How to Lower Nitrites in an Aquarium
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Hello Everyone,
You can buy a nitrite water test kit here (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Fx8H3H
Wanted to do a follow-up video about how to handle a nitrite spike. If you have ways in which you have handled them feel free to share your experiences too.
The Nitrogen Cycle in Detail:
• The Nitrogen Cycle - F...
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Thanks for watching!
Here is more information about water parameters. Definitely worth a look if you are trying to learn all you can about the subject!
What exactly is the nitrogen cycle? ua-cam.com/video/dFpN4wXgmfI/v-deo.html
What is Water Hardness? ua-cam.com/video/xRYdtvakfv0/v-deo.html
How Does pH Impact Fish Health? ua-cam.com/video/d9N-JliqsJg/v-deo.html
How to Lower Ammonia (This stuff is dangerous too) ua-cam.com/video/5l-POiCc0dI/v-deo.html
How to Lower Nitrates: ua-cam.com/video/rTdjjZRBIDU/v-deo.html
What Does Water Quality Really Mean? ua-cam.com/video/TkPwQGG1LMQ/v-deo.html
Thank you :))
Can u make a video that actually demonstrates adding salt and all that and of the testing that you do while this is going on.
Table salt? Or is that a silly question.
You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a simple answer: how much salt (and what type) do I use to help with high nitrate levels. You're straight to the point, and responsive in comments, so far, you have my vote as the best fish guy on the internet!
Thank you :-)
1TBSP/5G
i was freaking out about the Ammonia levels and was adding bacteria from a bottle, using ammonia remover... ended up prolonging the cycle ... finally just let it be and its finally cycles into stage 2 and now i'm freaking out about the Nitrites.. but I think the best way is to just be patient.. and do your water changes .. I think i'm more stressed out than my fish!!
Check out the nitrite video we did as well. That should help. : -)
I can relate
I can relate to this! Currently my situation 🤣 fish tanks are going to kill us! 😂
My fish tank is testing high for nitrites .... I'm freaking!!! Lol
Definetly... but thats because we have taken the responsibilities of these little fishes lives and there we want to ensure everything is safe for them
Thanks. I have been stressing about the nitrite levels in my tank.
Super helpful.
Thank you for watching! Hope everything turns out well.
This is probably the most informative video that I have seen on lowering nitrites. Thank You!
Jason explains the issue so well. Thanks so much. I appreciate his breaking down the chemistry of the tank cycle. Very informative.
Thank you!
Great info.
And that's the bottom line
cos stone cold said so
Haha. Years ago I had a kid come up to me who thought I was him. : -)
Prime Time Aquatics Look very much like him my man. I actually thought I put wrestlemania on :).
On a serious note though cheers for the video. helping greatly.
Now get me a hang an cheese samich!
Thank goodness I didn't hesitate to test my water anymore, and thank YOU for this helpful video. As soon as I did the water change, not even 5 minutes later, my sweet babies were no longer lethargic and began happily roaming their tank again!
The thing is if you do lots of water changes to remove nitrates, your also going to be raising the ph which is deadly for your fish especially if they like a low ph around 6.5. So what I recommend is a ph stabiliser which you add to the bucket filled of water before tipping it into your aquarium. This way you can do lots of water changes to lower your nitrates but also ensure your not raising your ph to much.
ph doesn't matter that much as long as it's stable. Stability is more important than hitting a specific number in most cases. Though I agree, water changes can cause fluctuations in pH and be problematic.
I just did everything you said. I did another water change. I added salt. I added a filter from my cycled tank. I also added double the dosage of prime to help bring it down to. We shall see what happens
DLS Shares Inc . Api salt . A 50 percent water change and a cycled filter , worked out pretty well.
Thank you ever so much. We had problems trying to get our nitrite level down. We added salt, and our fish have improved so much. Wish we knew about this a week ago.
Is it okay to add salt to a freshwater tank though ?? if so, how much do i add in a 20 gal tank??
@@katychapman306 2 tbsp
@@jt9513 just regular salt from the kitchen or is there a special salt?
@@jelenamocnik8662 Rock salt is fine but don't put table salt (regular kitchen salt). Make sure you dissolve it in water (some water from fish tank or use dechlorinated water) first for 15-30 minutes before adding it into the fish tank.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Great video! One of the best out there! Thank you for simplifying this for us.. I'm having an issue with high nitrites but ammonia is testing zero and everything else is in line. I just did a water change this morning and I'm consistent every week.. after I did the water change, it was still reading the same. I'm so hesitant on what to do because I don't want to hurt this little guy, I only have a 5 gallon tank. Would it be ok to do 2 water changes a week? Or should I be doing more until my tank stabilizes a bit?... How long does it take for the nitrite levels to go down I'm wondering... I don't want to over due the water changes either ya know lol.. Theres so much to learn and I'm trying my best to do the right thing. Any info is much much appreciated!
You can certainly do multiple small water changes every week (probably better in the long run). Good luck!
Thanks! Will do, I'm keeping a close eye on it. Have a great day! I always appreciate the information you share🌿🐟
@@PrimeTimeAquatics I looked through the comments to see if anyone else had asked as I have the same issue. Ammonia is 0 (not even the slightest tinge to the colour) and Nitrate is about 20mg/l but my Nitrite is showing around 0.2-0.3mg/l.
Do I still do a water change if my tap water is showing about 0.4mg/l (before I add any de-chlorinator)? I know water changes are needed to reduce Nitrates, but it seems to me my Nitrites in the tank are lower than what's being introduced from the tap. I have to admit that comparing the colour in the test tube against the colour chart is hard when there's such as gradual colour difference between each level as i wonder if it changes depending on what direction the light is coming from.
Confused.
