Mysterious nitrite problem

[Prickly Magoo]

I tested my water the other day and i had 1ppm nitrite 0 ammonia and some nitrate my aquarium has been running almost 1 year with no problem. So i used two different api test kits to test tank water and both said 1ppm nitrite. I tested my tap water and both kits said 0ppm nitrite so i do %50 water change then tested aquarium water and it still says 1ppm nitrite. The only thing I've chanhged recently is i added aquarium co op root tabs but i don't believe that would cause this to happen. Any ideas?

Fish are eating and acting fine. No darting or gasping at the surface. Its strange that my test kits say 0 nitrite in my tap water but says 1ppm nitrite in my tank even after changing %50 of the water which seems impossible to me. Not sure what to do. I use equilibrium to boost my gh but I'm low and had to order more as i have no fish stores that sell it near me so can't be doing water changes everyday.

[Kit Craft]

I have had nitrite spikes, not that large, from moving tanks, removing one of my filters to put into another tank, overzealous cleaning, a long power outage and adding too many fish at one time. Something has always changed to cause it though. Dead fish, snails, decaying plants etc, in my experience cause ammonia spikes, but I have read that they can cause nitrite spikes too. 

Unfortunately, other than water changes I have no advice to offer. Only share with you why I have had spikes in the past. It has always been something that I have done or let happen. Either directly or indirectly.

As for no change in nitrites after the water change, I have a hard time reading the color charts in general. But if mine didn't go down after a 50% change, I'd assume it was actually closer to 2ppm rather than one. This may just be me but in that case, I'd have done another 50% water change (and have) later in the day. I know you said you cannot, because you are worried about your gh. 

I hope someone else has some more helpful information for you. And that you get your Equilibrium in the mail quickly. 

[Prickly Magoo]

Yeah i just went ahead and done another %50 water change and still no change. I haven't made any changes in months so I'm at a loss here. Very strange.

[Galabar]

Had you tested at 0 nitrite before that test (and how long ago)?

[Macready]

I occaisionaly see a nitrite spike after adding ACO root tabs to my gravel substrate.  I usually know when it is going to happen because I see bubbles coming up from the substrate where I put the root tabs the day after. 

My current protocol for root tabs is to gravel vac the area I'm going to put the root tabs in prior to adding them, and then to place the root tabs as deep as a I can into the substrate.  When I do this I don't notice as much issue. 

I did some research after the first two times I had a nitrite spike after the root tabs, some folks say it could be the root tabs but from what I was able to determine it is more likely to be pockets of gas forming or being released from the substrate as it is disturbed by the root tabs, bacteria that was growing there gets disturbed.  IF it is the root tabs, perhaps they aren't being placed deep enough. My best guess is that I'm actually dumping a bunch of ammonia into the water column that would be trapped in the gravel otherwise, which is converted pretty quickly to nitrite and noticed when I measure. 

My .02. I have a 2-3 inch gravel substrate.  

Edited November 27, 2023 by Macready

[MattyM]

In my experience, the bacteria that process nitrites take the longest to build up in a planted tank. So if something happened to cause a spike, it may take a week or two to build that up again. 

I add some Fritzyme or API Quickstart to help out.