nitrite test
- Thread starter gersheff
- Start date
How much baking soda? Hard to say without a KH test kit. Since your fishless cyling, though, you don't have to sweat it too much. Just add a tablespoon every 4-6 days. That should be more than plenty. (Another advantage of fishless cyling: if you had fish in there, you'd have to worry about the sudden jump in KH.)
Have you changed enough water to get nitrite down to a level where it's not maxing out your test? You are still adding ammonia, right?
Jim
Have you changed enough water to get nitrite down to a level where it's not maxing out your test? You are still adding ammonia, right?
Jim
I added a tablespoon
I did a 50% and the next day a 20% water change the nitrite lever is still high
yes i am still adding a few drops of ammonia every day
I did a 50% and the next day a 20% water change the nitrite lever is still high
yes i am still adding a few drops of ammonia every day
ok last night i did a 60% water change and after a few hours the nitrite levels were still high. shouldn't the nitrite levels go down after all these water changes.
I just did a 90% change hopefully the results will be better
I just did a 90% change hopefully the results will be better
due to many pleadings by my wife and friends I just may have to give up on the fishless cycle, and go to fishy. 
At this stage in the game, wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
Are you still adding NH3? If so, stop and see how long it takes for everything to be converted to NO3.
Are you still adding NH3? If so, stop and see how long it takes for everything to be converted to NO3.
The fish will like the sustained high levels of nitrites even less than you do... if they survive. Netting out dead fish that died due to impatience isn't much fun, either.
Exactly how many ppm nitrites do you have? Did you add more buffer (baking soda) when you changed water? Have you checked your nitrite test on distilled water to make sure you're getting accurate readings?
It's clear you have ammonia-oxidizers. That's why you're getting nitrites. The colonization of the nitrite-oxidizers often takes longer than it does for the ammonia-eaters. If your pH and/or KH crashed (as seems likely) that second stage may have even been extended. Adding fish will not do anything except expose some fish to high nitrites.
Without knowing nitrates, it's hard to know whether your nitrite-oxidizers have started. It's only been 3 or 4 days since you started replenishing the buffer by adding baking soda. Give it more time. Most things that happen quickly in fishkeeping are bad.
Good luck,
Jim
Exactly how many ppm nitrites do you have? Did you add more buffer (baking soda) when you changed water? Have you checked your nitrite test on distilled water to make sure you're getting accurate readings?
It's clear you have ammonia-oxidizers. That's why you're getting nitrites. The colonization of the nitrite-oxidizers often takes longer than it does for the ammonia-eaters. If your pH and/or KH crashed (as seems likely) that second stage may have even been extended. Adding fish will not do anything except expose some fish to high nitrites.
Without knowing nitrates, it's hard to know whether your nitrite-oxidizers have started. It's only been 3 or 4 days since you started replenishing the buffer by adding baking soda. Give it more time. Most things that happen quickly in fishkeeping are bad.
Good luck,
Jim
