nitrite level in tap water

Hi

I am new to this and have a new tank that has been going about 9 weeks. Nitrite level has consistently been at 0.5, because of that i have done quite a few water changes but nitrite is still at 0.5. I have just now tested the water going in and it is 0.5 also!

Surely the water going in should be at zero, do i need to add anything extra to the water going in, i already add tetra aquasafe to the water.

do partial water change in every 4-5 days,and do it until it goes to 0 ppm...

Yes i have been doing that with no change so i tested the new water that i was putting into the tank, this is also showing nitrite at 0.5.

Because i am putting water into the tank that is showing levels at 0.5 then surely a water change is of no use.

Having read a little there is no way my tap water should have levels at 0.5 so i guess the test kit i am using may be at fault? (king british 6 in 1 water test strips)

Are you sure it's nitrite (with an i) and not nitrate (with an a)? Nitrite is toxic to fish, but the beneficial bacteria in an established aquarium should neutralise it. Nitrate is common in public water supplies but is not so toxic to fish. A level of up to 40 ppm is not considered excessive. Another type of beneficial bacteria also break down nitrate. Have you checked for the presence of ammonia? It's also toxic to fish and should be neutralised by the beneficial bacteria.

The bottom line is that the presence of any measurable amount of ammonia or nitrite indicates one of several possible problems. The first possibility is your aquarium has not completed its nitrogen cycle. I doubt this is the case, because the aquarium has been in operation for nine weeks. Another possibility is over feeding; the fish should eat all of the food offered in a few minutes. Yet another possibility is over crowding. How large is the aquarium and how many fish does it house?

The various colonies of beneficial bacteria live mostly in the substrate. Therefore, you should thoroughly clean only about half of it during any partial water change. Live plants also play a role in metabolising ammonia and nitrite.

Please let us know if any of those ideas lead to identification of the water quality problem.

It can be frustrating cycling an aquarium at times. 9 weeks seems rather a long stretch though, try adding some hornwort. Hornwort is floating plant that helps eat up some of those harmful compounds.

Hi

My aquarium is very similar to this one http://cityaquaticscardiff.co.uk/store/index.php? main_page=product_info&cPath=206_224_239_240& products_id=871

it is narrow and tall and holds 72 litre, at the bottom i have white silca sand, fish i have 9 neon tetra and 2 guppy.

the tank actually came with 2 filters but one did not work but reading the working filter it runs at 450 L a min, this should be ok for the size of tank shouldnt it so dont know why they supply 2 filters?

I have added nothing else to the tank just the sand and the fish.

I have kept note of all water tests since day 20. Ammonia has always been at zero, nitrite yes with a "i" has always been 0.5 and one time at 1.0, nitrate has always been at zero. the Ph had been around 7.2 but over the last 2 tests has dropped to 6.8 and now 6.4.

I could be guilty of aggrivating the substrate too much as over the last few weeks it seems to have got an algea problem with yellow patches on the sand and also algea on the glass.

Today i have tested the water in the tank and also a sample of tapwater

TANK WATER
ammonia 0
nitrite 0.5
nitrate 0
GH 50
KH 160
PH 6.4

TAP WATER
ammonia 0
nitrite 0.5
nitrate 0
GH 125
KH 50
PH 7.2

As a beginer i have a few questions

NITRITE This has always been 0.5 or higher, when i change the water it does disturb the top level of sand could this be the cause of the problem as well as the aggrivation of the sand to get rid of the algea. However it does seem odd that the nitrite in the tap water is also 0.5 might it be worth testing it with another product?

PH Why would this have dropped from 7.2 to 6.4, i think my guppies need 7.0 or higher, how do i get this back up is it through water changes?

FILTER Am i correct in assuming one filter is enough for my tank?

ALGEA I have read Algea is a sign of a healthy tank, is this correct and should i carry on just cleaning it away?

It may be a good idea to check your test kit, because nitrite is very unusual in tap water, at least in the US. It also seems that your aquarium has cycled, and the fish are healthy, so the nitrite should be measuring zero.

The algae, if it's very thick, is indicative of too much nutrient (probably left over food), too much light, or placement of the aquarium where it receives direct sun light. Fast growing, live plants will use most of the nutrients needed for an algae bloom, and the lights should be on for about 10 or 12 hours a day. Algae is everywhere, and it does not necessarily mean the aquarium is healthy; it just means that the water is not too toxic to support algae growth.

A sand substrate can get air pockets. The air pockets ferment waste products which can eventually release acids and thus lower pH. That's especially true of very fine sand. Many aquarists have success with sand substrates; my personal preference is gravel.

Now about the filter. The aquarium is relatively small and not crowded; it should not require a large filter. You may, however, want to add a small air stone to help oxygenate the water. Again, please let me know if any of this helps.

PS: That was an interesting website.

Yes i am going to try another test kit for nitrite, is there any particular brand that i should go for?

As for the Alges i dont think it over feeding as i read about the dangers of that at the start and have been very carefull, all food i put in is gobbled up in a very quick time and if anything i would think i am underfeeding. I only have the aquarium light on 8 hours max and it does not receive direct sunlight. I think plants are the next step, is there anything you would reccomend, redwings said hornwart would this be an easy one to use. I did intend to have the aquarium quite minimal with just the blue background and the fish but i guess the fish would apreciate a change of scenery.

From what you say i have a feeling i know what has caused the PH to drop. I think it is due to overcleaning the algea and when i do a water change the sand is over aggrivated. Lesson learned i will now use a glass at the bottom of the tank when filling new water so any aggrevation is minimised and get some plants to help keep the alges under control.

I will look into getting an airstone also thanks.

I have neen careful not to overcrowd the tank especially at this early stage but i would like more fish, well as many as can safely put in, i like the neon tetra as they look good under the light. How many fish do you think i can put in and does putting plants filters etc mean you can put more fish in?

As for myself, I recommend the API Master Freshwater liquid test kit. It has a test for the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Here are a few pictures

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I recommend the API Master Freshwater liquid test kit.

Thanks just purchased one of these on ebay....