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FAQs on Marine Water Quality involving Nitrites 3
Related Articles: Nitrite,
Ammonia, Nitrates,
Establishing Cycling,
BioFiltration, Phosphate,
Silicates, Phosphate,
Related FAQs: Nitrites 1, Nitrites
2, &
FAQs on Nitrite: Importance,
Science, Measure,
Sources, Control,
Chemical Filtrants,
Troubleshooting/Fixing &
Nitrates, Ammonia,
Phosphate, Silicates, Chemical
Filtrants, Some fishes, non-fishes
are far more sensitive to nitrite poisoning... | 
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Nitrite Level High 1/28/09 Hi !! <Hello Jim> I'm
taking care of a 150 gallon saltwater tank for someone that has been set
up for six months. <The tank or the person:)> The system has a
wet/dry filter with a large area of bio balls, protein skimmer and UV
sterilizer. The carbon is changed monthly and filter pads. <Pads need
to be changed more than once monthly. The waste may be out of view
but it is still in the water.> The tank only has a few fish in it 2
damsels and 2 clowns (that is all that will survive). The problem is the
client doesn't want me to do any water changes. <Why keep him as a
client, if I could not maintain a system properly I'd opt out, would not
want the responsibility.> Since that tank was started the levels have
been fine until last week. Three tangs died last week that I put in
(probably due to not changing the water) - no surprise.
<Environmental stress, nutritional deficiency likely.> Nitrate levels
finally started going up - Nitrate was 10 mg/l, the Nitrite was 0.2
mg/l, and ammonia was 0. Why is the Nitrite still "up" seeing how the
bio balls used were from the previous tank the client had? I did a 30
gallon water change last week for the first time because the levels were
up and that still didn't change anything. <I'd try a different test
kit, compare results. Generally, when nitrite is up, some ammonia should
be detected also. Have you tested for ammonia at the time?> Thanks
for any advice. <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> Jim
High NO2 1/28/09 Hi guys <Hello, Jessy
here> I have recently lost all the salt water fish in my tank. I had
a beautiful yellow tang, two ocellaris clowns, a Klein's butterfly and a
blue ring angel. They died due to a nitrite spike and although I did a
80% water change advised by the LFS they still died. <So sorry to
hear that. Although, I would assume that your fish died from high
amounts of Ammonia in your tank. Nitrite (NO2) is created from Ammonia
(NH3 + NH4) in a process called Nitrification.> My tank is still up
and running with no fish. I have one bleached anemone that has been
bleached for months but with regular feeding he is still hanging on. I
have had my tank for a year now and my concern now is why I have nitrite
issues at least once a month. My poor fish had survived many of them and
my LFS is just as confused as me. < I know the frustration
personally> I have an 80 litre tank with lots of live rock. I have a
brown algae outbreak at the moment so I have removed all the gravel and
rotated the rock so the algae is receiving no light. <While the die
off of anything in the tank will lead to water quality issues, I don't
think your algae die-off is going to cause huge issues. But I would like
to tell you to err on the side of caution and make sure to do extra
water changes during the period of time that you are trying to kill off
this algae> I 25% water change and gravel vac every two weeks and
keep my tank very clean. I'm scared to buy more fish in case this
happens again. Do you think live sand would help my water quality?
<It sounds like you're doing well with the water changes, and while I
personally don't disturb my substrate (live sand), I've heard of people
that do use a gravel vac for other substrate. I can only advise you from
my personal experience with your substrate. I do think that adding live
sand to a system helps with Nitrogen Cycle of a tank. My tanks have all
had a healthy amount of live sand, live rock, and a refugium to help
export waste from the water, and to date, I've been successful. Without
going into the many suggestions one could have about adding such
measures to your tank. I would first fun tests to find an unknown source
of Ammonia getting into your tank. What water are you using to supply
your water changes? Check the source water for impurities of all kinds
(Ammonia, Chlorine, etc) Check your tank for sponges or other media that
can be building up with waste over time. Make sure that you don't have
something dead and rotting in the tank under rocks. Make sure there
isn't something environmental happening around the tank...like someone
cleaning a window with Windex or something around the tank. It is
important for you to run through all these tests to find a source before
you try to fix it with things like refugiums and more substrate as this
will only band-aid the issue> Regards <Hope that helps, Jessy>
Rebecca Re: High
NO2 1/29/09 Thanks
for your quick reply. I think I may have found a possible source of the
ammonia in my tank. I clean the benches around the tank with Windex and
wasn't aware that this could have such a drastic effect on my water
quality. Thanks again. Rebecca <Rebecca, you don't know how happy I
am that you figured it out! Keep the cleaning products far far away.
