Nitrite problem, please take a look and help me out!

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Gruntking

Gruntking

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 24, 2011
1,279
2
38
Miami
Ive been having a recent nitrite problem in my tank...

Tank is a 46 gallon bowfront with a penguin 350 HOB Filter. I noticed the other day while checking the water parameters that my nitrite was very high. I decided to buy an AC 110 to improve biofiltration as i thought this would help convert the nitrite to nitrate.

My current readings are: Ammonia (0), Nitrite(2ppm), and Nitrate is (<5ppm) Since i just did a 30-40 pct water change.

Ive been doing 30-40 pct water changes the past 2 days, and the nitrite reading barely goes down, my tap water has 0 nitrites....

I pour my water in my tank with a 5 gallon bucket, but use a aluminum container to dump it in from the bucket, could this be the cause as well?

My stock is a tiger oscar, 2 geos(surinamensis), and 2 clown loaches. All fish are less than 3 inches, and i believe my loaches now have ick, which i have begun treatment for today.

I also cut off half the sponge from the AC 110 and removed the carbon, and am about to go buy some more bio media to add..

What would you say is the problem here? And how can it be solved.
 
fill the 110 with some ceramic media and give it a week for the bio to colonize.

keep doing the water changes consistently.

vacuum your gravel and see if a bunch of uneaten food and poop comes out.

is the tank new?

are you feeding too much?
 
The substrate is sand and I vacuumed it yesterday, for the most part it stays clean even after a week without vacuuming. I feed what my fish will eat in about a minute, never any left over food..

I usually do weekly 30 pct water changes but will continue doing then every other day for the time being
 
i do 50% weekly, as do probably most here. stay with your schedule though until it settles in, then you might want to start doing 50% weekly. remember to stir all the sand periodically so toxins don't build up in it.

do you have any ceramic bio media in the 110?

is the tank new?

how long has it been running w/ fish in it?
 
I have the ceramic bio media that came with the filter and now bought 2 more packs of it. I have approximately an inch and a half of foam, and the rest of the filter has bio media now.

The tank is not new and has been running for a bit over a month with fish in it. This is the first time it gives me this problem. The tank had cycled before and the water is clear so it cant be a bacteria bloom.
 
are you using a dechlorinator when you do water changes? chlorine in the tap can kill bio colonies.

have you been putting anything in the water, like meds or something?

if it's none of that, i'd say give it another week and see how it goes. i hope it goes well, good luck!
 
Yea I use API stress coat for the dechlorination, and seachem neutral regulator to get a 7.0 ph.

I only added meds today, as I think my loaches may have ick.
 
Gruntking;5047158; said:
I have the ceramic bio media that came with the filter and now bought 2 more packs of it. I have approximately an inch and a half of foam, and the rest of the filter has bio media now.

The tank is not new and has been running for a bit over a month with fish in it. This is the first time it gives me this problem. The tank had cycled before and the water is clear so it cant be a bacteria bloom.
Click to expand...

I am afraid to say your tank hasn't cycled properly !

Add as much efficient bio media to your filters as possible.

API stress coat should NOT be used during a cycle as it neutrilizes the ammonia source from the water. Seachems Prime is a better choice as it converts ammonia into ammonium which is safe for the fish and still allows the bb a food source to continue the nitrogen cycle.

Check water parameters daily until 0A 0N +5-20N
 
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