Freshwater Aquarium - High Nitrite Levels?

Question

I've had my new Freshwater Aquarium setup for just over a week now, ph levels are fine and i have been adding 'Filter Starter' all week so i bought 4 starter fish on Saturday (i got 4 Mollies). I tested the nitrite levels today and they are quite high. to be honest i was expecting them to go up with the new tank, however, on the test kit and all the sites i've looked at on the web don't tell you how to correct this problem.

does anyone know what i should do?

Answer 1

Your starter fish will probably die. You shoudl have  done the fishless cycle. If you want your starter fish to cycle the tank and come out alive at the end of the cycle, perform 40 to 50% water changes each day, until tank is cycled. This method takes longer but at least you don't lose your fish and money.

Answer 2

you should continue cycled your tank

Answer 3

I read your edit, and the people above me are right: your tank isn't done cycling. I've never heard of a tank being completely cycled in only a week, and I would be extremely skeptical of any story I'd read. Two weeks is the minimum I'd tentatively accept for a small tank, and three weeks is much more plausible.

Your tank is ready for your first fish (and not 4 new fish at the same time) when your ammonia and nitrites are reading 0.

Mollies tend to be fairly hardy, so they probably won't all die. However, you will need to be performing large water changes daily while the unready tank adjusts to the new, high bioload. Hopefully, the long-term health impact won't be too severe on them.

Until you get ammonia and nitrites down to zero, please do not add any other living things to the tank for any reason. Also, cut down on the number of hours when your lights are on for the time being, as the disrupted cycle may cause an algal bloom.

Answer 4

They keep telling you to continue cycling your tank because it takes longer then a week to do this. What is meant by cycling is you are building up benificial bacteria then will basicly eat and neutralize the ammonia..(for lack of better wording) This can take as long as 5 weeks or a little more. Once your ammonia and nitrite levels are both 0 your tank has finished cycling. You will then see nitrate levels which you should keep below 40 for most fish 20 for others. Your nitrate level should never read 0. Here is a link to a GREAT site. Scroll down to the cycling part. There are also MANY more great articles here.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/...

There really isn't anything you should do for them. Water changes can prolong your cycle but if you think you are going to kill your fish, then do some. Otherwise these levels will all drop once your tank finishes its cycle without doing anything at all.

Answer 5

you'll need to do 50% water change, then test every day and keep doing water changes until your nitrite comes down

more oxygen and plants may help