Nitrite Spike

[parrotchute]

So, it's be about 5 days now since I removed my canister filter and am relying on my display tank's LR and deep sand bed.
I've been testing almost every day to see if I need to go out and get a filter (was debating a HOB trickle type, since the canister was a pain), but so far so good. This morning I checked and my ammonia was 0, nitrates 0, but my nitrite was an unusually high .2ppm.

My theory is that this might be from the uneaten algae sheets that are falling apart and disappating in the tank (my foxface hasn't shown much interest in them, not sure what to supplement him w/now) My shrimp also molted after the water change, which concerned me (PH, sal, and temp were good in the replacement water)

Any ideas?
Thanks!

 

[dustin_P74]

id do another water change, nitrites are deadly

 

[yote]

+1 Dustin
If you've got nitrites,you need to be doing water changes.
Try a different type of the sheets.My fish wont touch the brown,but will go through the green and red like a hot knife through butter.

 

[Bifferwine]

Mine will ONLY eat Julian Sprung brand green sheets. They will not touch any other brand or any other color.

Do a water change today, and then check what your parameters are tomorrow. In a cycled tank, any spike should disappear quickly. If you still have nitrites tomorrow, do another one.

 

[parrotchute]

Okay, will do a waer change asap (just did one yesterday so my water amount is down), got to mix a new one up.
Any idea what could have caused it?

 

[parrotchute]

Update: Just ran a new test and it's down to .1 ppm....still do a water change? Or maybe it was a fluke w/the test...

 

[yote]

With nitrites,I wouldnt take a chance.I'd do another water change.
Even though it could have been a fluke test,I still wouldnt risk it.

 

[dustin_P74]

+1 yote, if it was a fluke, it wont hurt anything to do the change but it will hurt to not do one

 

[parrotchute]

Doing a 5 gal change tomorrow tonight then, then another 5 gal tomorrow afternoon - with it being this cold out, my RODI makes 5 gal in 5 hours, it's awful, then I gotta get it warmed up so my refracto reads right!

Thanks for the help guys! SO far so good with just LR & LS (plus skimmer)!

 

[bullitt21]

try selcon on your sheets.mine wont eat them either without selcon.