Can't seem to get nitrite any lower

MollyFan1

MollyFan1

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Nov 27, 2006
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As some may know, my tank is not cycled, I currently have 3 mollies and 2 albino cory cats. For the past two weeks or so, I've changed the water daily, about 50% everyday. The nitrites have remained at 0.25. Nitrate is at 10 and ammonia at 0. I'm becoming very frustrated since I can't get my nitrite at 0. I've been trying to make my fish as less stressed as possible. My male dalmation molly was becoming sick but he is back to normal again. My other fish have been fine from what I notice. They are active and eating. It seems like mollies are always hungry and always looking for food... I assume this is a good sign. I'm upgrading to a bigger tank sometime early next year for my mollies, I currently have a 10 gallon.

How can I get my nitrite at zero? This cycle process seems like never ending...=/
 
Do a single full water change. Leave the filter media in a bowl of tank water while you do so, with a similar setup for the fish. change out for treated water same temp level. That will remove everything from your tank water, without killing the bacteria in your filter, so long as you properly dechlor the tap water.
 
MollyFan1 said:
As some may know, my tank is not cycled, I currently have 3 mollies and 2 albino cory cats. For the past two weeks or so, I've changed the water daily, about 50% everyday. The nitrites have remained at 0.25. Nitrate is at 10 and ammonia at 0. I'm becoming very frustrated since I can't get my nitrite at 0. I've been trying to make my fish as less stressed as possible. My male dalmation molly was becoming sick but he is back to normal again. My other fish have been fine from what I notice. They are active and eating. It seems like mollies are always hungry and always looking for food... I assume this is a good sign. I'm upgrading to a bigger tank sometime early next year for my mollies, I currently have a 10 gallon.

How can I get my nitrite at zero? This cycle process seems like never ending...=/
Click to expand...

How often are you feeding your fish?
 
Thank you the help. I've been feeding them just once a day and I drop a algae wafer every 2 days for the cories. I will do a 50% water change twice a day to lower the nitrites. It's taking a long time to get to 0. :sad:
 
Do nothing! Whats the bet that others here will disagree with me.
Well thats according to Mike Wickham of The complete idiots guide to freshwater aquariums. According to him Mother Nature will fix the nitrite problems all by herself. However he also states if the nitrite level is high and the fish look like they are dying or looking stressed you can possibly add a teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of aqaurium water. Salt apprently
makes nitrite less toxic. Secondly you can do a partial water change as this dilutes the nitrite. I myself am going through the nitrite spike with my fishy aqaurium oops fishy cycle I mean heee and it seems to be doing fine. I personally wouldnt go over a 25 percent water change.
 
Well, I always have salt in some of my tanks and still have deaths with a nitrite spike, so I'd be changing water. I'll do an 80% if I need to. The change doesn't worry them like high nitrites will...

'mother nature' will eventually 'fix' it - ie bacteria will populate the tank - but it may take time and the fish could die in that period...

Of course if it's borderline nitrite then sure, you can wait until the bacteria populate and you only need smaller water changes.

It's a matter of testing and monitoring the situation and acting accordingly. Mostly that is keeping the toxins to a 'safe' level.
 
Do the water changes until nitrites are 0.

IMO the Wickham book is basically worthless.

You will not need the salt.
 
rbishop said:
Do the water changes until nitrites are 0.

IMO the Wickham book is basically worthless.

You will not need the salt.
Click to expand...


Interesting opinion on the book. Which proves the point that thier is no
wrong or right way of doing things. Its pretty much what works for you and
what doesn't. Everyone has their opinion- I had a good read somewhere on the Aquarium Pharmacticals website or Fluval website (not Sure) that you should never do more than 50 percent water change. One things for sure
you only have to worry if the fish are dying right?? after all thats what really counts. So the way I look at things its like this- Stuff the ammonia levels, Stuff the Nitrite levels, do my weekly water change which is 25 percent of the tank size and eventually things will go ok. Figure out what the problem is if the fish are carking it and try to remedy it the best you can. Its as simple as that (for me). Seriously at the begining after my intiall 10 Platy bioload went in- I was a flustered/Panicked and doing water change after water change up to 80 percent at times for the first week to get ammonia levels down then dumping ammolock and making things worse- doing this I had my three platy loss. It was after reading the book that I thought stuff this "if I loose fish I loose fish" and went with my new metality of thinking that I noticed no deaths at all. Call it a fluke but at the end of the day it is working for me and I have no intention of changing it. Yesterday my Nitrite levels was high, I dumped in some aquariam salt, this morning I did my 25 percent water change and still looking good. Fish ain't dead- mission accomplished. My opinion the book is a good read and I like it and it made me relax. It may or may not work for others. Unfortunalty their is too many variables to consider to give an proper definitive answer to Nitrite/Ammonia related issues at the end of the day.

(Neon tetras are supposed to be a non-hardy fish- the cardinal tetras are supposdly even worse- My 10 cardinals went through the ammonia issues and are going through the Nitrite spike and are still alive and living happily! so their you have it)
 
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