Nitrites-aeration?

Aeration? Please define- Is this the amount of water turn over? Right now 50x or the surface of the water agitation? Pleas help nitrites are up a little want to fix problem. Already cut back on feeding but they say there are multiple choices for this problem. As always Thanks in advance.

 

Hey shoebox, well, from what I know, you want at least 10x turn over rate while maintaining the water agitation. So, 50x is good for circulation (Most people have it at around 20x to 30x). You will definitely want surface agitation as this will aerate your water. Aeration essentially means your water is picking up O2 from the water surface where the chemical exchange takes place, hence the necessity for surface agitation. Water turnover is primarily for circulation, to circulate the O2 and the nutrients in your tank. Your nitrite is probably high from some dead organic matter in your tank. You should check for any dead things, fish them out, siphon out all the detritus, and then do a water change. I'd also recommend daily partial water changes until the nitrites, ammonia, and nitrate drop to 0. I would also check all the parameters consistently to make sure it's on track. Good luck!

 

Are we talking nitrites or nitrates?

Can you provide a value.

A small amount of nitrates leaves the water via gas exchange, but there are much better ways to deal with a nitrate issue.

Surface agitation with relation to parameters is usually directed at the pH value.

If this is Nirtites and not nitrates and the tank has cycled then something else is a foot.

 

Yes nitrites. I think over feeding is and was the problem. But the mollies the cycled the tank still live there and it seems that every time the have a baby or two a adult dies will in the beginging it wasnt a problem. And now when the last one died the hermit crabs ate it before we seen it. Will test after work last test with salifert was .05 plan on testing after work and a water change. Thanks to all.

 

Nitrites are the result of the conversion of ammonia by bacteria, so if there are nitrites then you've had ammonia recently. As far as I know, turnover or oxygenation is not going to lower them, the bacteria has to convert them further to nitrates.

 

Aeration is surface agitation in the display or sump. Basically you point a powerhead up towards the surface to create a boiling effect which allows oxygen transfer at the surface. This off gasses CO2 and gains oxygen in the system.

The presence of nitrites means you are in the middle of a cycle. Ammonia is converted to nitrites by nitrosonomas bacteria. Nitrites are then consumed by nitrobacter bacteria which produces nitrates which are then exported in various ways including water changes and macroalgaes.

 

Thanks to all just got home time to test then a water change.

 

little bump