# nitrite emergency



## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

i have 2 small <3" rbps in a 30 gal tank (yes too small upgrading soon) the nitrites were always zero all of a sudden i test it they are like super high like 5 i think. i add salt and do a 40 percent water change. check still the same. so i gotta goto bed. today i take them right out do a 95% water change. test it again its like no change. water was foggy now its very clear and nitrites are still sky high. i have a emperor 400 AND emperor 280 filter on the tank and seachem matrix media in both filters. i put new filters in both of them also. what do i do?????


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

you shouldnt do water changes as large as 95 percent stick closer to 30 percent. did you cycle the tank? if no then that is why you are seeing nitrites now. just stay with the salt that you dosed the tank with for now and see if the nitrites come down soon. the salt will protect the fish for now. keep reporting back and someone else will leave a better comment for you.


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

i guess i panicked and did too much of a water change... im pretty new to this. i noticed the water has been VERY cloudy the last FEW water changes (30%ish i usaully do) its been a whitish cloudy. i will let it sit overnight and check it tomarrow see if it changes. possibly the gravel getting moved alot during the water change because i pour the water in there from a bucket. maybe this causes the cloudiness and the nitrite spike?


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

any large water change will make your water cloudy for a period of time how long veries from tank to tank. it may take more then a day or two so dont worry. also just make sure you dont have any rotten food or anything in the tank like i said salt will do the trick for now if you have enough filtration and your fish have not made the bioload too much for your tank yet. cut back on how much you feed and see if the nitrites drop also. getting a larger tank would help with your bioload but it sounds like you already know that so im going to leave it alone for now.


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

nitrites are down a LITTLE still way too high. the filters SHOULD be overturning the tank 15 times per hour. and water remains nice and clear not even cloudy at all. maybe i have nitrite in my tap water?????? i will test it. i cleaned the gravel when i did that big water change that was kinda my reason for taking so much water out. but nitrites still high. I added salt. fish seem active and having a good time though... ill keep testing and doing 30% water changes. should i add a little salt every water change?


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

Ok nitrite still high. Fish are still alive. They swim around normally, dont seem to be struggling to breath, dont goto the surface at all. Don't act any different than they were before this crisis... I have been doing 20-30% watch changes nearly daily, changed the filters twice a week for the past 2 weeks. Nitrites still wont go down. My guess is there must be rotten crud in the gravel. I can't afford a bigger tank right now due to the holiday season money is tight... Should i take them out and take all the water out and clean the gravel???? It seems like my only option right now i dont want the fish to die. I tested my tap water its good and no nitrites in it. And when i do the water changes it seems like there is no change in the nitrite level in the tank. So it must be that the gravel is so full of sh*t and old food that its releasing crazy amounts of nitrite into the water. I know its not good to do total water changes but I think its my only option to take the gravel out and sift it clean. Also could plastic plants release nitrite? I ordered some 15" artificial plants off ebay and after i put them in shortly after the nitrite came, it was always good before. They are from a good company i believe they are called plantastics. Please give me advice thanks


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

do a good gravel vac rinse the filters in tank water after the gravel vac and then leave the filters alone for atleast a month and see if there is any change during the course of the month. you shouldnt have to touch your filters that ofter it will affect your water also. when you touch it it affects the benefical bacteria. and the plastic plants are not your problem especially not at this point. your fish are large enough to feed them less often also so cut back on how much you feed and feed less often to help your water catchup.


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

ok im waitin for my prime to come in the mail then im going to do a gravel vac, 50% water change, and totally clean the filters out and put new filter packs in. should be in tomarrow i just ran out of other stuff on my last water change and i ordered the prime a week ago. wish me luck


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

only treat the water you are adding to the tank. do not treat the entire tank with prime. it is better to use just a dechlorinator for mini cycles/cycling a tank. prime is still the best though just not as good for cycling.


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

I shouldn't add a capful or so of prime into the entire tank? They claim on your website that up to 5 times the regular dose of prime can be added to the tank during a nitrite emergency to detoxify the nitrite. Something along those lines


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

kurb said:


> I shouldn't add a capful or so of prime into the entire tank? They claim on your website that up to 5 times the regular dose of prime can be added to the tank during a nitrite emergency to detoxify the nitrite. Something along those lines


yes thats true but the way prime works it might prevent the beneficial bacteria from colonizing because it can not be used as nutritients. salt works just as well as prime to neutralize the bacteria and i know it doesnt halt the nitrification cycle. as long as you treat the water you add with a regular dose of prime and have a little salt in the tank then your going to be ok water wise and will be able to complete your cycle faster.


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

I cleaned one of the filters inside and out also rinsed the media (all using water out of the tank). I also did a thorough gravel vac and was suprised at how much orangy brown crud i pulled out, sh*t and food i suppose. I took the artificial plants out and rinsed them clean in tank water as well. Added some more salt and did a couple water changes in a row bout 20% each. Nitrites have dropped from super high to about 1.0. The water is CRYSTAL clear and i can only hope the nitrites will diminish more over the next couple days which I assume they will >


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## need_redz (May 11, 2007)

make sure you have bacteria in your filter or you'll allways have nitrite!
Also always put salt in to prevent nitrite poisioning!



kurb said:


> ok im waitin for my prime to come in the mail then im going to do a gravel vac, 50% water change, and totally clean the filters out and put new filter packs in. should be in tomarrow i just ran out of other stuff on my last water change and i ordered the prime a week ago. wish me luck


why do you throw your filter packs away! they hold bacteria and keep ammonia and nitite away!!!


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## need_redz (May 11, 2007)

stop cleaning your filter!!!!!!!!!
the bacteria in it keeps ammonia & nitrite away and keeps nitrate down.


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

need_redz said:


> stop cleaning your filter!!!!!!!!!
> the bacteria in it keeps ammonia & nitrite away and keeps nitrate down.


that was my first time cleaning the filter since october... and i only rinsed it with tank water.

and i by throwing out the filters i ment i got rid of the blue carbon things that come with the emperor filters


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## need_redz (May 11, 2007)

Use salt every water change and wait till it goes away...if you have bacteria in your tank then it should eventually kick in!
Also don't waste your PRIME by dumping it in the tank since it really doesn't do anything, use it when you put fresh water(into the bucket of fresh water)


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## kurb (Dec 8, 2008)

I am pleased to say nitrite reached 0 a couple days ago and is staying there.

CASE CLOSED.


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