Nitrites!! :(

[cabbysarus]

My nitrites are still at about 2ppm. I have 6 little axolotls in a 10 gallon, unfiltered, uncycled tank. They have been there for a week while trying to get my nitrites down. I had another post about this but no one seams to be seeing it and I'm freaking out so here we go again. I have been doing daily water changes in both tanks (twice a day in the little tank). The only levels that change in the big tank after the water change is the nitrate. Nitrate is going down after water change. Nitrite is staying stupidly high after water change. What am I doing wrong? I want my little axolotls to go back home so they can have personal space again.

 

[Skudo09]

Don't panic. Keiko gave some good advice. You don't need to do water changes in the large tank unless there is aquatic life in there though an occasional one can boost it along if it has stalled. What is the ammonia level? Are you feeding an ammonia source? Just be patient. It will stay high and then all of a sudden it will drop significantly. It takes a while. Just make sure that you are still providing a source of ammonia while there is no aquatic life in the tank to maintain the cycle until ammonia and nitrite are both zero.

 

[cabbysarus]

here lately I've only been doing enough of a water change in the big tank to put the old tank water from the little tank in it. ammonia is still reading at like a .25-.50 and nitrite is still about 2. The thing that worries me the most is the nitrate is only at about 5 ppm now... It was really high before we started doing the water changes...

 

[Skudo09]

Nitrate should drop with water changes. Are you topping up the ammonia each day? It is possible the cycle may have stalled. Maybe take a look at the link below and see if that will help?

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community