Jessy>
Wits end with Nitrate and Nitrite 6/16/08 I am at my wits
end with what is going on with my nitrite and nitrate levels… <We all
have these times/phases.> I have a 54 gal corner marine fish only
aquarium. I have a Megaflow 1 sump which uses the pre-filter media then
lava rock instead of bio balls. <Not my first choice.> I also have
a protein skimmer and a UV sterilizer. The protein skimmer is doing a
good job of removing tan/yellowish color liquid. <Good.> My
ammonia levels are staying at zero, but I cannot figure out why my
nitrites/nitrates are not leveling out. It has been a good 2-3 months
now since I have set up this tank. I have done a few series of 10 gal
water changes…. Have tried a dose of TLC (live bacteria). <Little to
no benefit, much better off seeding with live rock.> My salt is at
1.024; pH 8.4; ammonia 0; nitrite .50; and nitrate 10. Any advice
would be appreciated…. <A few things here. First, after a few months
you should obviously see no nitrite. The fact that you are indicates
either insufficient filtration or high nitrite the water you are using,
assuming your tank is stocked appropriately both for its size and age.
Regarding the filtration, lava rock is not a great choice. It can leach
contaminants into the system. Live rock or a man made biomedia are far
superior choices, in that order. The nitrate will not go down on through
traditional biofiltration. You will need a DSB or macroalgae refugium if
you wish to combat nitrate in ways other than water changes. A bit of
tweaking and time and all will be well. Good luck, welcome, Scott V.>
Quarantine Maintenance - 6/10/08
Hi nitrites in a Quarantine tank Hi crew, <Hello there!> A
quick question: I have a 10 gallon saltwater quarantine tank set up with
a small canister filter (mechanical filtration only), a heater and a
nano hydrolia. I used it to quarantine 5 blue green chromis 4 weeks ago
with no problems. It has been running empty now for two weeks, that is
until I introduced 2 ocellaris clowns on the weekend. Since then
nitrites have been going sky high (between .2 and close to 1). I have
done several water changes which helps a little but not enough....any
advice? <Well, part of this is the two fallow weeks. During this time
your nitrifying bacteria have diminished. Many quarantines are run with
little biological filtration, relying on frequent cleaning of mechanical
filters and water changes to maintain water quality. I would advise
water changes to maintain low nitrite levels until you biological filter
stabilizes.> Is it too much of a risk to move them into my large tank
yet? <Yes. Quarantine should last at least 2 weeks, preferably 4-6.>
They seem to be quite alert, active and eating well, though one did seem
quite lethargic this morning. I'm new to this game and am probably
making rookie mistakes but I don't recall reading much on managing a
quarantine tank in any of the books I've read, only how to set it up.
<This is a flaw with much literature. Quarantine methods are diverse,
however. If your quarantine is unmedicated and stable, biological
filtration will improve over the quarantine period. Until then do
continue daily water changes to keep the nitrite low- and understand
that should your fish require medication that wipes out this biological
filter the water changes will become your only method of water
maintenance.> Thanks, Robert from Newmarket Ontario. <No
problem! Benjamin>
Nitrate/nitrite 12/17/07 Gentlemen, <Hello> As always, I'll
start with a thank you for all the useful information. I have a bit of a
dilemma on my hands. I've been away on business for a few months and my
wife was caring for my 75 gallon FOWLR. She did a great job I might add
because there are also three little ones running around my house. The
tank has been running for two years. At the time I left, my nitrites,
nitrates and ammonia levels were zero. During the time I was gone, the
tank experienced a bloom of red slime algae and green algae. The red
slime algae is under control and the green algae is getting there. Upon
my return, two days ago, I did a large water change (30 gallons).
<Good> In the past I did 10 gallon water changes every other week.
