nitrite spike best ways to control

[calgaryflames]

what is the very best way to control nitrite spikes.

right now i doing prime and water changes

their is heavy load of fish in the tank too.i kicked this tank back into recycle about 3 weeks ago now.their was a incident please dont ask and please dont comment i am asking for opinions on nitrite.The ammonia is at 0 now but the nitrite will not stop.i double dose prime do water change take a reading than about hour later take another reading and the nitrite is already going back up again.i cant keep up

 

[CLDarnell]

Sorry man, not coming down on you, but only stating what's going on...

If any of your 3 basic levels are spiking beyond control, then the tank is over-stocked or under filtered. You're already doing water changes, that's all you can do unless you thin the bio load or add more filtration.

Good luck!

 

[Laticauda]

You can salt the water at 1 tsp per gallon to help protect the fish to a certain extent from blood poisoning. Water changes, Prime, and I am becoming a new advocate of Stability. I had a horrible crash a few weeks back in one of my tanks, and Stability with water changes helped bring things back to normal.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Salt it

 

[Juxtaroberto]

Prime and salt will definitely help for the time being.

I suggest adding a sponge filter to your tank as a long-term solution. It's going to provide a ton more surface area for your bacteria.

 

[KaiserSousay]

Pretty much agree with what has already been advised, except for adding more filter media.
Whatever you did to kill off your bacterial colony is done.
It will come back.
You already have the ammonia munchers.
Just will take some time and effort while the nitrite eaters establish.
WC and salt is pretty good advise.
Good luck.

 

[dayak]

i just recently have this problem LOL
add prime and do wc 25% 3 times, should be cured in a week, u need to read the intruction on prime, or u might overdose it
i did not put salt on it untill i reliazed one of my fish has ick attack..then i put salt and bump up the temp.

 

[DaveB]

Stability.

 

[J.Lake]

Run a lil maintenance on your filter, make sure its not a nitrate factory. Prime, stability and large constant water changes is all you can do. Well there are nitrate removing products out there for your filter. Nitrate is my mortal enemy. I try to run daily 15 percent wcs on my rays with a weekly 40 to 50 percent change and i still hover around 20ppm

 

[Juxtaroberto]

Pretty much agree with what has already been advised, except for adding more filter media.
Whatever you did to kill off your bacterial colony is done.
It will come back.
You already have the ammonia munchers.
Just will take some time and effort while the nitrite eaters establish.
WC and salt is pretty good advise.
Good luck.

I don't know, he does say he has a heavy bioload, and ammonia oxidizing activity inhibits Nitrobacters. Since his ammonia didn't spike, but his nitrite did, it makes me believe that he has so much ammonia that the Nitrobacters are being affected (those are the ones that turn nitrite into nitrate). By adding more media he adds more room for the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacters to live, so that the process of ammonia oxidization does not affect the Nitrobacters.