HIGH nitrites

[scmelik]

I am finally getting nitrites showing up and they are showing up with a vengance. The level of nitrites are way above the top of the scale, the color is VERY deep purple. Is it worrisome to have the nitrites this high during a cycle or does it just mean that I will go through more ammonia feeding it?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

A nitrite spike is completely normal. You have any fish in the tank?

[scmelik]

A nitrite spike is completely normal. You have any fish in the tank?


I know its normal and needed for the cycle to actually happen I just wasn't sure if level this high were of the norm. No I am doing a fishless cycle.

[Brhino]

When I did my fishless cycle, I tried to dilute my samples and use algebra to figure out just how high my nitrites got. They were somewhere in the 50-100ppm range. So, yes. Very high nitrite is normal.

[scmelik]

When I did my fishless cycle, I tried to dilute my samples and use algebra to figure out just how high my nitrites got. They were somewhere in the 50-100ppm range. So, yes. Very high nitrite is normal.


okay good!!

[Lady Hobbs]

Nitrites will drop suddenly once they peak like that but you need to cut back on ammonia if you haven't already.

[scmelik]

Nitrites will drop suddenly once they peak like that but you need to cut back on ammonia if you haven't already.


i have been adding 1-2 ml every morning to keep feeding the bacteria. They have benn like this for 3 days.I keep expecting this to drop one of these days but I have also read that it could take a week or more for nitrates to start developing.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

1-2ml in a 10gal every day? If you are using the method where you daily add ammonia to the tank, 1-2ml is way more than you need. You only need to be adding 5 drops per day to that tank. There is no way you should have a nitrite spike that goes way off the charts. I've never seen a nitrite spike go higher than 5ppm. A nitrite spike the size of what you describe indicates to me that you've added more ammonia than is necessary.

[gadget228]

Check the ammonia levels in your tank, at this stage of cycling you only want 1-2ppm of ammonia, anymore than that and your cycle could stall.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

While there are a few factors that can cause a cycle to stall, the ammonia factor alone will typically require a concentration well in excess of 8ppm.

[scmelik]

1-2ml in a 10gal every day? If you are using the method where you daily add ammonia to the tank, 1-2ml is way more than you need. You only need to be adding 5 drops per day to that tank. There is no way you should have a nitrite spike that goes way off the charts. I've never seen a nitrite spike go higher than 5ppm. A nitrite spike the size of what you describe indicates to me that you've added more ammonia than is necessary.


yep 1-2ml per day, and I am still less than 2ppm. I was very high around 4ppm till about 3 days ago when the nitrites showed up and the ammonia number was quickly dropped to less the 2ppm in a matter of 24 hours. Now 1-2ml is struggling to keep it up towards the 2ppm.

yes i am testing correctly and yes my test set is good, there are just so many nitrites right now that they are feed heavily of the ammonia that is there.

[scmelik]

1-2ml in a 10gal every day? If you are using the method where you daily add ammonia to the tank, 1-2ml is way more than you need. You only need to be adding 5 drops per day to that tank. There is no way you should have a nitrite spike that goes way off the charts. I've never seen a nitrite spike go higher than 5ppm. A nitrite spike the size of what you describe indicates to me that you've added more ammonia than is necessary.


it honestly could be 5ppm, but looking at the color of the liquid in the test vial and the color on the chart there is a significant difference. Now that could be do to a printing issue when the chart was created or something of that nature but the color in the vial is very dark purple much darker than the chart suggests is 5ppm

[Lady Hobbs]

You only need to grow enough bacteria to support the stock that will go in your tank. Since you won't be putting in 40 fish, you need not have that much bacteria growth. In a 10 gallon, you could have started cycling with only 1ppm of ammonia and by now only keeping it alive with a few drops each day.

Over dosing with ammonia will burn that cycle out so cut back.

[scmelik]

You only need to grow enough bacteria to support the stock that will go in your tank. Since you won't be putting in 40 fish, you need not have that much bacteria growth. In a 10 gallon, you could have started cycling with only 1ppm of ammonia and by now only keeping it alive with a few drops each day.

Over dosing with ammonia will burn that cycle out so cut back.


thanks LH, I guess I miss understood the write up you put in there I thought you wanted to keep it up around the 2ppm. I will definitely cut back on the ammonia for a few days and just keep monitoring it.

I should start a new thread for this but since it kind of plays in I will just throw it here. I just ordered some of my plants and the ferts I will be putting in here. How much of a change should I expect to see in nitrite and nitrate levels from the plants absorbing and using the bacteria for food? Will it play any significant role?

[Lady Hobbs]

HOW MUCH AMMONIA TO ADD: This is determined by the size of your tank. You are growing enough bacteria to support the fish that will go in the tank. You need not add as much ammonia to a 5 or 10 gallon tank as you do a 55 gallon. Tanks of perhaps 40 gallons up would cycle nicely on 4-5 ppm's of ammonia. Little tanks far less, like perhaps 1 ppm.

(1ppm being the starting dose. That is then cut in half once you see nitrites.)

[scmelik]

HOW MUCH AMMONIA TO ADD: This is determined by the size of your tank. You are growing enough bacteria to support the fish that will go in the tank. You need not add as much ammonia to a 5 or 10 gallon tank as you do a 55 gallon. Tanks of perhaps 40 gallons up would cycle nicely on 4-5 ppm's of ammonia. Little tanks far less, like perhaps 1 ppm.

(1ppm being the starting dose. That is then cut in half once you see nitrites.)


guess I need to learn how to read huh lol. :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: