nitrite spike

[Erik Phillips]

Hey guys I'm having a bit of a nitrite spike. My system was nearly cycled when I added my goldfish. My nitrite levels were dropping and my nitrate levels were on the rise. I added seven channel catfish I caught a few days ago and ever since then my nitrite levels have been off the scales. My ammonia levels are non existing and my nitrate levels are staying around 5ppm. Any help would be apriciated. I've got to do something quick or I'm gonna lose my fish.

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Erik,

Yes they're strong in that respect. They got strong in that environment because they gradually got used to it. When we remove them from this and place them in conditions of drastic swings in PH, Nitrite, temps etc. is when they are at risk. Its like if a human is suddenly put on a planet with little oxygen and sulfur and high nitrogen and freezing cold. Even very small changes will affect them. In AP we do adjustments very slowly and over time.

Erik Phillips said:

I never thought it would be that easy to kill catfish. I thought they were super survivors I mean they can live in mud for crying out loud!

[Erik Phillips]

Hey George will bluegill really get big enough to fillet in aquaponics?

[George]

I believe so - will let you know eventually how big they will get.

Erik Phillips said:

Hey George will bluegill really get big enough to fillet in aquaponics?

[Alex Veidel]

Didn't they end up replacing Nitrobacter sp. with Nitrospira sp. as the the nitrite to nitrate converter?

Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair said:

Here is a good visual representation to understand the nitrogen cycle

also pick up one of these:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/systems-iv-exterior-water...

to filter out the chlorine

[Erik Phillips]

Ok so I put my fish back in the tank because I didn't have room in my smaller tank. I still have a nitrite spike going on so I'm not feeding them but apparently my wife felt sorry for them and fed them yesterday. Go figure this morning not only do I have nitrites off the charts now I've got nitrates off the charts. How bad is this and how do I fix it?

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Yeah, I know whatcha' mean. My kid had an upper respiratory infection that somehow developed into pneumonia. We finally took him took him to the doctor who gave us some meds and told us to keep him indoors. Little David said the meds tasted "yucky"...So I felt bad and stopped giving them to him. He also really, really wanted to go outside and build a snowman and have a snowball fight with his friends...I mean...a snowman...how the heck could I say "no" to that? Well, mysteriously...no matter what we tried to do, his condition just kept getting worse...so we figured that for us, prayer was the answer. We just hope and pray that little David will pull through...

[Erik Phillips]

Lol sarcasm what a wonderful tool. Wife has been banned from the fish so now how do I fix this? More water change and no feeding or is this good because there's more nitrates now? If left alone will it balance out?

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Yup, no feeding until levels come down (they can go weeks, even months without food so don't be fooled by those sad puppy dog eyes as you walk by the tank)...water changes, and salting...

You've already got all 'the good' answers...all you have to do now is implement them...

[Erik Phillips]

I've read salting is bad or catfish is this true?

[Jon Parr]

Catfish, and plants, are fine in salt up to 3 ppt, which is a suitable level for treating parasites, and way more than you need for nitrite mitigation.

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Jon Parr said:

Catfish, and plants, are fine in salt up to 3 ppt, which is a suitable level for treating parasites, and way more than you need for nitrite mitigation.

[Jon Parr]

Hmm. I suppose I have just taken cameo roles lately.