike, and finally you will have a zero ammonia, and zero nitrite reading, and begin to get a reading of nitrate. At that time your filter is cycled.

The cycle process is pretty tough on fish. Adding Prime to the water will reduce the toxic effects of both ammonia and nitrite, but it will still show up as a reading on your test kit.

Catfish are pretty tough, but I wouldn't be keen to risk a queen arabesque while the tank cycled.

You can keep doing some small water changes to keep the toxins down, bit it will take longer for your tank to cycle.

If it's possible to put your catfish somewhere else while the tank cycles, it may be the safest thing to do. Either that, or ask your LFS if they will give you some used filter media from one of their clean, cycled tanks, to give your bio filter a boost.

[Erk]

well I would have to say it is about 2 months old, but I had nitrate readings in the past, and thought I was through the cycling process. I was a lil more worried about the queen, but she comes out to eat whenever I put food in, and looks good. Im keeping a close eye on things, but I was using my luck with the Cardinals to guage how I would do with Discus, and its def. apparent I should take more time....Im quite impatient! haha....thanks for eveyones help. I will check with the LFS and see if they will give me any established filter media.

I got the nitrites down to 1 according to my test kit. Im going to check it every day, and I would like to wait to friday or saturday to do a water change.

Thanks again for your help.....Im sure it wont be the last time! This site is fantastic!

[Erk]

I went and took the plunge into cannister filters last night, and I purchased the Rena filstar xP2. Hooked everything up last night, and recommendations on how to speed up the biological filter in this filter, so I can remove the old hang on the back bio wheel filter? The ceramic rings or those carbon stars? Also, how long do you guys recommend I leave them both hooked up for? I still have some nitrite problems, and the LFS wont give me any established media.... :(

Thanks

[samir]

, so I can remove the old hang on the back bio wheel filter?

empty it into your canister,
and what a rotten lfs :x
if you add your location maybe somebody on the forum could give you some ? a lfs might not be the best bet for used filter media.

[mistakes r crucial]

Well it might be if you want experience with Costia, Hex, Capillaria, White Spot, Gill Fluke and a few other lovely things to deal with.
MAC

[Erk]

I live in strasburg PA, and work in Downingtown PA, so I doubt anyone will give me some of their media, but we shall see. Thanks to all for your help and great suggestions! I agree with my LFS being rotten, but I would prolly prefer to do it on my own, like MAC said, so I dont introduce anything unwanted into my tank. I can put the blue filter pad thing from my old bio wheel filter into my cannister? I purchased the bio-chem stars, and they are in the cannister, and I had to order the ceramic rings. My LFS is almost always out of whatever Im looking for! hahaha....the rings should be here in about 7 days. I guess in that same compartment in my cannister is where I would place the blue carbon filter pad thing from the bio-wheel filter? Tests last night showed nitrite at 0.5 what is too high for fish? I dont have discus, but just in general what is too high? No ammonia, and pH and CO2 are good, staying steady. Plants look really good too!

Thanks again to all!

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Erk,

In general anything above 0 is too high. IMO Nitrite is considerably worse than Ammonia because with an Ammonia spike at least you can alter Ph to make it less toxic until you take action to get rid of it. Nitrite readings of .25 don't seem to worry adult fish too much but youngsters look a bit off with the slightest amount in the tank. However, any reading can cause damage that you can't see. Prolonged exposure lowers the immune system which can cause all sorts of other comlpications and especially with Discus. Higher readings can cause Brown Blood Disease which makes the blood unable to carry Oxygen with obvious consequences, death. Increased levels of Methemoglobin in the blood is the cause of BBD and the addition of salt to your tank will stop the increase of it. As you have a catty in your tank you'd be better off using Prime or something similar as I don't think they are too fond of salt.
MAC

[FishLover]

You have a 46g tank and there are two clown loaches in there already. In addition with your other fish load, I don't think you have much room to add in the discus. How many do you plan to add? You need to have at least 5 of them to spread the picking order. 5 discus in a 46 g is at the max already without other fish. Clown loaches can get really big too. You need to have at least three of them. Pleco can get big depending on what type you have.

Unless you plan to relocate some of the fish, I don't see how you can keep them happy with the discus.

[Erk]

Thanks FishLover! I know its overstocked, Im thinking of maybe removing one of the loaches, but Ive heard they grow slow, so I wasnt in a hurry right now, since they help keep the bottom clean, but once I go to get discus, I will remove one of them, and hope for the best, if I need to do more water changes or bigger ones, I will find out then! The pleco is a queen arabesgue....I believe 5 inches max? I was told 4 discus from another post for the 4 discus per 10 gallon? so I think I will do more water changes then, since it will be overstocked, and I plan on having a pump to replace the water with by then, so it should still go quick.

Thanks mistakes r crucial I did a water change last night, and used prime, and today was zero nitrite reading, I will keep an eye on things...should I remove the bio-chem zorb that came with my cannister filter now, or can it wait till monday when the ceramic rings arrive? I also have the bio chem stars in there for bacteria growth? what should I do? I have read carbon is bad?

Thanks!! As always!

[taksan]

and one Queen Arabesque Pleco.

Geeze get the 260 outta there !

Use prime at a double dose for the whole 46 gallons when you do your daily 40% water changes. What type of filter do you have?

[Erk]

Thanks for everyones help! The nitrites have been at zero for a lil while now, and I think things are good. I have been reading that carbon is not a good thing to have in these cannister filters? Why is that? Should I remove it from my cannister? Its a rena xp2, and it came with a bio-chem zorb pouch, and since I have put the bio-chem stars and ceramic rings in for bacteria growth? Does not using carbon help the plants grow?

All my fish and plants are doing fine, I just wanna make sure im on the right track?

Thanks again!