nitrite toxicity

[Pete Schuhmann]

I am starting my system and have started losing fish over the last four days due to nitrite toxicity. I salted my fish tank to 1ppt this morning. Can the fish recover and if so how long will it take? I put a post under cycling issues that explains the situation.

[John Cubit]

One thing I did with the salting was I increased my rate of flow into the grow bed for 24 hours after salting.  Within 36 hours the nitrites dropped to close to 0.  I also did a 25% water change.  Those recommendations came to me from Vlad and TCLynx when I was having a problem with Nitrites.  All remaining fish survived and healed.

Fish displayed injuries similar to ammonia burns around the gills, dorsal fin and tail.  They healed after 2 weeks with no signs of injuries now.

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Pete,

I've seen nitrite affected fish a few times. They do recover somewhat. You may lose some over the short term, but don't expect them to achieve their average life expectancy. Over time, they die suddenly one by one. Seemingly healthy looking one day and the next day......gone! If you going to harvest them in the short term you'll be OK with minimal loss... hoping you don't loose anymore.

[Jon Parr]

Salt doesn't reverse nitrite damage, so salting after the fact does little to help past transgressions. If you are expect nitrite trouble, salt added preemptively does a lot to prevent toxicity, but what's done is done. 

[John Cubit]

The salting has nothing to do with fixing the nitrites, using it is to protect the fish and aid in the development of their slime coat to minimize the damage that it causes.  Stop feeding the fish, increase flow into the bed, more established plants will all aid in the Nitrites to be removed and attracting the Nitrate bacteria that you are missing.  Protect the fish first and foremost and salting will help with that.

[Pete Schuhmann]

48 hours after salting and increasing the water flow my nitrites have come way down. They are now between .25 and .5. I did lose fish but the rest seem ok. Hopefully no more will die. Thanks to all the helpful advise. I will keep updating.