nitrites are high

[AMETHYST212]

i just did a 50% water change in my tank. and checked the water right after . funny thing is my ammonia is 0 my nitrites are at 5.0 and my nitrate are at 20.
what is going on?
please help.

[Bitsy]

How old is your tank? Sounds like it is still cycling. You need to continue to do waterchanges until you get your nitrite down to 0. Good luck!

[AMETHYST212]

its about 6 months

[budrecki]

Do another water change now, 75%, and then again in the morning. Recheck. If you still have nitrites, continue 75% water change every 12 hrs until nitrites read 0.

For some reason you have a mini cycle.

[pedro10]

Might try to add some floaters in the like P. Fluitans.

Cheers,
Pedro

[AMETHYST212]

ok i did the water change again 75%
and ammonia 0 nitrites are at 1.0 now and the nitrates are 20
i also took the bio wheel and some gravel from another well established tank and placed that before i took the test. so maybe thats working.

[kyle3]

it sounds like your bio filter crashed b/c or you added another source of amonia and the filter is haveing to grow to accomidate (ie minicycle like stated before)

did you add fish recently

if not you should be looking for dead fish or rotting food

anything unusual happen that might have jepordized your bio filter?

did you was it with un conditioned water perhaps or add new water throught the filter before the conditioner had fully nuetralized all of the chlrine/chloramine?

[AMETHYST212]

that could be it i tested the water right after i placed the neutralizer. how long should i wait before i test the water the next time i do a water change.

[kyle3]

neutralizer? do you mean your water conditioner

do you treat you water before you put it in the tank?

or do you add the conditioner and then the water?

both are considered safe methods but with the 2nd it's a good i dea to do it on the opposite side of the tank from the filter as you don't want any chloride to come in contact with your filter