After the water change, my levels went up. <Suspicious.> Nitrites
- .25 ppm, nitrates - 10 ppm, Ammonia - 0 and PH - 8.0. I have 1 blue
damsel in the tank (lost a Naso Tang and Yellow Tang before I left and
didn't want to replace them until I returned) and a number of hermit
crabs and snails. Does this mean the tank has to cycle again ? <No>
Do I stock the tank with damsels or Chromis for cycling purposes or do I
wait this out ? <Only if you want those particular fish.> Was it
my water change ? <It sure sounds like it. Your numbers were higher
after the water change. If that is indeed where the nitrite came from I
would expect it to be processed by your live rock fairly quickly. As for
the nitrate, keep up the water changes, after you test your make up
water and source better quality water if need be.> I have a wet/dry
150 gallon filter. <Could possibly eliminate the biomedia to help
with the nitrate issue. How much live rock do you have? Best Regards,
Scott V.>
Re: Nitrate/nitrite 12/18/07 About seventy pounds of live rock
that was once covered with coralline algae. Unfortunately, that
beautiful pink/purplish color has faded to white/grey in many areas.
<It will surely return. I would pull any biomedia out of the wet/dry.>
A good portion of it still has a greenish /brown colored "hair" algae on
it. Is that an indication of something I could attempt to fix or has my
live rock died off ? <Indicates your nitrate is high. You are
measuring 10 ppm and that is just what the algae has not used.> Does
live rock die off ? <Possible, doesn’t sound like the case here.>
I apologize for the basic questions but I still consider myself a
beginner and really want to get this right. With only one fish (the blue
damsel) left in the tank I'm open to any suggestions. I certainly don't
want to add any fish until I know it's safe. Thank you for your time and
patience. <Water changes and time. As you get the water quality
under control and the algae dies off it will necessitate more water
changes. So in a way you are curing your rock again. Please test your
source water and feed the remaining damsel very sparingly. Best regards,
Scott V.> Nitrite in Quarantine 5/25/07
Hey Crew! <Don> I have a tomato clown that's about 2
inches in a quarantine tank that is 20 gallons. I had an ich outbreak
and now promise myself to quarantine all fish from now on. My issue
though my quarantine tank has above 3mg nitrites. <Yikes!> When
I set it up I had my 802 aqua clear power head quick filter in my sump
that I'm using and my 20 gallon hang on top fin filter also from the
sump of my display. I used all original tank water and now I am doing
water changes everyday both tank water and new and it's not helping.
<Need to change more...> If I keep up water changes like this I'll
have to use all new salt mix water <Bingo> cause i would run out
on tank water because I was planning on leaving the display tank fallow
45 days with water temp at 83 degrees. So besides breaking down the
quarantine daily any advice? Thank you. <Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm The files linked
below re Nitrites, Quarantine Systems and their Maintenance. Bob Fenner>
Sand and Nitrite, DSB Woes 4/17/07 James' go Hey guys.
<Hi, whomever you are.> I have a problem here right now. Nitrite
level is at 0.25ppm and my fishes died one at a time. It's really
that horrible. Are fishes really that sensitive to nitrite level?
<Is this a typo and meant nitrate?> I know that this is normally
caused by increased in bioload. Let me update on some of my recent
activities in the tank. Add in some snails recently and 4 of
them died causing a foul smell in my tank. <This did not help
matters any.> Then I introduced 4 new fishes into my tank. I
have a DSB of 7inches in my refugium and it is supposed to be able
to support my tank (no sand) of 50gallons. <Do not follow...DSB
of 7 inches, (no sand)> I did a change of biological filter
medium recently before addition of fishes. I took out the old ones
and replace with better ones. But I didn't replace all of them at
once. <Mmm, any live rock in the system?> I leave <left> out
some old ones behind so that the bacteria are still around. I
thought that the DSB will be able to support the tank but to my
surprise, my nitrite level went up to 0.25ppm. I think the bioload
possibly increased due to the demise of my snails and fishes.
<Definitely helped the problem along.> And sadly, I am left with
only a few fishes. The corals are intact. My clams and shrimps are
all good and alive. No sign of Ich showed on my Powder Blue when it
died. But some dark spots can be seen. <Tank would have been too
small for this guy even if it were small, as they do require plenty
of swimming room.> I still have a Powder Brown in my refugium
but have placed it in a separate container of newly-prepared water.
