Nitrite doesn't decrease

- sorry for the double post-

Hi all,
I am new to this forum and also to aquariums in general. I set up a new 20g tank about 6 weeks ago and I am getting a bit concerned about my nitrite levels not going down. My tank has 4 cherry barbs (2 males, 2 females). As for plants, I have 4 very small Java ferns, 2 sagittaria subulata and a couple moneyworts.

I have virtually no ammonia, but both nitrite and nitrate read high for weeks now (drop test). I have drastically reduced feeding for the last 4 days and also changed about 15% of the water, with no effects on nitrite/nitrate. The fish seem quite happy though, esp. after the water change (almost looking like mating) and I had no fish die in the process so far.

Anyhow, am I missing anything or shall I just wait?

Thanks for advice!

Welcome to our forum!

Probably if you did 20 percent water changes for several days in a row, you would get rid of the nitrite. After that, weekly partial water changes should keep things under control. In addition, make sure you're using the test kit properly, and check for anything that could be adding nitrogen. Candidates are decaying decorations, plants, food, and dead fish or snails.

Nitrate and nitrite are compounds of nitrogen and oxygen, nitrite being the most reactive. Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and is also reactive. Beneficial bacteria in an aquarium change those things into nitrogen that can be used as plant food. If there is a biological overload (too many fish, too much waste from fish, plant decay or food decay) the bacteria can't convert all the reactive compounds into plant food. That leaves one way to get the compounds out: partial water changes.

And if all that doesn't confuse you as bad as it does me, think about fish food. Healthy fish act hungry all the time, so many aquarists feed them too much. If they can't finish all of it in a couple of minutes, you're feeding too much.

Welcome to our forum!!!

I think John pretty much covered it... I would do daily partial water changes.

Thanks for the hello! I just did my partial water change and will test again soon.

Thanks again for your advice, nitrite is zero now and nitrate very low, awesome guys!

Can't wait to add a few more fish some time soon. Is there anything in particular you would recommend? I've read cherry barbs may mix well with many other fish the same size (and was told my my store, bettas, danios, rainbows, or loaches, plecos), but I would be happy to hear about your experiences...

i wouldnt go with a betta because they can be nippy with colorful others but it depends on the betta itself

if you ever want to know anything about bettas let me know and i can see what i can anwser because i breed bettas and know a lot about them

Research the habits and needs of the fish you plan to add to your aquarium. Cherry barbs are a beautiful fish that tend to swim in the middle of the tank. Bottom feeders like cory cats will not bother them. Other species like hatchet fish stay at the top of the aquarium. Just be sure they need similar environments. Some fish also like to shoal and are uncomfortable in small groups. At the same time, it's a very bad idea to over crowd or saddle the aquarium with a too large biological load.

If that seems a little bit challenging, join the rest of us.

For a 20 gallon... Several M. Preacox Rainbows would be gorgeous. Get at least 5... maybe up to 8?

If you keep your tank clean and have lots of plants, and a dark background and perhaps a darker grvel... The common name Neon rainbow... It's gorgeous.

Bristlenose Plecos are always a neat addition too!

Ha! I'm not at all partial!!!

Great, thanks a lot, I'll see what's available and keep you posted!

I know where you can get some... LOL! I have mops if you want to hatch them, or I have a bunch already hatched out, from a couple weeks ago... But seriously... They'd need to be bigger before I could ship them...

I didn't even know you could ship fish like that

Sure can.

I do it all the time!

That's how they get from place to place...

I got one bristlenose pleco today, OMG the cutest fish ever! It's very shy still, and the barbs too seem a bit confused about their new teammate. Finally also exchanged the last plastic plants by two swordplants. Not sure if this was the best thing (store didn't warn me about the pleco possibly shaving it), but we'll see. I'm loving this hobby .

pics???

just taken a few, not soo easy to do underwater pics!

Plus my barbs and black neon tetras

Thanks for sharing the pictures. You have a great looking aquarium.

THANKS! I am glad I replaced the plastic plants, never liked them.

Even if they bring in a few snails, I'm still a big fan of live plants, because they look good and help keep the water clean.

I doubt that the BN pleco will hurt the swords. They should be fine.

BN are so cute, and once they're comfy, they're really quite active.

You'll love it!

Good Luck with your aquarium!