@@madmax1412 i’m having the same issue but my nitrite and nitrate is quite high, been doing water changes daily and it’s not doing anything. Fish are starting to gasp for air and i’m worried about their life. I tried adding beneficial bacteria and no help either. My tap water has no nitrite either. I dont know what to do
@@madmax1412 Hey Max, I have the same issue after about a month, my nitrites were pretty consistantly tested at around 0.25ppm. I added Seachem prime right before a test and I could totally tell the difference between the light blue and the purple. Once a little purple comes in, it means nitrites are too high! We should be aiming for that light blue (0ppm). I know it doesn't solve the problem but hope someone finds this useful.
Is it true you shouldn’t add salt if you’ve got a pleco, or other scaleless fish?
Scaleless fish that is true. It depends on the pleco though. Our bristlenose have handled salt for medical treatments fairly well.
Prime Time Aquatics good to know, thanks for the reply!
Yeeessss thank you I love you❤️ my fishies have now oxygen, filters, food and decorations. They are so happy❤️
Great to hear!
Hello Jason! I have a new 75 gallon tank. The nitrite level if fairly high. The nitrates not as high. Will continual water changes reset the cycle or should I just continue to use Prime?
If you don’t have fish in the tank let the nitrite rise. If you do have fish, water changes and adding Fritzyme Turbo Start will help!
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thanks for your quick response. I have 4 small koi temporarily housed in my 75 gallon. They don't sell Fritzme Turbo Start at any of my local pet stores so I'm waiting for it to come in the mail. In the meanwhile, I have been using Prime and Stability daily.
Do I need to continue to do 30% water changes until the nitrite levels go down?
I also put in used media from a 3 year old established tank.
Oldy but goody here.
Thanks Jason. Adding some salt to my new guppy tank that I’m experiencing elevated nitrite in. Pulling out the fry so I can temporarily add a small HOB filter with media from my established goldfish tank.
I've been doing a fishless cycle as a newbie for 2 months now with it being stalled. I started with 2ppm of ammonia and used API quick start and my tank wasn't converting to Nitrite. I asked a local fish store and they told me to leave it alone. I contacted the specialist of the store after 3 week of nothing and they told me to raise the ammonia and give it more time. Over a month later still nothing. I finally went to another store and they recommended Seachem prime and Stability and I dosed stability into the tank and next day it converted to Nitrites and then it stalled above 5ppm my master API kit says and my strips say 10ppm. After 2 weeks I went back with a water sample. And ammonia was still present but lower at about 0.25, nitrites were high and nitrates were low. They told me to double dose Stability and gave me some water from one of there tanks, they said the water will give it a turbo boost ( which doesn't make sense since I've heard that bacteria doesn't live in the water column but sits in filter media or tank surfaces ) but have tried it anyways and still nothings happening. It's been a disaster to the point I've looked at a empty tank wanting to cry. I'm hoping if nothing happens within another 2 weeks I'll give it a 50% water change will help like you said🥺
I haven't found that to work particularly well. If you add Fritzyme 7 it should help.
How often are we doing the water changes?
Daily?
Weekly?
If nitrites are high - daily
My fish are dying because of this 😢 Now I have a fish graveyard in my garden😢😭 I love you fishies! Rip.
That stinks. Hang in there.
Prime Time Aquatics thank you. ;(
Yes my fish are all dying I'm so hurt
I am on week 5 of fish in cycle with 20 gallon. Two mollies and two platies. All thriving. In the beginning my ammonia rose from 0 to about 2ppm but as of 2 weeks ago, it has steadily read 0ppm. A little over 2 weeks ago, my nitrites began to rise to 2-5ppm and has steadily been reading 2ppm since 5/2/23. My nitrate began reading 5ppm 2 weeks into the cycle and 40ppm 3 weeks into the cycle. I did a 50% water change and my nitrates have been hovering around 5-10ppm for the last week. I have been dosing daily with Prime and Stability, at times double or triple dosing Prime only. I added water wisteria and dwarf sagged 4 weeks into the cycle to help. For the last 2 weeks, my ammonia has been 0ppm and my nitrates have been hovering and averaging 10ppm. My nitrites have not yet reached 0ppm. Is my tank cycled? Is it stalled? Do I do big water changes 1-2 days apart to get nitrites to 0ppm? If so, what %? Will that big water change affect or lose any of my beneficial bacteria? I have been feeding my fishes 1x a day since about 1-1.5 weeks ago. I even added a pre-filter sponge to my intake tube of my TopFin SilenStream filter two weeks ago to aid in growing more beneficial bacteria and modified my filter yesterday by adding a sponge, polyfil, bio-media rings and cutting out the filter floss from the original cartridge and putting that back in my filter as to not lose my beneficial bacteria. I did remove the original and now 5 week old carbon as I heard those go bad after some time.
Water changes can help manage the nitrites until they are gone. I would leave all the old media in too. Good luck!
I just did a water change- 40% yesterday- do it again? I wish I could put a pic on here of test results. Im a new fish keeper. I subscribed to your channel before I finished cycling my tank. Ph is 6.6, Am is 0, Nitrite is over 2.0 very dark purple and my nitrate is dark too, maybe 40-80.
Ya I would try to water changes to help reduce nitrite. You could also try Fritz Turbo Start.
Thank you for the great tips. I have 2 questions though. What should I do if my room temperature is between 80 to 90 F in the summer? 2nd, Why when I test my new aquarium water by API test kit, I get zero ammonia, zero Nitrite, and very high Nitrate (above 150)? What kind of fish do you recommend for my tank based on this temperature?
You may have nitrate in your tap water. To bring that down you will need lots of plants or an RO unit and remineralize that. Since you left tank could get as warm as 85-86 - rams, discus, cardinal tetras and there are some plecos that love it that warm too!
I did my water test today and I request you to help.
