Ammonia at 0 Nitrita at 3.3!! What do i do!?

GoonerGeorge

GoonerGeorge

Small Fish
#1
Aug 8, 2011
20
0
0
London, England
#1
I bought a test kit and tested my tank for nitrite and ammonia today.

the test results for ammonia showed at 0 but the nitrite at 3.3! I did a 20% water change because the nitrite was so high and this is what the test told me to do!

I am still cycling the tank using the prawn method.

Am i doing anything wrong?

Im so new to this and this is my first tank so im kinda scared!

Thanks

George
 

T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#2
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#2
I don't think you are doing anything wrong, just continue as you are and when the nitrites drop to zero, the nitrates should start to show 10 -20ppm. You probably should check your tap water for nitrates just to see where they are normally.
 

T

Thyra

Superstar Fish
#4
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#4
Yes, I would say so, because you need to have a source of ammonia to feed the good bacteria that are growing. (I have not done this method, but I have read what others have done. Also it is the Labor Dad (3 day weekend) here and I suspect there will not be a whole lot of activity on this site, so I wanted to respond to you.) It makes sense to me that you would have to feed the good bacteria so they won't die off.
 

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