Tank cycling problems - nitrite

[APD1]

Hi everyone,

I've been trying to cycle my tank for nearly 3 months now. I have one adult axolotl, 1 plant on driftwood with moss on it, 1 ceramic pot, river rocks as substrate and 1 filter.

After a few months the ammonia levels settled down and are now 0ppm, however, the nitrite levels are quite high (2ppm). The nitrate is usually between 5-10ppm. Whenever the level of nitrite gets high I do partial water changes (originally 30% but now it gets high so quickly that I need to do 50% changes - but this still doesn't bring it down to 0). Green algae started to grow on the ceramic pot once the ammonia levels dropped and nitrite levels rose. The pH is between 7.4 - 7.6.

I feed my axolotl frozen bloodworms and sometimes earthworms. Her tank gets quite a bit of sun/natural light.

My axolotl still seems happy but I know the nitrite is way too high for her. Can anyone tell me if this is a normal part of the cycling process or what I can do to fix it? I am reluctant to do more than 50% water changes as I worry that this may undo all the cycling progress so far.

Thanks

 

[sek]

Hi, I'm sorry your tank cycling isn't working out for you. What do you clean other than 20% of your tank? Are you cleaning the rocks or scrubbing the sides of your tank? Also, are you cleaning out any extra food or washing your filter out?

Cleaning out extra food is a good idea, but cleaning rocks, the sides of your tank and your filter are not (apart from replacing filter media every month and rinsing it every 2 months to avoid clogging).

It's probably a good idea to get something to cover the back of your tank also, as direct sunlight can cause green algae to thrive.

Hope this helps... good luck!

 

[APD1]

I clean out the uneaten food out as best I can, but the frozen blood worms sort of disintegrate which makes this difficult. I clean the filter when I do partial water changes, but I don't clean any of the rocks etc. I use a gravel vaccuum when I do the water changes also.

There isn't heaps of green algae (it's just on the ceramic pot, not on the glass etc.) and the water is still quite clear. Does the algae cause a nitrate build-up?

Thanks

 

[sek]

It sounds like you're doing everything right. Try to only clean out the filter every 3 weeks, or even 4 as this gives bacteria a chance to build. What kind of filter to you have by the way?

Also, algae thrives in water with high nitrate. You can try this method of lowering nitrate levels: Animated Graphic of Rapid Nitrate Reduction

Or you could simply stick to changing 40% water changes daily, and see how that goes.

Best of luck!

 

[Mac Myers]

When you are using a vacuum to get the waste and uneaten food out of the spaces in between the rocks are you sure you are getting it all? The tank should have cycled by now so I assume it's waste and food. Also, don't clean the filter at every water change. Change less water more often.

 

[dragonlady]

It definitely sounds like your tank is still cycling. So, as Mac suggests, the water changes and housekeeping should help you. I would not recommend daily 40% changes though.

It could very well be that you just have to step up your housekeeping. Check under your ornaments for wastes and really get between those rocks. Don't take anything out of your tank, unless you decide to change that substrate over to just sand. Large rocks hide all sorts of nasties.

Algae doesn't cause nitrate build up but as stated, it will thrive when nitrate levels get high. Nitrates in the levels you describe are not devastating. I think you are most likely getting that algae from the sunlight, and while it is not attractive, it really doesn't hurt anything. Its removal is more for aesthetics - we humans find it more appealing to not have any in our tanks.

What type of tests are you using - the drops or the strips? Just asking, strips are less accurate.

Since you feed frozen bloodworms, have you considered using the jar method? Using a small jar and squirting the thawed bloodworms into the jar is far less messy. Also, if you aren't already, thaw the bloodworms ahead of time because there's a lot of extra protein in that frozen cube with the worms.

How big is your axie and how much/often are you feeding her at one time? You might be overfeeding her, maybe.

 

[APD1]

I will start doing smaller, more frequent water changes. I have been using the drops to test parameters not the strips. I haven't been thawing the bloodworms first though so I'll try doing that. My axie is about 5 or 6 years old and I feed her a 1cm block of bloodworms every second day. I also intend to change the substrate to sand in the future but I won't have time to do that for a while.

Thanks for your help.