1. Ammonia-0ppm
2.pH-7.6
3. Nitrite- more than 5ppm
4. Nitrate- 40 ppm
This is a planted tank established on 19/08/2022
What step should I take to lower the nitrite and nitrate levels
If there are no fish in the tank you can leave it alone and let it come down on its own. If there are fish in the tank I would do daily 50% water changes and add Fritz Turbo Start which has live nitrifying bacteria. Hope this helps!
Hi Jason, I hope you are fine. Thank you for your usual support I used hot to clean the gravel and it was super advise you saved for me lot of money with your advise
please i need your help again
I think your advise always is to the point and I trust on you very much.
For the last month I have had some problem with my discus fish as I told you, fin rot, swim bladder infection and now they are very much better. My question please is how to sterilize the bio media since I am afraid to use it because I assume it holds bacteria, since I am going to use the filter soon for a second aquarium which has health fish .
Shop keepers advise to replace the media which is very high coast and my bio media is new only 2 months old !!!
Also I want the best way to sterilize the aquarium itself since I am having new fish coming soon ( I am not very fan to use bleach for sterilization) do you have other way??
I thank you very much for your usual help and support
Kind regards
Nasir
10% bleach does work very well for both the filter and tank. If not that you could try either hydrogen peroxide or vinegar. I have also found letting the filter and tank dry completely will help destroy microbes (except possibly spore/cyst formers). Thanks for watching!
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you very much for your reply and advise I prefer the vinegar method, a d I like this idea of let all the equipment dry.👍👍👍👍
Thanks a lot
When I first saw the video thumbnail, I thought Stone Cold Steve Austen decided to take up this hobby
Because Stone Cold SAID SO! : -)
Haha. Someone off screen needs toss in two beers
Hahahahhaa!!!
Ikr!!
should i do daily water changes and use nitrifying bacteria? I have shrimp and it seems like the nitrates just arent going away soon
Do you discover the salt in water before adding it?
Usually the only time you have to worry about that is if you have a water softener
I’m freaking out because I got a puffer with its original tank who’s nitrates and nitrites are sky high. I did a 50% water change and added prime today and tomorrow (now today) will be doing it again. Its a green spotted puffer juvenile and idk if she can tolerate the frequent water change, but I was told at the store it’s better than being stressed with those dangerous chemicals. Please please get back to me! I had no idea how polluted her tank was because previous owners weren’t aware of it. I’m also going to vacuum her sand as I do it for the first time as I have the tool and just learned the technique. Her nitrates are 80 ppm and I believe 10 for the nitrites . Originally it was over 160/80 but I’m using strips and not the API test. The API at the fish store said it was that number. Once I got home and made slight changes I think it’s gone down but since I’m new I don’t trust myself
You are on the right track. The other option is to add live nitrifying bacteria (like Fritz Turbo Start). That will help lower the nitrites as well.
I just did a water test using my API freshwater kit on my 55 gallon water cow goby tank and my Nitrites were at 1 ppm. I just did a water change the day before testing. Should I do another water change to bring it to 0? Or add some aquarium salt?
I would do both. You could also look at Fritzyme 7, which has beneficial bacteria that can help lower nitrite too.
Prime Time Aquatics thank you for the feedback. Appreciate it 👍
I have a 3 gallon half moon with no live plants and a 3" goldfish (i know...) i had no time to cycle and passed ammonia, now nitrite! Any idea how much salt to add? Working on doing daily water changes
If you put a cycled sponge filter in a new tank along with bacteria in a bottle with a brand new HOB filter how long will it take for the bacteria to establish themselves in the new HOB? I’ve been told at least a good month. How true is that? I’ve been doing this hobby for a long time and can never really tell.
The cycled sponge filter is instant so you can add a small number of new fish right away.
I have guppies, a swordfish & a patley in my 55 gallon fish tank, it says my hardness is high & alkalinity is high, my cycle has only been going on for 2 weeks. Should I be worried? I am worried I’m scared to mess anything up or harm my fish in anyway. So far they are fine, what the easiest thing I could do right now? How long will everything take? Will my fish be okay for now until I do some water changes throughout?
Is also says my ph is high
You will have to keep testing the water to see if there is an ammonia spike. Fritz Turbo Start can help though.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics do I still have to do regular water changes?
Should I be adding stability if my nitrites are high!? I've added salt but no used media and using safe for water conditioning!
You can use chems that neutralize nitrite, but it may prolong the process a bit. You could also try Fritzyme 7?
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thx for replying back, I only ever use seachem products. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Just tested my salt water tank--all parameters are good---Nitrate is zero but on my Hanna tester it shows Nitrite as 15.
All corals and fish are doing good. How bad is 15?
Thank You
The ideal concentration of nitrite in a reef aquarium is less than 0.2 ppm or 200 ppb. Nitrite levels above this value may weaken sensitive fish and corals.
just wondering adding salt to planted tank.. salt will harm the plants.. so how to i lower the nitrite in my tank tq
Salt can harm plants. Salt doesn't lower nitrite, it just helps prevent some of the damage it does to fish. Live nitrifying bacteria (like Fritz Turbo Start) can help.
Great presentation! Well planned and coordinated. Thank you!
Thank you Lonnie. Appreciate you watching!
After high nite it levels in my 3.5 gallon tank I have done a 30% water change 2 days in a row. Is this too often? Should I keep doing it daily? I will continue to test the water each day. It’s gotten slightly better but still not safe. I bought aquarium salt today and also bought a 5 gallon tank I’m going to cycle for my beta. Any advice? I’m so worried about my little guy! Please advise. I appreciate it.
I do not have a cycled filter to use to help.
Absolutely - you can do daily water changes until nitrite is finally eliminated.
Prime Time Aquatics ok thanks so much!
Sorry if this was asked already but what kind of salt?
