Zebra Nitrite Crisis :-O Few Options, What to do!??? :-/

[sugarandopium]

I need some opinions here on what I should do here. I got a Zebra plec last week. I put her into a new tank with a new filter with established water and gravel. Hoping to speed cycle it and give her a safe solitary home. I've been doing water changes every other day, not really testing anything. As I had thought all was well and good, being as she was alive, eating, and looked happy from what I could tel l. . . . . . .

Tested the water today and the Nitrite level was through the roof!! Not a shade of blue on the reading card to describe it. So I guess that brings me to the spikes probelms with an uncycled tank etc, I'm guessing?

Just did a huge water change in desperation.

So my options are.
A: Pull a few corys from the big tank, and bring them into the lil one to help keep all the uneaten food comsumed and and possibly keep the water more pure?
B: Possibly pull other fish and bring them into the zeb tank (would that even help matters?)
C: Do nothing at all but daily large water changes?
D: Put Lil Miss Zebra into the big established tank? ..what worries me about this is there's 8 corys looking for food 24/7 down there, zebra getting fed properly..etc.

PLEASE give me some advice, what you would do in this situation, ideas, etc. Thanxx

[Caol_ila]

Hi!

In any case dont put more fish into the new tank!! Their poop will worsen the situation!

You should take some filter material from the old tank and rinse the foam for example in the new tank. It will make a big mess but bring in many more bacteria than used water which in my experience almost has no effect in a new tank as most usefull bacteria sit on deco/plants filtermedia.
In your case i would rinse the material and bring in some mud with that and reduce feeding to a minimum with only live or frosted foods in small amounts. Maybe once a day or so.

[Dinyar]

I'd put your zebra in with the other fish in the established tank. I have mine in with a bunch of other fish, some quite aggressive, and its managed to hold its own for years. There's no escaping nitrite, even for tough fish; in the established tank, it will have at least a fighting chance.

Dinyar

[Pooks73]

definetly put it in the establish tank. then add a little ammonia daily until your ammonia and nitrite readings are back to 0. there's no such thing as established water without an established filter.

you can always run the filter for the new tank on an established tank for a while to get the bacteria base going, and then transfer it.

[mokmu]

I agree with pooks. Get your fish in an established aquarium first and cycle the new tank normally. You can not risk fish dying. You fish will do better in an established tank.

I know that some fish can be used for cycling tanks but I am not in the habit of having sacrificial fish. We are in this hobby to make the fishes as safe and as comfortable as possible. Try doing a fishless cycle. Damn works! I just cycled my 20 gals just yesterday. It took me a good 8 days. Its the fastest I've ever cycled. It usually takes 12-14 days for me to fishless cycle for my 2x75 gals, 1x10 gals & 1x5 gals. Below are the sites for fishless cycling:

http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycling.html
http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html