Nitrite levels in my tank

Hi, i may have a big problem, my Nitrite levels are higher than i want, it is about 0.3mg/l, it was higher but after a 40% water change it went down, but not much.
does anyone have any recommendations on what i could do to lower it? I have got some bogwood in the tank that i bought yesterday afternoon, and also my mum put a lot of dust from left over pleco wafers and a few catfish pellets in the tank, a lot of it was not eaten, is it the wood or the food making nitrite levels go up?

I did not feed the fish today apart from a couple of pellets because i thought that it would not get eaten from the amount that they had the day before, then i did the test...

I have been told by people at several stores that the nitrite needs to be below 0.3mg/l, preferably 0.0mg/l, is this the case?


Thanks

James

Quick update, i have done another water change and changed the filter sponges as said in another post and the murky look is pretty much gone, this is also said in another post.

Now to the Nitrites, after yet another test the level has gone down a little, do you recommend daily water changes and not feeding the fish for a couple days?


Thanks

James

unless there was some organic matter on the wood (apart from the wood obviously) then the nitrite will have come from the excess food. Water changes will help drop it but you have to be careful not to do too many large ones and cause the whole tank to cycle again. Now, as i recently found out on another forum, people have very different, and stong, views on water changes and their relation to how best to deal with a spike of something. personally, i believe that frequent, small water changes is the best way to go as to not disturb the good bacteria in the tank. others believe that big 50% changes are the way to go and the bacteria will be able to cope with the changes. either way will get you there.

I would def try adding in some bio-start type agent to give the good bacteria a boost along.

Thanks Doug

Would 25% water changes each day be good? also i have Aqua-safe and Easy-balance, does this help or do you still recommend bio-start?

Thanks again

James

they sould work well with a 25% change

OK, thanks