Hello, I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank that I am in the process of cycling. I have 2 molly's, 2 platy's, 2 nerite snails, and a clown pleco in my tank with several plants. I added bacteria to the tank 10 days ago and after several weeks of nothing but 1.0 ppm of Ammonia I finally got some Nitrate. About four days ago I began to see Nitrite readings and I did a 50% PWC and added more bacteria. Last night I had a Nitrite reading of about 0.5 ppm and so I did two 50% water changes back to back and added more of the bottled bacteria. Today the reading was approximately 0.25 ppm. I haven't noticed my fish swimming to the top and gasping for air or anything like that but I'm worried about the levels anyway. I don't know anyone with a fish tank that I could get beneficial bacteria from. Should I add salt as you suggested with the type of fish that I have and the plants or keep doing the water changes only?
The fish you have will all like the salt, but the plants probably wont. At this point I would keep up with water changes and reduce feeding. Looks like things are headed in the right direction.
Prime Time Aquatics, roger that. Thanks for the response!
Hello, thanks for this info .im really having a hard time with this new tank syndrome. i eliminated amonia now i have nitrite problem. but i have a question, will salt not gonna harm my newly established biofilter?
Not usually at the small concentrations necessary to reduce nitrite poisoning.
thank you. I really appreciate it
Im a beginner here and i would like to know more of the cichlid lake salt and cichlid trace if its advisable to put in 130 gallon fish tank with 3 2" tigger oscar fish?
Depends on your tap water parameters, but I don't find it necessary to add salt to Oscar tanks.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you.
Hi! Does the salt harm my neocaridina or are they ok with it to?
It can so I might not add it to my shrimp tank.
Should I still do a water change if my tank is not cycled and my nitrates are high?
Do not have access to used media either .
If there are fish in the tank I would. If not you can let it go.
Do you have a recommendation for salt and also fish that are hardy that can withstand both the water changes and salt factor? Thanks again for the video!
We use solar naturals water softener salt. Most African cichlids don’t mind a little salt.
I'm entering week 2 of my planted aquascape...I've been doing daily 50% water changes for the 1st week, I have nitrites as high as the API test will show. I did have some crypts melt and my lower emersed leaves on my stem plants are dying away as the new leaves grow in, should I switch to 50% water changes every other day? I'm using Seachem Stability, Seachem Prime, I have ADA SuperJet ES 600 filled with bio rio and activated carbon, with purigin, and some filter floss... with an ADA VUPPA II skimmer with 2 bubble per second pressurized co2.. my other good condition plants are pearling and happy... but my nitrites are still crazy. My ph is 6.6 and my kh is 3 and gh is 6, I'm using aqua soil amazonia ver 2 with Power Sand Basic underneeth with all the fixins. Using the brighty K mineral, iron, all the little dropper bottles like green bacer and stuff...everything other than nitrogen, i was told to hold off on this for at least a month by aqua forest aquarium... but I'm not sure if I should keep up 50% per day or let the tank settle for 48hrs between the changes... will that help somehow?
That is a good plan. The other thing you can do is get some Fritzyme Turbo start. That has beneficial bacteria and can bring the nitrites down pretty fast.
What are your thoughts on Prime for detoxifying NH3 and NO2?
Lots of people use it as a water conditioner, but it probably won't make a dramatic difference in ammonia or nitrite conditions long term. It might help in the short run though. I use Fritzyme 7 to start tanks and if there is a big issue Fritz Turbo Start - they both add nitrifying bacteria that will deal with the issue!
Prime will REMOVE Chlorine and Chloramine.
Prime DETOXIFIES Ammonia, Nitrite, and NitrAte be causing it to Bond, essentially clump together, thus preventing the Fish from assimilating these.
However this Bonding is short term Only, the effects last only about 1 day. This is to provide time for action, such as a Water Change.
Cycling a Tank from scratch is a Two Part process. Ammonia is necessary for the "Ammonia" Bacteria to multiply and convert the Ammonia into Nitrite. This can take time depending upon how the Bacteria was seeded, which is also necessary because "Spontaneous Generation" of these two Different Bacterium is almost impossible in an Aquarium.
The "Nitrite" Bacteria need Nitrite to multiply, so their multiplication doesn't start until there is available Nitrite. This is the Second Stage. Once this colony prospers and expands, they will produce NitrAte.
To keep the First Stage active and viable Ammonia must be supplied or the Ammonia Bacteria colony will be lost. Lose the Ammonia Bacteria then No Nitrite and this Colony will die also. This is the "Cycle Crash".
Should i drop the salt in the water? that salt i have on my food sometimes?
You can, we generally use aquarium salt.
How much salt should I use for a 20 gallon tank to reduce nitrites?
I usually use maintenance doses of about 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons as long as the fish can handle it.
So this is saying, put the little black rocks out of used filters and put them in the bottom of the filter tub?
I actually don’t use the carbon
I have a 30 gallon tank the water's been in the tank about 2 weeks have 10 fish they've been in the tank about a week I have a five-year-old so we're trying to get feeding the fish down pat does over feeding the fish create more ammonia which creates more nitrites? When I feed the fish what's up propriate amount to feed them I heard is a pinch? When I do my first water change I'm thinking about doing a 30% I've been told that I shouldn't change my filter floss when I do a water change?
Yes, the more you feed the more ammonia and nitrite will be produced. You could consider adding Fritz Turbo Start, which will add live nitrifying bacteria and cut down on the ammonia and nitrite you will have.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics is that similar to aqueon pure-life beneficial bacteria and enzymes?(petco sells that)
I started the tank with 4 neon tetras, 3 platy,then a couple days later I added a catfish,then once a full week hit I added one gold segrum,three Kory cat fish,and a pleco...the next day one of my platy was dead..
So you think I added more fish to soon? And that also could have changed the waters consistency? When I add fish,should I have put some of the stuff like the turbo start in it?
Lastly,I took my water to petco and had them test it,sne said either the nitrite,or nitrates was high,I thought it was the same thing until I watched your video lol.
