No Ammonia, excessive Nitrite?

[kcdavebob]

Ok, I have a question.

What do you do if your water tests tell you that there is no ammonia and too much Nitrite?

I've been changing about 20% of my water everyday and this helps a little, but the next day too much nitrite.

It is a new aquarium. 5 gallon with 4 small tetras

 

[carpguy]

This is normal cycling. The cycle is NH3 (ammonia) > NO2 (nitrIte) > NO3 (nitrAte). First the ammonia spikes and then drops away (takes about a week or a little longer), then the Nitrites do the same. NitrAtes don't go away on there own so they need to be removed with regular water changes. Each step of the cycle is less toxic than the one before it.

Water changes are the best way to combat nitrIte toxicity. A little bit of salt may also help if you're having a lot of trouble (say a 1/2 tblspn per 5 gallons), but water changes keep the concentration down and don't hurt the cycle.

Signs of nitrIte poisoning include gasping at the surface, labored breathing, brown gills, and sluggishly lying on the bottom of the tank. If it gets too far it can kill the fish. This is the hard part, keep up with the levels. It gets easier.

Good luck

 

[JSchmidt]

Any measureable nitrite is too much. If your tank is new, you should strive to keep nitrite below 1 ppm thru water changes. The salt mentioned above will also help reduce the negative effects on the fish.

HTH,
Jim