Aquaponics - Nitrite Spike

I found some nitrite and ammonia in my system that I don't remember adding.

My nitrite level was at close to 1.0 ppm, and my ammonia was at .25 ppm.

My system always sits at zero for both of those readings.

I added 1 part per thousand of pure sea salt in the form of Sunray (R) pool salt. This was added because it helps to mitigate some of the damage that nitrites can do to your fish. I'm told (thanks TCLynx) that the salt's chloride ion will tend to bond with the nitrite and prevent it bonding with the fishies blood. I'm also told that it's not really a solution, but that it just helps a little.

If you add salt to your system, make sure it doesn't have iodine, or any thing else in it. Everything at my supermarket had an anti-caking agent. (I wonder what happens if you make a cake with salt with anti-caking agent in it)

My nitrite levels are already coming down, and the last time I checked they were at close to 0.25ppm.

By tomorrow morning my readings should be back to zero.

I'm yet to figure out what happened.




120 things in 20 years - not just Aquaponics - Nitrite Spike, but ammonia spikes as well.