GardenBanter.co.uk - ?Hight Nitrite levels

Julie:
It takes several weeks to go through the nitrogen cycle.
First ammonia peaks, then 2 weeks LATER nitrites peak. They will come down,
but you should NOT do water changes during this process!
The nitrite reducing bacteria (that make nitrates), need to have this "fuel"
for their engine.
By doing water changes you are inhibiting this process, but lowering the
nitrite levels. Your fish should be ok during this cycling process.
Once the pond has been established with a normal cycle, then if you get
spikes in ammonia/nitrites you need to do a water change out, the amount
dependent on the level of spike.
Just let the nitrites spike for a couple of weeks, until the cycle
establishes itself and you will find it decreases as nitrates are starting
to form.
Also don't wash your filter off in chlorinated tap water or you will set the
process back as well.
Happy ponding,
Greg

--

"juliepacker" wrote in message
s.com...
Hi

I am somewhat of a newbie to garden ponds, although have kept aquariums
in the past. I live on the Isle of Wight, so no big fluctuations in
temp. I have a pre-formed 60 gal pond, planted with oxygenators, water
lettice, and marginals. I have an internal pump feeding a UV Fishmate
filter that runs onto a waterfall. The pond in several weeks old now
and was filled with water from the stream behind my house. Inhabiting
my pond are 4 very small common goldfish. My query is that although
tests for ammonia, pH, and O2 are all good I have a constantly high
Nitrite level. I have tried 1/2 water changes and added Zeolite to the
filter system. It is my understanding that ammonia oxidises to nitrate
and then nitrite......so how come there is no ammonia but levels of
nitrite are at 0.5ppm?

All help greatfully recieved, julie
--
juliepacker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk