Random nitrite spikes

[jonesy]

Keep getting random nitrite spikes on my 50L planted which keeps killing my shrimp, the tank has 3x8w t5's co2 at lime green and i dose 5ml of tpn + every day, so my question is can a lack of nitrate in the tpn+ be causing my plants to consume the nitrate which is there to remove nitrite's which is why i keep getting nitrite spikes or am i clutching at straws

the tank has been setup for about 13 weeks now and i never detect any ammonia just nitrite when testing, i can go afew days with zero readings then i see a dead shrimp check the water and have 0.50 of nitrite. need some help not got many bee shrimp left

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
If you are having nitrite spikes they are an indication that you are having undetected ammonia spikes, which have been converted to nitrite by the time you test. The plants will utilise either nitrites or nitrates, it doesn't make any difference to them.

Assuming it isn't the dead shrimps decomposing? a thought occurs are you using tap water? and if you are is it treated with chloramine as a disinfectant?

cheers Darrel

 

[jonesy]

Hi all,
If you are having nitrite spikes they are an indication that you are having undetected ammonia spikes, which have been converted to nitrite by the time you test. The plants will utilise either nitrites or nitrates, it doesn't make any difference to them.

Assuming it isn't the dead shrimps decomposing? a thought occurs are you using tap water? and if you are is it treated with chloramine as a disinfectant?

cheers Darrel

thanks for the reply, yes i am using tap water but couldnt tell you if its treated with chloramine or not, also occured to me that im using to much seachems prime on water changes which might be causing the cycle problems will just have to keep an eye on afew things till i find out whats wrong.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I don't use tap water or therefore a conditioner, have a look for whether Prime works on both chlorine and chloramine, a lot of Plec keepers use it so my suspicion would be that it does. If you visit your water company site there should be a page where you can type in your post -code, and it will give you your water parameters, if the figures contain any ammonia, chloramine id the disinfectant they are using.
cheers Darrel