# Nitrite 0.5ppm



## AndyTez260 (14 Sep 2020)

Hi, 
I've messed something up with my tank, it's been running fine for years, not sure what I did but I've got a bacterial bloom, I did pick up some ammonia but that's at 0 now and my nitrite is at 0.5ppm 0 on the nitrate. 

I normally add tap water straight to the tank and add the prime when I'm finished but I think it was due to a big water change and maybe killed off too much bacteria, I also cut back quite a few plants and removed some small rocks. 

I know you should add the conditioner to the water before adding it to the tank ideally but it's a big 270l tank so how does everybody else do it? 

I'm tempted to wait for now, what are you thoughts? 

Maybe add a dose of prime to neutralise the nitrite but shouldn't I wait for it to convert to nitrate?


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## dw1305 (14 Sep 2020)

Hi all, 





AndyTez260 said:


> Maybe add a dose of prime to neutralise the nitrite but shouldn't I wait for it to convert to nitrate?


Add the "Prime" if you have it, you just need to try and minimise any exposure of your fish to ammonia (NH3) or nitrite (NO2-). Seachem won't tell you <"how Prime works">, but that <"fixed nitrogen"> will eventually become plant available again. Plants will take up nitrite ions, they don't need to wait for it to become nitrate (NO3-).





AndyTez260 said:


> I did pick up some ammonia but that's at 0 now and my nitrite is at 0.5ppm 0 on the nitrate.


How do the fish look? If they look bright and are active with unclamped fins etc. you are probably fine, and the issues lie with test kit, not the water.





AndyTez260 said:


> think it was due to a big water change


Do you live in the EU/UK? if you do it is very unlikely that there was enough chlorine in the water to cause issues, if you live in the States etc. it may be <"slightly different">.

cheers Darrel


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## AndyTez260 (14 Sep 2020)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all, Add the "Prime" if you have it, you just need to try and minimise any exposure of your fish to ammonia (NH3) or nitrite (NO2-). Seachem won't tell you <"how Prime works">, but that <"fixed nitrogen"> will eventually become plant available again. Plants will take up nitrite ions, they don't need to wait for it to become nitrate (NO3-).How do the fish look? If they look bright and are active with unclamped fins etc. you are probably fine, and the issues lie with test kit, not the water.Do you live in the EU/UK? if you do it is very unlikely that there was enough chlorine in the water to cause issues, if you live in the States etc. it may be <"slightly different">.
> 
> cheers Darrel


Thanks Darrell, 
Fish seem fine in fact my electric blue acara have just laid another batch of eggs even though I removed the rocks they used last time to try and discourage them. 

Yeah I'm in the North West of England and we usually have pretty good water here so I'm not sure what caused it if it wasn't the water change its never caused a problem before everything has been so stable, I did add 10 acara fry but they are only small so I can't imagine they would add much bioload. 

It's the bacterial bloom that made me test the water, happened straight after the water change, I changed the water and it came back the following day.


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## dw1305 (14 Sep 2020)

Hi all,





AndyTez260 said:


> Fish seem fine in fact my electric blue acara have just laid another batch of eggs


Not sure then. 





AndyTez260 said:


> It's the bacterial bloom that made me test the water, happened straight after the water change, I changed the water and it came back the following day.


It could potentially be chloramine in the water, Prime would nullify that. 

Due have another water source you could use? I use rain-water and can you get access to some floating plants? It doesn't really matter which ones. They aren't CO2 limited, so potentially can suck up a lot of nitrogen.

cheers Darrel


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## AndyTez260 (14 Sep 2020)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,Not sure then. It could potentially be chloramine in the water, Prime would nullify that.
> 
> Due have another water source you could use? I use rain-water and can you get access to some floating plants? It doesn't really matter which ones. They aren't CO2 limited, so potentially can suck up a lot of nitrogen.
> 
> cheers Darrel


Interesting I've never liked the idea of floating plants as I wouldn't be able to see them and they would block the light for the plants below although in this case they would be very useful, I do have injected co2 though, I could alway scoop them out when thinks are back to normal.


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## dw1305 (14 Sep 2020)

Hi all, 





AndyTez260 said:


> I could alway scoop them out when thinks are back to normal.


I like them, and always have them, but a lot of people just use them during the tank establishment phase and then take them out. 

cheers Darrel


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