She recommended I do a 30% water change..what do you think? Should I do that and add beneficial bacteria?
ARE the petco products any good??
Thanks for the info in advance!!!
Very informative videos!!
i HAVE A 8 GALLON TANK WITH TWO GOLD FISH, ONE SNAIL, MOSS, 1 PLANT, MY NITRATES TES 3 MY PH IS 6 WHICH IS FINE SHOULD I NOT CHANGE THE FILTERS , I DECIDED TO USE THE OLD FILTER PAD AND PLACE IT IN THE TANK, WILL THIS HELP TO REDUCE NITRATE LEVELS, I DO A WATER CHANGE EVERY WEEK , I AM NEW TO THIS MY DAUGHTER WON THEM IN A CARNIVAL, I FELT BAD FOR THEM, SO I ORDERED A 55 GALLON TANK, BUT, I AM WORRIED ABOUT THIS NITRATE LEVEL
My tank just showed 0 ammonia .25 nitrite 20 nitrate. Do u think the nitrogen cycle is almost done? It’s a fish in cycle bec I didn’t know about nitrogen cycle. It’s my first tank ever. And u talked about salt. What kind of salt is it?
Aquarium salt is safest. Sounds like it’s getting there!
Oh ok thank u! Btw one more question, if a tank has .5 ammonia 2ppm nitrite 80ppm nitrate? It’s a fishless cycle using ammonia it started with 2ppm..Do u redose ammonia or just wait it out or do a water change?
Hi again, Jason!
I have a live plant, a neurite 🐌 and 4 Endlers. Questions: (1) Don't I need to take out the fish and snail when I do a 50% water change and "salt" for my 3.5g tank? (2) Is there anything I can purchase at pet store to reduce nitrite, where I wouldn't have to use salt, at all? Kinda worried about Sly (neurite 🐌)
(3) Should I be doing more weekly water changes - like 2-3 times each week for nano tank?
(3A) Will my Endlers and snail 🐌 not do well if I leave them in their tank when performing a 50% water change??
Awwww, Jason.... Thank you so much for your expertise!! Keep the videos coming!!! I'm learning quite a bit from you...
All good questions.
1) You can leave the fish in the tank. It will be less stressful for them opposed to catching every time.
2) Yes, Fritzyme 7 contains beneficial bacteria that will help bring nitrites down.
3) You can certainly up the frequency of water changes to help the situation.
Hope everything works out well. BTW - both the endlers and nerite snail won't mind the extra salt. The plant may not like it, however.
Great video- but what if you dont have other filter media to put into your filter? Also, I have cory catfish in my tank so not sure I can add aquarium salt? Anything else I can do?
Check this out! ua-cam.com/video/rVQTib_SbZw/v-deo.html
If you do not have any used filter media, can you put the filter in and the put food and allow it rot to raise ammonia and put live plants then wait for the water parameters to lower. Then put the fish in?
Absolutely!
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thanks!! I would have never been able to get fish if it weren't for your videos!
I've been cycling my tank for almost 2 months now. Just recently the ammonia dropped to 0 and the nitrites are at around 0.25. Nitrates are sky high as of now. Any advice on that?
Its cycled then do a water change. I'm stuck at nitrites
If your nitrates are high, you can probably start doing water changes and maybe a fish or two and see how they do.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics I'm stuck at nitrites they keep spiking!
@@KlikAndSeuss how long did it take your tank to cycle. I've been trying to cycle mine for 10 weeks and my nitrite has been stuck at 2ppm for nearly 6 weeks
What kind of salt? And will it hurt my plants? What kind of fish can't tolerate it? I have Cories, guppies, mollies, tetras and Danios
Aquarium salt. Corys and tetras may not like it.
Hello I just set up my 72l tank 3 days ago. On day 2 the reading for ammonia and nitrite were both 0. But today on day 3 nitrite is 5ppm/ ammonia is still 0. Do you know what this could be? I have been suggested to do a water change but it seems unusual since the tank has only been running for 3 days. Another person told me to wait a few days. I am not sure what to do. I have live plants, but no fish . I added tap conditioner and quick start when setting up the aquarium. Thank you!
I really want to make sure my tank is safe to add some guppies. Thank you for your help!
If you have no fish in the tank I wouldn't do a water change. Just let the nitrite come down naturally and once it hits zero you can add a small number of fish.
What is used filter media? How often do we add salt?
The salt is only added once or re-added based on water change volume. Used filter media is filter sponge of other types of media that came from an existing cycled tank.
I’m having trouble with nitrite levels atm. They are really high. I’ve been doing about 20-30% water changes every 5 days to try and reduce it but I just can’t get it down? Any tips?
Keep doing the water changes and add salt if the tank is not planted and the fish can handle it.
Prime Time Aquatics I have a 90L freshwater tank with one small bubble eye, 4 guppies and two corydoras. Should I add salt to a freshwater tank? I’ll probably get some live plants
What to do? I have my new tank and ive been cycling it for 1month now and still my nitrite are high 0 ammonia 7.0ph i did alot of water change already. Its seems like its not going down. And does the tonic salt works? Thanks steve austin
One of the things you could do is add Fritzyme 7. It has nitrifying bacteria that will bring the nitrites down.
ive just started cycling my nano tank about 3 days ago . I actually forgot to get the fish foods but will only need it in at least another 3 weeks or so . I took 4 cat pellets and bombed that in the the tank to get the nitrogen cycle going . I hope no one has heard that doing that is particularly bad or something
I have nitrite at 1. Could I wash the filter from tank No 1 into my tank no2? Just shake the filter? Would that help?
You could do that or just transfer the filter media over from the old tank to the new one if the old tank is already well established.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you!
