# high nitrites



## Snowflake_eel (Apr 27, 2008)

I have been running my 20 gallon predator tank for about 3 months now with a couple of fish. I tested today and relised the nitrites have been climbing a bit and are at 2 ppm. my ammonia is 0 and my nitrates are 20 ppm. My pH is 8.2 and and I feed my fish a variety of frozen foods including mysis shrimp, tiger shrimp, squid, processed krill, and silversides. I use a prizm protein skimmer and a biowheel filer with activated carbon and filter floss and a chemi-pure bag to remove ammonia and nitrates. I have 21 pounds of live rock. I realize the tank is small but i got into it and am buying a 75 or 90 gallon during the summer. and to test my tank i use an API master test kit. In the tank I have a dwarf fuzzy lionfish, a young niger trigger, a 10 inch snowflake moray eel, and a 3 inch red banded hawk. There is also a chocolate chip starfish, an emerald crab, and an anemone. Any help would be appreciated. [/code]


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

There is nothing we can do to help your current situation. You need to immediately get rid of your fish and start over. The tank is to small for these fish. Period. There is nothing you can do in a 20 gallon aquarium to properly sustain the environment for fish that grow at such a rapid pace.

You need a minimum of a 125 gallon aquarium, preferably a 220+ for long term success. Such a setup is a topic for another thread. The important take away from your question is to stock your aquarium properly.


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## Snowflake_eel (Apr 27, 2008)

if I were to get rid of all the inverts, the anemone and one of the fish would there be any way to keep the nitrites low for just another month or two or is there no positive from this whatsoever.


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## jumpman23 (Apr 28, 2008)

There are a few alternative:-

1) You can try adding useful bacteria, try JBL Denitrol in your sump tank

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn...neaquariumstore.com/acatalog/jbl_denitrol.jpg

2) Try biological filter, wiv bio ring, bio balls, etc

3) cheapest way is as suggested earlier, change of water


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

You can try daily water changes, 10 - 20% each day. Outside of that, I have to agree... way too many rapid growing and large fish in a tank of that size. You're actually lucky they are all still alive in that size of a tank.


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## jumpman23 (Apr 28, 2008)

I've bought some JBL test kit today.










I realized my Nitrite is 0.1 which is not very good, it should be 0

Anyhow I've replaced my filter cartridges wiv this JBL product, it is known to reduce Nitrite. I will retest again. 



















I will get some JBL Denitrol tomolo.


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