Nitrite won't drop

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Rghfor

Rghfor

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jul 17, 2015
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My nitrite a couple of months ago spiked and since has refused to drop . It's consistently sitting at 0.05 ppm

Even with 50% changes twice weekly it refuses to drop . No feeding makes no difference

Tanks a 5x2x2

Filtration is one fx5 full of alfagrog and bio home ultimate

Stock is one male motoro , 3 red hooks , 2 tinfoil barbs and 3 clown loaches (temporary holding for a friend )

Any advice ? Tried using bottled bacteria lowers it for a week but then increases again
 
Rghfor said:
My nitrite a couple of months ago spiked and since has refused to drop . It's consistently sitting at 0.05 ppm

Even with 50% changes twice weekly it refuses to drop . No feeding makes no difference

Tanks a 5x2x2

Filtration is one fx5 full of alfagrog and bio home ultimate

Stock is one male motoro , 3 red hooks , 2 tinfoil barbs and 3 clown loaches (temporary holding for a friend )

Any advice ? Tried using bottled bacteria lowers it for a week but then increases again
Click to expand...



I personally would add more bio media to the filter or add another filter. Nitrite is very toxic for Rays and Sharks if you didn't know that already.
 
tlindsey said:
I personally would add more bio media to the filter or add another filter. Nitrite is very toxic for Rays and Sharks if you didn't know that already.
Click to expand...
Yep fully aware of toxicity . Fx is packed full of media . Also just to help tap water has no chloramines in or nitrite , ammonia or nitrate . Although seems to have had no ill effect on Ray it's matured and rolled it's claspers ,
 
What are you using for testing and to read .05% ppm? You didn't mention and assume ammonia is 0?
 
Do you mean .5 nitrites or .05? Tests I see do not measure at .05 ppm.

I'm going to assume it's .5.

And I would assume that the rate is not constant or correct since your fish are fine. Having .5 for 2 months would I think have an obvious effect. (Nitrite levels of 2.0 will has an LC50 period of 4 days. A level 25% that high over 120 days would likely cause deaths at least indectly.)

Also, it's very difficult to have a cycled tank (one that is producing nitrates while keeping ammonia at zero), while having a constant level of nitrites. The chemistry is difficult to achieve under normal circumstances. It is however easy to have low levels of both ammonia and nitrites.


OTOH, let's say you have a real .5 reading and very hardy fish...


It's possible you are adding some uncommon chemicals to your tank that are partly suppressing the nitrobacter bacteria. Anything being added to the tank?

Other factors are pH and dissolved oxygen. At high pH and low dissolved oxygen levels, nitrobacter will be more inhibited (suppressed) than nitrosomonas. While not normally a problem, that is an example of how a tank might display the results you have.

Naturally, all this assumes your test results are correct. One option is then to clean thoroughly all your test tubes, then re test using new unexpired test kits for all three: ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Expired test kits and "dirty" test equipment can certainly give repeated erroneous test results.
 
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What is your bio media?

Do you have air on your bio media?

I was using submerged bio-balls. I discovered this is not the best way to use bio balls. Bb should have water raining on them to be more effective. So i added ceramic like media. Here. AND added some air stones under all the media in my sump. My minor nitrite issue went away overnight.

Add more air to start.

Your fx5 may not be able to keep up. Add another canister filter filled with the media i linked to above. I bet that helps.

Keep us posted.
 
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Drstrangelove said:
Do you mean .5 nitrites or .05? Tests I see do not measure at .05 ppm.

I'm going to assume it's .5.

And I would assume that the rate is not constant or correct since your fish are fine. Having .5 for 2 months would I think have an obvious effect. (Nitrite levels of 2.0 will has an LC50 period of 4 days. A level 25% that high over 120 days would likely cause deaths at least indectly.)

Also, it's very difficult to have a cycled tank (one that is producing nitrates while keeping ammonia at zero), while having a constant level of nitrites. The chemistry is difficult to achieve under normal circumstances. It is however easy to have low levels of both ammonia and nitrites.


OTOH, let's say you have a real .5 reading and very hardy fish...


It's possible you are adding some uncommon chemicals to your tank that are partly suppressing the nitrobacter bacteria. Anything being added to the tank?

Other factors are pH and dissolved oxygen. At high pH and low dissolved oxygen levels, nitrobacter will be more inhibited (suppressed) than nitrosomonas. While not normally a problem, that is an example of how a tank might display the results you have.

Naturally, all this assumes your test results are correct. One option is then to clean thoroughly all your test tubes, then re test using new unexpired test kits for all three: ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Expired test kits and "dirty" test equipment can certainly give repeated erroneous test results.
Click to expand...

Only chemical added is seachem safe when a water change is performed . Level reads on the test kit as 0.05 . Levels at every test have stayed constant with water changes only reducing it for a day or so . Ray's are supposedly extremely sensitive to nitrite which is a major concern . I agree a test kit may be at fault but it's in date , I'll try picking a new one up although it reads 0 on another tank .
eddiegunks said:
What is your bio media?

Do you have air on your bio media?

I was using submerged bio-balls. I discovered this is not the best way to use bio balls. Bb should have water raining on them to be more effective. So i added ceramic like media. Here. AND added some air stones under all the media in my sump. My minor nitrite issue went away overnight.

Add more air to start.

Your fx5 may not be able to keep up. Add another canister filter filled with the media i linked to above. I bet that helps.

Keep us posted.
Click to expand...

No air in fx although air is added through 2 large airstones .
Media is alfragrog and bio home ultimate both designed for submerged use . Top 2 trays are alfagrog and then the bottom tray is bio home .
Although I'd be surprised the fx couldn't handle the bioload I may end up ordering another canister if nothing else advised helps
 
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