So guess was over feeding in the QT tank nitrites where up and nitrates did a 75% water change added some used media and used filter floss that was dirty dosed with alpha and seed how long should I wait to test or do another water change
Usually when that happens I rest everyday until everything is normal.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics ok so should I do another water change or just test ? Since I dosed with alpha
What could cause a nitrite spike in a established outdoor pond? I have a 30gal tub outside that has been cycled and stocked for a couple months now. I did a water test yesterday, as I try to do them at least once a month on my ponds and the nitrite was high. I'm going to do a 50% water change and fast the fish for a day or two and see what happens. I was just curious what could have caused this in the first place.
Maybe something from the outside got in there? Maybe waste from an animal? Temperature or pH change that resulted in bacterial load reduction? Maybe temporary dissolved O2 reduction? It's hard to say with something outdoors (the environment is less controlled). You're dealing with it appropriately though!
I have a five gal planted tank with 3 guppies will the salt harm my plants? Ive been doing about 50 to 30% water changes every few days, its a new tank and the nitrite levels have been getting high
Some plants are a little more tolerant than others, but usually plants don't respond well to excess salt.
Hi. My tank is 2 weeks old cycling. No fish yet. Do I need to make water change? Ammonia 0.25 , Nitrite 0.1, Nitrate 2.5. Thank you
Good question - No, go ahead and let the ammonia and nitrite peak. It will cycle faster without the water changes.
Thank you 😊
Should i add a sponge filter along with my hang on the back since I think my tank is overstocked for now
Probably not necessary unless you are having water clarity issues.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics the clarity is alright i just have a high nitrite
How do I set up a new tank?
I did half filtered water half tap, with a water conditioner and bacteria booster.
I have live plants , filter .
How long do I cycle ?
And is there anything I need to do to make sure my water is ready for my little water babies?
Hey - check out out beginner series on fish keeping. That should answer all your questions. Also, your tank is ready when there are no nitrites or ammonia and nitrates are starting to register on your test kit. You can get test strips for all three online.
I’ve been panicking. Didn’t understand nitrogen cycle before adding fish. Have 6 tetras and 2 mystery snails in the tank and it is one month old. Ammonia was practically non existent for a few weeks, then was holding steady at .5 ppm until it spiked at 1ppm last week. I’ve been doing 25-30% water changes 3+ times a week to combat the issue since it started, adding prime as well as fluval cycle. My nitrites have been zero until this week when they finally reared their ugly head.
After a water change 24 hours ago ammonia finally got to the lowest it’s been in a week….. .25 and finally more yellow than green in the test tube. Unfortunately now the nitrites keep spiking to 1 ppm even with all the water changes and I’m so stressed. My nitrates are super low…finally starting to turn the faintest orange…looks like about 2.5 ppm. Any tips on what else I can do to keep my fish alive. I feel so bad for these poor little souls. I never would have put them through this if I had known.
You are doing the right thing. Keep feeding light and continue to do water changes. The nitrites should come down in the next week or so.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you! I’m willing to do anything necessary to keep them safe. Checked water parameters again tonight…ammonia is finally at zero but nitrites still between .5-1. I’m hoping nitrites start dropping soon as well.
I need some help here. I have a ten gallon tank and I had six guppies and four of them died to dropsy (something like that) I think it's the nitrite and ammonia levels in the tank. My filter is a carbon aqueon one with ammonia reducing pads in front. I have two questions
I want to use the epson salt method and changing water method. For the epson salt on a teaspoon per ten gallons do I do it daily?
For the carbon filter cartridge can I switch in between two or do I have to constantly buy and dispose?
Sorry if it sounds all over the place and for it being late I just need help
So here's what I would do. I probably wouldn't add more stuff to the tank right now without knowing exactly where your water parameters are at (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate). If ammonia and/or nitrite is high, I would follow the instructions in the videos I have done for both to lower it. I would probably use aquarium salt if you are going to add salt. If water parameters are causing sickness I would get that straight, which should help your fish stay healthy. Hope this helps.
I’d just apply my nitrite test today in my 2.5gallon tank it has 0.10ppm upon reading is this good?
Typically you don’t want any nitrite in the tank at all. Zero ammonia and nitrite and nitrate readings at 20ppm of less. If it doesn’t get any higher that is a good sign.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics hello my current reading of nitrite is 0.05ppm is it good or not?
My nitrites are high even tho I did a water change and cleaned up the tank, my fish are fine. The ph is neutral and my nitrates are low. If the ph would of been higher in my tank would there be a bigger chance of an ammonia spike in the tank? My fish have been healthy even tho my nitrites have been a little up
You would still read ammonia using a test kit regardless of the pH, it's just that the unionized ammonia (the bad kind) would be lower at a lower pH. I would continue to do water changes and reduce feeding until the nitrites are back to zero.
what do you do if betta has bad fin rot and your tank is still cycling and everytime you do a 30% water change daily and add aquarium salt beneficial bacteria then 24 hours later readings are 7.6 ph ..7.4 high ph ..0 ammonia ..Nitrite is still level at 0.25..nitrate 5ppm
do i just keep doing 30%water changes daily? can i medicate my betta in an uncycle tank?
You are getting really close to having it cycled. I would still medicate since the fin rot, if left untreated, will kill the fish anyway.
My goldie seems to have veins showing in his tail - apparently this is a haemorrhage due to an ammonia/nitrite spike. After a week I’ve finally got my ammonia and nitrites at 0ppm but he’s still just sitting at the bottom of the aquarium. Do you know how long it’ll take him to get back to his usual self from something like this?!
It might take a while. Sometimes gill tissue gets pretty damaged when ammonia is high.
