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  #1  
Old 12/28/2007, 02:59 PM
macusr macusr is offline
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Angry Random Nitrite Spike

Help Please,
I am new to RC but have had my tank up for a few months. It's been running fine but all of a sudden I have a huge nitrite spike...I can't even get a good reading off of a test kit. I know that my girlfriend spilled too much food in yesterday could that be the cause? what should I do? I don't want my fishes to die.

Thanks,
Andrew
  #2  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:02 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
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nitrite isn't toxic in SW what are your ammonia and nitrate readings?
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  #3  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:12 PM
Kryptikhan Kryptikhan is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by kau_cinta_ku
nitrite isn't toxic in SW what are your ammonia and nitrate readings?
is it ok if i can just skip this test then? gah......thx
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72 Bow Reef, 75 FW Planted, 90 Acrylic tank being transformed to sump. Larger Reef in works.
  #4  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:27 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
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yeah you can skip testing for nitrite all together unless you want to do it for fun
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  #5  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:28 PM
macusr macusr is offline
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Nitrate is also very high, amonia is just showing a trace. I can't quite tell where the nitrate is, damn colors all look the same.
  #6  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:37 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
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the food could deff. be the cause. if you didn't already syphon out as much of the food as you can and perform a 20-30% water change
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  #7  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:38 PM
McTeague McTeague is offline
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But doesn't nitrite eventually convert to nitrate? Seems like one would want to know there is trouble ahead with high nitrite levels that will lead to high nitrates later...?
  #8  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:42 PM
macusr macusr is offline
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Yeah, I siphoned out as much of the food as I could when it happened last night. I just did a 25-30 gallon water change as I had it ready to go for a WC tomorrow.

I just hope all the fish are going to be o.k. with the Nitrate and Ammonia.

Andrew
  #9  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:54 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
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here is a good artical on nitrite. it will explain it better than I can


Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium
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  #10  
Old 12/28/2007, 03:59 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
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the nitrate won't be your prob. for fish. you would need a lot of nitrates to do harm to fish. but the ammonia will be your biggest prob. if you can get some amequel+ or some other ammonia binder that will help out alot also if you have traces of ammonia.
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  #11  
Old 12/28/2007, 04:02 PM
macusr macusr is offline
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Go figure I actually have some amquel+ on hand. I'll go dose the tank

Thanks,
Andrew
  #12  
Old 12/28/2007, 04:03 PM
McTeague McTeague is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by kau_cinta_ku
here is a good artical on nitrite. it will explain it better than I can


Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium
Thanks!
  #13  
Old 12/28/2007, 04:06 PM
kau_cinta_ku kau_cinta_ku is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by macusr
Go figure I actually have some amquel+ on hand. I'll go dose the tank

Thanks,
Andrew
good luck and keep us updated

Quote:
Originally posted by McTeague
Thanks!
anytime
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  #14  
Old 12/28/2007, 04:17 PM
macusr macusr is offline
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I will! Appreciate the quick help...Just glad I happen to have 30 gallons of water sitting just waiting for a Water change
  #15  
Old 12/28/2007, 04:28 PM
Sk8r Sk8r is offline
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Always have enough salt and enough ro/di water to do a change, have AMquel handy, and in general come here to ask---you almost always can get a good answer fast if you put the problem in your subject line: the people who know that problem will spot your post and come to your rescue usually within an hour, sometimes within 5 minutes.

Re food: shake the food into your hand before putting it in the tank: that way the mistakes get caught before they hit the water.

If something pollutes your tank, charcoal for tanks in a bag, placed in the flow, will remove ammonia and many other pollutants.

A 10 to 20% water change will lower nitrate.

A strip of polyfilter placed in your water flow will 'diagnose' a pollutant like organics, [shudder] metals, etc, and a larger amount of this expensive stuff will actually remove it.

These are your several basic quick fixes.

I use a shot glass full of tank water to dissolve frozen food...which puts less mess into your tank if you choose the right frozen for your fish.
Crook your finger over top, discard most water, then put dissolved frozens in tank for feeding, rinse glass, set aside.

HTH.
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"Make haste slowly." ---Augustus.

"If anything CAN go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible moment."---St. Murphy.
 

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