<Container sounds small, the fish probably won't last too long in
that environment.> There are some color changes in my DSB. Some
sand changes from yellow sand into grey color. I have included a
picture on that. Is it caused by anaerobic bacteria? <Yes, can
be caused by such.> When I try digging into the grey area, a lot
of air bubbles coming out of the sand. <Nitrogen gas or hydrogen
sulphide gas. Does the sand/gravel have a rotten egg smell to
it? Pick a small handful up and give a whiff.> Despite having
years of experience in reefing, this is the first time I see a
change in coloration of my substrate. What caused that exactly? I do
dose in medication for my fishes. <Not good, you are adding to
your problems. In my opinion, medications should only be used in
quarantine tanks. No effective pathogen/bacterial medication is
completely safe irregardless of what it says on the bottle.>
What I concluded and think is that the change of filter medium
caused a breakdown in biological filtration with the addition of
fishes and the demise of one after another, the biological system
cannot support and thus increasing in nitrite level. But what I am
more worried and suspicious of is that of my DSB, I fear that the
bacteria are dying and that contributes to the reason why the DSB
can't support my tank anymore. It spells trouble for me. <First,
stop medicating and do read here and related links, so you have an
understanding of how these systems work when set up properly. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm>
I will <would> like to hear you out on that and some of your <your>
opinion. I'm not adding anymore stuffs in until I have find a
solution or answer for that. <I wouldn't add any more stuffs
either, but also would not add any more fish or invertebrates.>
I am afraid the medication and ozone are causing the lose of
bacteria. <You do not sound like you have years of reef
experience. Some of the problems you have mentioned should not have
happened to an experienced aquarist. Please read above, my
friend. I could not open the picture files, maybe Mr. Fenner can.
<James (Salty Dog)> | Sand
and Nitrite 4/17/07 Chris' go Hey guys. <Hello> I have a
problem here right now. Nitrite level is at 0.25ppm and my
fishes died one at a time. It's really that horrible. Are fishes
really that sensitive to nitrite level? <Yes, is quite toxic,
nitrate is much less toxic, and the next step in the nitrogen
cycle.> I know that this is normally caused by increase in
bioload. <Or overfeeding, or a crash of the bacterial
population brought on by many different factors.> Let me
update on some of my recent activities in the tank. Add in
some snails recently and 4 of them died causing a foul smell in
my tank. <Decaying organic matter, probably the source of the
nitrite.> Then I introduce 4 new fishes into my tank. I
have a DSB of 7inches in my refugium and it is supposed to be
able to support my tank (no sand) of 50gallons. <Do you have
LR, generally a sandbed alone will not have sufficient surface
area to do all the biological filtration.> I did a change of
biological filter medium recently before addition of
fishes. <Probably added to the decrease in biological
filtration capacity.> I took out the old ones and replace
with better ones. But I didn't replace all of them at
once. <Need to space this out over weeks most likely.> I
leave out some old ones behind so that the bacteria are still
around. <But it needs time to recolonize the new media.> I
thought that the DSB will be able to support the tank but to my
surprise, my nitrite level went up to 0.25ppm. I think the
bioload possibly increased due to the demise of my snails and
fishes. <I think you have unrealistic expectations of what a
DSB is capable of. Only the top inch or so of the DSB will help
in Ammonia - Nitrite conversion. Any deeper and there is not
enough oxygen to accomplish this. This is where the DSB can
convert nitrate to nitrogen gas and keep nitrate lower. Are you
confusing nitrite and nitrate maybe?> And sadly, I am left
with only a few fishes. The corals are intact. My clams and
shrimps are all good and alive. No sign of Ich is showed on my
powder blue when it died. But some dark spots can be seen. <May
just be stress or death markings, hard to say.> I still have
a powder brown in my refugium but have placed it in a separate
container of newly-prepared water. <Filtered hopefully.>
There are some color changes in my DSB. Some sand changes from
yellow sand into grey color. I have included a picture on that.
Is it caused by anaerobic bacteria ? When I try digging into the
grey area, a lot of air bubbles coming out of the sand.
