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Sounding very similar, nitrite and nitrate are easy to confuse. Nitrite, with an “i,” is the big problem for goldfish care. It’s a toxic chemical created when bacteria break down uneaten fish food. If your tank’s ammonia levels are high, you’ll probably discover your nitrite levels are high too. Nitrite is deadly at much lower levels than ammonia, so it’s important to watch nitrite levels carefully. You want a nitrite level of 0 ppm, and never higher than 0.25 ppm. Physical symptoms of nitrite poisoning include listlessness, brown gills; behavioral symptoms including gasping for air at the water’s surface and lingering near the water filter outlet. Nitrate, with an “a,” is another toxic chemical created through the normal breakdown of nitrite (with an “i”) by bacteria. Your tank’s nitrate level should be kept below 50 ppm, though ideally yours will be below 25 ppm. High levels of nitrate generally won’t cause death but will stress your goldfish, which makes it easier for them to get diseases. Prevent both high nitrite and nitrate levels by cleaning your tank regularly, not overfeeding your fish or overstocking your tank, performing regular partial water changes, and for nitrates, using live plants.