• Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.

Tank recycled

Im about 2 months into my tank, after it cycled i have added/been adding livestock moderately but not overstocking. Today my shrimp was basically in my rock and my fish was acting very weird(lethargic mostly) so I did a test, ammonia: 0 nitrite: 5+ nitrate: 20. What should I do? Currently in the middle of a 80% WC.
Edit: Also, my corals are acting fine and well which I think is good. Idk though.
 

Sunny

NJRC Member
Article Contributor
WC will make it worse. I would add some BioSpira to the tank and that should take care of it. Depending on where you are located, I might have a bottle if you want one.
 

Trio91

Administrator
Staff member
Moderator
Re-test first to make sure that your nitrates are at 20 to rule out user error then test after the WC.

Any new food or rocks or something go in? Also what size is this tank and what's your livestock count?
 
WC will make it worse. I would add some BioSpira to the tank and that should take care of it. Depending on where you are located, I might have a bottle if you want one.
Ok so, I checked this after doing water change. :( but my Nitrite is now .5 atleast but I’m sure that’s going to rise back up. I’m in AC, where are you?
 
Re-test first to make sure that your nitrates are at 20 to rule out user error then test after the WC.

Any new food or rocks or something go in? Also what size is this tank and what's your livestock count?
I did, nitrite at .5 and nitrates at 10 now. No new food or rocks. I feed mysis shrimp every other day. It’s a 10g reef with a single clown, fire shrimp, urchin and a small CUC. Have like 3 frags of coral in there now.
 

ecam

President
Staff member
Board of Directors
NJRC Member
Moderator
Nitrite. Is just as toxic as ammonia to fish.

Check to make sure we are on the same page. But if you nitrite and not nitrate. Then you should do an immediate water change. The fish are essentially swimming in ammonia.

You might still be cycling or have a death you might have missed
 
Nitrite. Is just as toxic as ammonia to fish.

Check to make sure we are on the same page. But if you nitrite and not nitrate. Then you should do an immediate water change. The fish are essentially swimming in ammonia.

You might still be cycling or have a death you might have missed
I think I spelled nitrite right but yeah it’s nitrite, did an 80% WC and got it to .5
 
Nitrite. Is just as toxic as ammonia to fish.

Check to make sure we are on the same page. But if you nitrite and not nitrate. Then you should do an immediate water change. The fish are essentially swimming in ammonia.

You might still be cycling or have a death you might have missed
Didn’t mean to post that yet, but basically I’ll just do daily WC till it’s gone, I didn’t notice any death, all my my livestock+coral is accounted for. Maybe a CUC member? I’ll check tomorrow.
 

ecam

President
Staff member
Board of Directors
NJRC Member
Moderator
80%. Should have that much lower. Do another water change

And had biospira or anything else you can get your hands on for bacteria
 

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Nitrite. Is just as toxic as ammonia to fish.

Check to make sure we are on the same page. But if you nitrite and not nitrate. Then you should do an immediate water change. The fish are essentially swimming in ammonia.

You might still be cycling or have a death you might have missed


Nitrite is an issue with freshwater fish, but saltwater, it really is of little concern. It would have to be through the roof before it became a problem.
 

ecam

President
Staff member
Board of Directors
NJRC Member
Moderator
Sorry for the false alarm. I defer to mr. Science.

Who is slowly coming back into the fold. :)
 
Top