How to decrease nitrites?

bahamaqt00

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2009
765
1
0
kirkland wa
Does anyone know how to dercrease nitrites?! One of our tanks is from 2.0-5.0 VERY high and I don't know how to fix it other than a water change. Anyone please?
 

Lupin

Viviendo la vida loca!
MFK Member
What test kit do you use?
What exactly is the nitrite reading of your tap water?
Is tank fully established?
 

bahamaqt00

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2009
765
1
0
kirkland wa
We are using the drop kit. Where you fill the test tube and put so many drops in. The tank is probably not completely established. We know we made a mistake for not letting it cycle for as long as we should have but I am just curious if there is anything we can do about it now... We are doing a water change as we speak but is this going to be good enough? The reading of the water right out of the fauset is 0ppm and our tank water is between 1-5ppm I can't really tell. But it is too high
 

Lupin

Viviendo la vida loca!
MFK Member
The only safe way without starving your beneficial bacteria is lots of water changes until they fall to zero.
 

bahamaqt00

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2009
765
1
0
kirkland wa
Alright, will do! Thank you. Also, I know the water paramaters differ a little bit depending on what fish you have but what would be considered the "perfect paramaters" Obviously 0 ammonia and about 7.5 ph. But that is all I know forsure. Maybe this is a stupid question but thought i'd ask
 

Lupin

Viviendo la vida loca!
MFK Member
Not a stupid question at all.:)

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-40 ppm is safe but 10 ppm is the best tolerance level for all fish.
pH Depends which fish you have.
 

bahamaqt00

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2009
765
1
0
kirkland wa
Okay. So we were at the LFS store and saw these wierd moss ball things and were wondering what they were for. They told us it would keep down our nitrate levels so we got one. Now our nitrates are at 0 ppm. Should we take this thing out?
 

Lupin

Viviendo la vida loca!
MFK Member
They're Marimo balls. Those are simply algae rolled into a ball because of their geographical location that permitted them this sphere shape which I find quite unique. No need to remove the balls.
 

shua

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 11, 2009
442
4
48
kenmore wa
i added more carbon to the system to try ad pull out any nitrites i can. think this will help?
 

shua

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 11, 2009
442
4
48
kenmore wa
?
 
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