Very High Nitrite and Nitrate, 0 Ammonia

[adamf83]

Hi,

Just come back from a few days away and my tank didn't look and doesn't smell quite right. The water has evoprated below the skimmer attachment that is part of the filter and there was quite a bit of build up on the surface. My feeder was also practically empty and there was a build up of food on the bottom of the tank.

Testing my water and my Nitrites and Nitrates are as high as the scale on the side of the box will go.... Nitrites are 8.0mg/l and Nitrates are 80mg/l (if the scale on the box is anything to go by).

The fish look to be fine, they are all swimming around, but then I don't know what I should be looking for to tell if they are distressed?

I assume a water change is the quickest way to set the levels striaght, what sort of percentage should I be looking at? The tank is 125l.

 

[Samina]

I would do atleast a 50% water change or greater and siphon out all that food that was dumped in by the feeder. Check your specific gravity also, since you had quite a bit of evaporation. Mix a slightly lower salinity water change than you normally do. Do another water change tomorrow, and further adjust your specific gravity If need be.

If you have Prime on hand, you can dose that also while you get your water change water ready. It will neutralize nitrite and ammonia toxicity. Have you checked ammonia?

How old is the tank and what do you have in it?

Also, it would make your life easier to get an ato setup on the tank.

 

[adamf83]

Thanks. Salinity is 1.023, this is what it normally is when I test the water. I’ll get some Prime ordered, while I sort the water changes, which probably won’t be until Tuesday/Wednesday (hopefully that’s not too long).

Ammonia is 0, which is good. The tank is 12 months old with 2x Clowns, 1x Iridis Wrasse, 3x Regal Damsels, 1x Firefish and 1x Dwaf Angel.

Yep, an ATO would make life easier!

 

[Samina]

I personally don’t know if I’d wait that long unless you can detoxify in the mean time. If you can get something in there to atleast neutralize the toxicity from the nitrite in the mean, it’ll buy you time. Do you have bottled bacteria on hand? Nitrite is toxic to fish and decreases their ability to absorb oxygen from the water. Even if you pop in air stones or increase agitation, they can still die from suffocation.

 

[adamf83]

I’ve ordered the Prime from Amazon, it’ll arrive tomorrow. I’ve got nothing else, but this is a lesson to have things like this or enough spare water ready to perform a change with.

Any recommendations on bottled bacteria?

 

[Daddy-o]

Water change/vacuum now, retest an hour after w/c, repeat as needed. Set skimmer to wet skim for a couple days.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Euphyllia97]

I would suggest to do 50% waterchanges till values are back on scale. Don’t be affraid, nitrite isn’t that toxic for saltwaterfish and will be okay as long as you try to get it under control now!

Keep an eye on the ammonia, because that will definitely kill your fish! Get as much stuff out as possible, so there is no further decay.

 

[adamf83]

Can’t do it without the water I don’t make it myself (due to a lack of space), should be able to get it tomorrow.

Thanks so far for all the advice!

 

[Daddy-o]

Can’t do it without the water I don’t make it myself (due to a lack of space), should be able to get it tomorrow.

Thanks so far for all the advice!

Are you local to me? I can make you some of my "magic" water

 

[adamf83]

I’m not local, no.

 

[adamf83]

Got some prime today and it's made a big difference when re-testing the water. How often can I dose with prime? I'm planning on getting water from the LFS tomorrow morning, but won't be able to change it until tomorrow night.