# Just tested water and Nitrite is at 2+! maybe more



## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

How can I fix this ?

and the nitrate is at 10


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

test again to verify and do a water change to get the nitrite levels in check, you won't be able to bring it down to zero, but you should be able to cut it in half if you do a 50% change. after the water change, add salt to help with nitrite poisoning.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

what kind of salt ?


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## dmackey (Jan 26, 2010)

balluupnetme said:


> what kind of salt ?


what size is your tank ?


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Its a 100 gallon, are my nitrite and nitrate levels high because my tank is new ? Its been like 6 weeks...that I started the biological cycling

I got a caribe and rhom in there, are they gonna be harmed ?


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## dmackey (Jan 26, 2010)

i just had to tackle the same problem but my nitrates where twice as worse. so you have hope still don't panic. check out this link and it will answer alot of the questions you may be wondering ALOT!! http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.ph...t=0&start=0


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

I think I should do the 50% water change

Im gonna do it immediately right now


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## dmackey (Jan 26, 2010)

no i think you will be okay. put it this way i have 9 p's in a 46 gallon i had a pleco in there to but i gave it away and 2other lil fish(just the p's now) and my levels were twice as worse for weeks if that helps ease the worry and i got mine in control with water changes and a lil bit of table salt and i bought a bottle of prime from big als to help. the water changes helped alot and i also slowed down on feeding them and vac the gravel or sand daily.if you do use a lil table salt make sure to let it desolve on water 1st so you dont burn your fish by pouring salt on them.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

I just did a 50% water change


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## 1rhom (Nov 6, 2009)

Dilute a tbsp of aquarium salt with some water from your tank and dump it in. Don't feed for the next few days and see what happens.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

does it matter if the cup is half full or full ? How will I know when the salt is diluted ? does it get diluted within minutes or seconds ?


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## dmackey (Jan 26, 2010)

balluupnetme said:


> does it matter if the cup is half full or full ? How will I know when the salt is diluted ? does it get diluted within minutes or seconds ?


when you no longer see the salt


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

oh ok

I'm gonna go buy some aquarium salt


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

I never put aquarium salt in my tank...So is 1 table spoon enough ?


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## the keeper (Jan 16, 2010)

i use tha aquarium pharmaceutical salt, theres directions on how to use it, but i put a little less than what they say, but remember, it stays in your tank, and you loose some when you do water changes, so keep an eye on your peremeters.good luck bro


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Just checked this morning, My nitrite dropped to like 1.5 and my nitrate dropped to about 5, my ammonia is at about 0


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

Yes 1 table spoon is plenty. Watch for brown gills, fish hanging at the surface, or rapid moving gills. Those are all signs of nitrite poisoning. The salt should be taking care of all the symptoms though. If the nitrites go up anymore between today and tomorrow, I would do another 20-30% water change.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Just to add a couple things. It doesnt matter what kind of salt....and you dont need to dilute it.



balluupnetme said:


> Just checked this morning, My nitrite dropped to like 1.5 and my nitrate dropped to about 5, my ammonia is at about 0


From this reading...it seems like your nitrites are still increasing while the nitrates are stable. This would suggest that you do not yet have...or have in very limited amount...the bacteria that converts nitrites to nitrates. Probably a few weeks out from a completed cycle. I would continue to do 10% or 20% daily water changes...and add another table spoon of salt every 3 or 4 days.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

My tanks been cycling for like 6 weeks, I took a water sample like almost 2 weeks ago to petsmart and the lady said that my water is good, I'm guessing that the worker is f*****g stupid, I knew I shouldve test it myself

just checked my nitrite and it reads 0.50 ! Yesss I'm seeing good results ! Finally


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## dmackey (Jan 26, 2010)

good to hear . stay with it mann


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

I actually misread it...my nitrite is at 1, but it's better than yesterday ( it was a 2 !! Yesterday ) I'm gonna do a 15% water change tomorrow morning, add a tablespoon of salt and test it again


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## chaddfc (Dec 29, 2009)

I was having problems too not with nitrite but ammonia....my nitrite seemed to never spike or maybe I just missed it somehow but my ammonia keeps going from 0.25 to 0.50 then back down to 0.25 and once I had it at zero haha..... frustrating.......urgh. I also just use a little of the aquarium salt and Dilute it it takes a while so sometimes I just put it in a cup and strain out the water so no big chunks of salt are in there and put it in the tank.


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