Does it matter what type of salt I use? How much do i put inside a 20 gal freshwater tank?
it does matter it has to be aquarium salt, and it says how much to put in the back of the package depending on the gallons
I need help, new 10gal tank. It’s had water in it for about a week. Wife wanted glofish, we put 4 in. They died within 12 hours, I realize it was too many fish to quickly. The tank had been running for about 4 day when we added the glofish. So local pet store suggested a feeder fish to help establish the tank. That feeder fish made it about 3 days and is now dead. I’m starting to think its my water, just not sure what to do about it. I’ve tested my water, I have very hard water 300ppm, nitrate lvl are roughly 20ppm, nitrite is somewhere between 3.0-5.0 ppm, total Alkalinity is 300 ppm so that is high as well. PH lvl is on the Alkaline side of things. Where do I begin to correct this water? I don’t want to keep putting fish in everything dies. Please help. Thanks
I would start with adding some fritzyme 7 to bring the nitrite down. After that - maybe look at some hard water fish like guppies?
Hello! I set up my new 115 liters tank almost 3 weeks ago. 1 week ago I introduced a small bn pleco to give some "ammonia boost" amd initiate the cycle. Today i did the tests which showed 0 ammonia 1mg/l nitrites and 20mg/l nitrates. Are these indications normal for the cycle process or should i correct smth?? 🐟
Looks like it's headed in the right direction!
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Great!! Cause I was thinking that my nitrites were too high after all these days. So I wait until the nitrites go to 0 and then I can stock with fish?
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Also when the cycle will appear to be complete should I perform the first water change before I put some new fish in?
Ya, I would wait until the nitrites hit zero.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thank you for your help! 🐟🐟
Thanks for the tip mate...
Now here is a real good question i had ich on my clown loaches i treated my 4ft tank with white spot remedy treatment did a 50% water change left it for 3 days went to my aquarium for a water test ammonia level was ok the nitrate and nitrite level where off the chart before the water change and where slowly going down with the 2nd jar that was after water change now 6 days after the ich treatment i have now noticed its coming back again what can i do to get rid of ich all together
Clown loaches are tricky. I have always used copper-based meds in tanks without plants and invertebrates, but the copper based meds are also tough on loaches. The two meds that have worked for me are Cupramine (copper-based) and Ich-X. I always combine that with temps around 84 degrees F and the addition of salt (about 1 tablespoon per five gallons). I don't stop treatment until seven days after the last white spot is seen. Again - be carfeul with copper -based meds and if you have plants the salt may not be an option either. Hope this helps.
So can your nitrates be higher if you have a brackish tank??
Good question - I would still try to keep them around the same range.
Is there any way of adding live bacteria “that works “ if so what wound you recommend
Yes! Fritzyme 7 had worked for us many times.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics I’ll give it a try
Hi pls could i get some info pls. I dont have ammonia now since adding live plants. But i have 0.5 nitrite and 10 nitrate. Seems like its been stuck like that less than a week now?. Thanks
That's fairly normal. My guess is you will see the nitrite come down with a week, maybe slightly longer.
Thank u for replying :) also i got java fern. Is it normal to have black spots and some of the top of the leaves look darker colour. I have had them since monday. Ive been using flourish and added a dose of jbl proflora on the day i got them. Is this all normal. Thank you.
I planted a tank with 14 plants. Nitrite is spiking, all other levels good. Wondering how to quickly bring this down? I have only starter fish but still don't want them to die (Danios, Skirt Tetras). 1 month old 125g aquarium. Ammonia right now is about zero so I'm still wondering how nitrites are so high. I think it is because the plants are in shock and shedding/melting a bit.
Sounds like the tank is still cycling. Plants can help, but it can also take a while. You could try Fritzyme Turbo Start, which contains live nitrifying bacteria.
Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it.
Hey Jason, I have a question that I really hope you can answer. I live in Wyoming, so there isn’t much help around here for aquatic stuff, so I hope you see this even though it’s on such an old video. I recently started a 55 gallon Mbuna cichlid tank. Right now I have 14 Mbuna cichlids, 1 pleco, and 2 peacock cichlids. All still fairly little, anyways. My ammonia levels are holding at 0, my nitrate levels are at 5.0 ppm but my nitrite levels are up above 5.0 ppm. I do 1/4 water changes every other day or every three days and I added salt, (1 teaspoon per 10 gallons) with the water changes I add half a teaspoon of salt to replace the salt from the water change. Anyways, I cannot get my nitrite levels down and I’m unsure of what to do to get them down. I have an emperor 400 along with a Fluval 405 so I have plenty of filtration. Any help/advice would help immensely and be greatly appreciated!
Hey - couple things to check. 1) Make sure you don't have any nitrite in your water source. 2) You could add Fritz Turbo Start, which will add beneficial bacteria to the tank and hopefully bring it down.
I thought about testing my water, (I am on a ranch so I have spring water, not in town) and the test came back as 0, I will try the turbo start, thanks a bunch! I’ve been pretty worried about it for about 3 weeks now
I had a bad ammonia spike in my 10 gallon Betta tank. I have 2 mollies, 2 mystery snails and a lone ghost shrimp . It is a planted tank, so I'm trying to dodge using salt. Well, I dropped my ammonia levels down to 1ppm from a whopping 6+ (used Ammo lock to neutralize said Ammonia ) but I noticed a Nitrite level of around 1ppm yesterday. At this rate will 30% water changes bi-daily balance things out? Will a Bio-Stone be my best solution or should I use some salt just to be safe and neutralize the Nitrite?
I would go daily changes with reduced feeding. You could also add some Fritzyme 7 to help things along.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thanks! Got rid of the ammonia completely. I've added a little bit more than an half a tsp of solar crystals salt just to detoxify until I can get that product you recommended
I used salt one day ago and they're still gasping for air. I have Sachem Ammonia Alert and it shows zero ammonia. So I'm guessing the problem is nitrites. I really don't know what to think?
Aquarium is well oxygenated and temperature is ok
I would definitely test for nitrite. That way you know how to proceed?
