# Nitrites still high



## Little Waffen (Mar 13, 2004)

TEST RESULTS: AMMONIA 0, NITRITE 0.50, NITRATE 10. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?????? HELP PLEASE!! 
I don't know what else to do here. I did a water change and still have nitrites.







PLEASE!!!!!


----------



## PirayaFanatic812 (Feb 21, 2004)

i think 10 is ok. Dude you can't totally get rid of nitrates foo. Nitrates is always gonna be there. Its the final product in the nitrogen cycle. The way you keep nitrates down low is water changes, and 10 should be ok.


----------



## DonD (Mar 11, 2004)

It sounds like your tank is at the tail end of its cycle. It shouldnt be much more than a week or so before everything is leveled out.
The nitrite level is high, but a water change or two will bring it back down to a tolerable level and wont interfere with the cycle.
Nitrates most certainly can be eliminated or practically so. Reef aquariums must have no or next to no nitrates to thrive and many of the ideas used for those tanks can be used for FW tanks. But it is not necessary like it is for marine tanks. As long as you keep nitrates as low as possible, there will be no problems. An absolute max for nitrate levels would be 40 ppm, and much lower for delicate fish like Discus. And you wouldnt want the nitrates to stay at 40 ppm for long periods.


----------



## Little Waffen (Mar 13, 2004)

OK COOL, BUT NOW ABOUT THE NITRITES, THEY ARE STILL HIGH, WATER CHANGES WILL BRING THEM DOWN??


----------



## rufus (Jan 6, 2004)

not really, just let it finish cycling, water changes wont do anything but delay the process.


----------



## Little Waffen (Mar 13, 2004)

VERY COOL MAN, THANKS A BUNCH.AND BTY,,,, I'M NOT A DUDE


----------



## DonD (Mar 11, 2004)

YES, water changes WILL lower the nitrites and NO they will NOT delay the process. The absolute most it MIGHT do is ad a day, and that is all. To delay the process you would have to remove all of the nitrites and normal water changes are NOT going to do that. It just lowers them enough to relieve the stress on fish.


----------



## Little Waffen (Mar 13, 2004)

THANKS FOR THE INFO MAN, I'M GONNA DO ANOTHER WATER CHANGE TODAY HOPEFULLY IT WILL LOWER IT A BIT.


----------



## No0dles (Dec 16, 2003)

where on the east coast?


----------



## the grinch (Feb 23, 2004)

Yeah water change is best. Your bacteria is in the gravel and filter (sponge)


----------



## Noe (Aug 22, 2003)

DonD said:


> YES, water changes WILL lower the nitrites and NO they will NOT delay the process. The absolute most it MIGHT do is ad a day, and that is all. To delay the process you would have to remove all of the nitrites and normal water changes are NOT going to do that. It just lowers them enough to relieve the stress on fish.


This is how the nitrogen cycle works is like this.
Ammonia will go high then come down,
Then nitrite will go high then come down.
Then you will have nitrate present.

If you have nitrite present? 
That is the cycle is that finish. 
If you do a water change you will delay the cycle. 
The only time you do a water change in to clean your water or if you have your nitrate to high.

This should be your measurements:
Ammonia............0 ppm
Nitrite.................0 ppm
Nitrate................20 - 40 ppm
Temp.................75 - 80 degree

If I'm wrong please someone correct me.


----------



## Little Waffen (Mar 13, 2004)

No0dLeMicE said:


> where on the east coast?


 LOCATED IN NJ


----------

