Ok, so I had a problem a while ago with ich in my tank and I moved all my fish out to a 55gal hospital tank. I have NOTHING at all in the tank except a marineland penguin filter (with 2 biowheels), an eheim ecco canister filter as well as one small powerhead. The tank was newly set up about 6 weeks ago and had the normal cycling process. high ammonia, followed by a nitrite spike and both fell down to a small level. Now, every few days I keep getting a Nitrite spike outta nowhere. I'm hardly feeding the 5 small fish and 1 med size fish at all. My only guess is that the bacteria population just doesn't have enough surface area or that the bacteria keeps crashing and starting up again. Anyone have any advise? Totally puzzled by this.
Nitrite problem in hospital tank
- Thread starter gnatp2
- Start date
It is common to have a high nitrite issue with a bio-wheel filter.
Remove the wheels and it will function as a 'regular' filter. Do a water change to reduce the nitrites and then watch your levels carefully as those wheels have a LOT of bacteria on them (which is the principal behind them).
You could pop the wheels into the cut off leg from a pair of panty hose with some gravel so the bacteria can populate the gravel and it will be easier to remove when you are done using the tank.
Remove the wheels and it will function as a 'regular' filter. Do a water change to reduce the nitrites and then watch your levels carefully as those wheels have a LOT of bacteria on them (which is the principal behind them).
You could pop the wheels into the cut off leg from a pair of panty hose with some gravel so the bacteria can populate the gravel and it will be easier to remove when you are done using the tank.
nitrates are a by product of nitrites, so yes in the end they are known for high nitrates.... but what happens is that you don't have the amount of bacteria needed for the proper metabolizing of the nitrites.... so there is a surplus of nitrites.
Seachem makes this thing called MATRIX, which is a biofilter support media. (looks and behaves like LR rubble). So, you can use that and follow KatyC's advise.
Seachem makes this thing called MATRIX, which is a biofilter support media. (looks and behaves like LR rubble). So, you can use that and follow KatyC's advise.
I would just add rock to the tank to increase the surface area. Increase the surface area, as you correctly postulated, and you will increase the bacterial population required to break down nitrite to nitrate. My QT tank has alot of live rock in it.
- Location
- Flushing NY 11355
- Location
- Ridgewood, Queens
Use Nitrex, someone here recommended it to me when i first started the tank and it zero'd everything out almost immediately, I use an Emporer 400 with the bio wheels on and I dump the nitrex in right behind the carbon and I havent had a problem yet. Just tested last week and everything is 0 I also havent done any water changes in almost a month now (not that its a good thing) due to working But everything is fine in my tank.
Im not saying the Nitrex is the end all, be all but it helped alot! Only needs to be changed every 4-6 months too. OR Im just lucky. Im a N00b!
Im not saying the Nitrex is the end all, be all but it helped alot! Only needs to be changed every 4-6 months too. OR Im just lucky. Im a N00b!
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