I was going nuts trying to cycle my tank. Zero ammonia but between .5 nitrites. After breaking my back doing daily water changes it finally occurred to me to test my tap water and sure enough....tap water has between .25--.5 nitrites! Any tips? Or am I stuck using spring water 😭
You could try something like Fritz ACCR. It will bind ammonia and nitrite.
Also do I only use the salt once or do I use it everyday???
I generally add more if I do a water change to keep it at one tablespoon per 5-10 gallons. So if I have a 40 gallon and change out 10 gallons I might add another tablespoon.
How frequent should the water changes be to not stress out the fish more?
We do ours weekly, but if there is a water quality issue - every day!
New 5 gallon tank with only one Betta and 4 small to mini Marimo balls in it.
Tank was at optimum levels until I did my first gravel vac & water change. After water change (2.5 gal), Nitrites jumped the next day to .25 ppm! Did another 2.5 gal water change as soon as I realized it... the next day the Nitrite level dropped only very slightly but not to 0 ppm and now the Amonia level has started to rise up to .25 ppm!
What am I doing wrong? I reduced feeding from twice per day to once per day and I added cycled gravel from my 29 gal tank because I had less than 1 inch of gravel in the 5 gal and so I thought that I may have cleaned & vacuumed the 5 gal a little too drastically, removing / destroying the biological bacteria from the substrate after it only had a chance to cycle for 1 week but now i'm not sure!
Can I use aquarium salt safely with a Betta and how much should I use?
PLEASE HELP?
My guess is the tank was never cycled. It wasn't the water change that hurt anything, but the natural accumulation of ammonia. Gravel form a cycled tank can help a little, but I have found it to be larger ineffective unless it is placed in a filter bag and added to the filter itself. Keep following the steps in this video and it should help. As for the salt, it probably won't hurt the better, but may stress any live plants. Sounds like you are doing everything you can!
@@PrimeTimeAquatics After further research I have decided to move my betta into my 29 gal cycled tank with my other betta. There is only a single Betta in the 29 with 4 lg Marimo balls and some Longevity spinach sticking out of the top of the tank for nitrate removal. I added a tank divider between them and added an extra HOB filter with some of the already cycled bio media from the 29 gal filter system. This was my original plan in the first place but I was nervous about the new Betta having potential diseases and was afraid to risk it.... My original Betta cost me $80 with shipping! This situation has forced me to transfer the new guy faster than planned ... hope it all works out!
As for the 5 gal, I just added Seachem Stabiity and am going to just start the whole cycle over again. I figure I can use the 5 gal to house new plants in it as a quarantine tank after it has properly cycled.
Thanks for the response.
we have our nitrite level at 10. this video really helped
Good to hear!
Idk why, but I got a nitrite spike, it's not out of control, but enough to be worrying. Does prime work or will salt be fine until those BB build back up?
You could certainly do a combo of water changes, prime and salt.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics okay, thanks 👍. The way you explain it, it sounds like nitrite does to fish what carbon monoxide does to humans.
i am new in aquarium hobby.. i am in the process of cycling my tank, is it alright to put ammonia and nitrite pad while cycling my tank? I am thinking of seapora brand
I would leave those out. It will just make the process take longer.
Pls help fast. I Had to medigate. Day six (today) did a 40% water change. Now the No2 is dangerous high. What to do? Can I add liquid bacteria?
Sure - but make sure the product actually has live nitrifying bacteria. I have used and like Fritzyme 7 many times and it has worked every time. If you already have a problem Fritzyme Turbo Start might be even better.
So is this for salt water fish or fresh water, or both?
I focus on freshwater so things like adding salt won't really apply for saltwater.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics most of my fish have died, all the levels are within there normal range for the exception of nitrate.!! I do routine water changes, and do not over feed them.☹️🤷
Hi..so if i add salt to my Aquarium does that make it a salt water one instead of a tropical fresh water one? And then do i have to keep adding salt? Im sorry i am a newbie to all this..my 57Litre tank has been set up for about 6 weeks..i have 6 tetras and now 4 Guppies , 2 shrimp and one snail..i added the tetras after the tank had been set up for 2 weeks..then a week later i added 5 Guppies and 2 shrimp..( the snail was a stowaway as didnt know i had him until after a couple of weeks) 1 guppy died yesterday and now 1 shrimp has died today..my nitrites have been raised for over a week now..ive been doing 25% water changes every 1-2 days and i added some live plants a few days ago.. my Nitrites are still high and i am at my wits end at what to do..its so frustrating..i dont want to lose any more fish.. my Amonia levels have always stayed at 0 and my ph is 7.8 ..i dont have anything in my test kit to test Nitrates so dont know what they are ..but these Nitrites are driving me crazy as the water changes are not making any difference at all..so it looks like my last resort is salt..but I'm worried about the shrimp and snail..please help! 😢
The amount of salt needed will not be enough to make it a salt water tank. I have not tried adding salt to a tank with shrimp in it, however. Usually, I do about a teaspoon or so per five gallons.
Thanks and very well explained
I have a new 20 gallon tank. Its only about a month into its cycle. I added fish about a week into its cycle and treated the Stability for about 7 days. The fish have been in the tank for 3 weeks now. I have not lost any and they all seem healthy and active. I test the water periodically and when I tested with today. It showed 0 ppm Ammonia, 1 ppm Nitrite, and 10 ppm Nitrate. I know these are low levels but from what I read they are suppose to be 0. So I treated the water with a bit of Prime to try and reduce the nitrite especially.
My question is should I just go ahead and do a water change with a tank to try and reduce the nitrite and nitrate on a tank only a month into its cycle?
I would do daily water changes to try and keep the nitrite down until the tank is fully cycled. If the Seachem Stability isn't working you could also use Fritzyme 7.
I had an ammonia spike, now I’m at 0 ammonia but my nitrites are a bit moderately high, thanks for the heads up
Glad it helped - thanks for watching!