<Could be areas of hydrogen sulfide, but you would smell it,
smells like rotten eggs. Hopefully just Nitrogen gas and the
color changes just the waxing and waning of algae living along
the glass.> Despite having years of experience in reefing,
this is the first time I see a change in coloration of my
substrate. What caused that exactly ? I do dose in medication
for my fishes. <What medications? Why? What are you trying to
treat?> What I concluded and think is that the change of
filter medium caused a breakdown in biological filtration with
the addition of fishes and the demise of one after another, the
biological system cannot support and thus increasing in nitrite
level. But what I am more worried and suspicious of is that of
my DSB, I fear that the bacteria are dying and that contributes
to the reason why the DSB can't support my tank anymore. It
spells trouble for me. <The DSB works just like a shallow bed
as far as nitrite reduction is concerned. DSB used mainly for
nitrate reduction.> I will like to hear you out on that and
some of your opinion. I'm not adding anymore stuffs in until I
have find a solution or answer for that. <Good.> I am afraid if
the medication and ozone are causing the lose of
bacteria. <Adding medication to the main tank is never a good
idea.> <Chris> | .jpg) |
Hello...? Justin... You've gots to make, re-place the titles... So I can
find the ongoing corr. and place tog... RMF - 1/18/07 My water
has been changed and the bio balls have been cleaned 2 times and filter
changes, <Bioballs need to be cleaned weekly, or very close to, as I
stated previously.> have had the tank 2 1/2 months and about the
lighting I did give the wattage new one power Glo is 40 watts and the
one I originally had in there was the coral Glo actinic 03 with the
marine blue one. <If you read how you phrased the original question
about the lighting, it read like you had a 40 watt bulb already, then
purchased a new fixture with a different type of bulb, and did not list
the wattage.> <....Please... Proper punctuation... I don't even know
where to begin on correcting this!> The ammonia was 0.0 and the
nitrites were 0.1 I tested the nitrites not the nitrates as I could
not figure out the tester. <You should have a professional at a
local fish store or otherwise show you how to use such.> and I will
do another water change tomorrow and I thank you very much for all your
help, and I will just enjoy and keep a close eye on the water changes. I
feed my fish 1 time a day now, was feeding 2 times a day. <You need
to identify, and remove, the source of your nitrites. Your nitrites are
slowly poisoning your livestock, anytime there is any present. Once
again, I IMPLORE you to PLEASE read over our query conventions -- we
simply do not have enough time to correct these grammatical errors!
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QueryCorrsRefPg.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/faqstips.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
-JustinN> Those Pesky Nitrites - 11/12/06 Hi Eric,
<<Hi Ken>> How is the diving? <<It's excellent mate! We did a
118' dive at Two-Step a few days ago to see some Bicolor Anthias and
Stenopus shrimp, and we just came back from a dive at Kaloko a couple
hours ago. Air temperature is averaging about 87-degrees, water
temperature is 81-degrees (even at depth)...amazing>> Hope all is
going well for you. <<Indeed it is...!>> Well, I am still
waiting for the nitrites to read zero. <<Patience, Grasshopper>>
In my past experience, once they drop, they drop like a rock and that's
it. <<Perhaps something deep in the rock...>> The tank has been
set up for 2 weeks and 2 days. I still have low levels of nitrite.
<<Will pass in time...cycles can be as long as 8 weeks or more
sometimes...especially if the rock has not been pre-cured>> On
LaMotte Colorimeter, which has a digital readout, it says I have .040
ppm. This is expressed as Nitrite Nitrogen (NO2-N). To get ppm nitrite
(NO2) you have to multiply the test results by 3.3. So, my readings
over the last few days have been .046, .037, .040 (NO2-N). Multiplied
out I get: 0.1518, 0.1221, 0.1320 ppm (NO2). Is it normal to still
have nitrites at this point? <<Oh yes>> I thought with live rock
all is cycled in about a week. <<Absolutely not. This is a
possibility, but certainly not an absolute. Perhaps this rock was not
as "mature" as you thought/were told>> Does this say anything about
the quality of the rock? <<Hard to say... Very good rock, if fresh
from the ocean, would have a considerably longer cycle period than
not-so-good rock that has been sitting in a dealer's tank for a couple
months>> Any reason you can think of why it has stayed at basically
the same level for many days? <<Mmm...the presence of decaying
organic material in the rock>> Also, which is the correct way
reading the result, NO2 or NO2-N? <<Can use either, the goal still
is to reach 'zero' regardless>> In other words, when using other
test kits such as Fastest, Salifert, etc, which way do they use so that
I can compare apples to apples. <<NO2>> I used Fastest today as
well and there was a very, very faint tint of pinkish. <<I'm not a
big fan of these test kits (Fastest), but even so...still pink <grin> >>
My nitrates are 1.89 ppm Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3-N). I have to multiply
by 4.4 to get Nitrate (NO3). This is then 8.31 ppm. Typically which
way is used to read nitrite: (NO3-N), or (NO3). <<NO3>> Same
question for nitrate. I am trying to figure out my readings.
<<Understood>> By the way, is it a good idea to put any flake food
or frozen food in the tank to continue the cycling? <<Not
necessary...is obvious to me the rock is still producing/processing
decaying matter>> Thanks and regards, Ken <<Two weeks is not
a long time for a tank to be cycling/to be where your tank is
now. Typically, 4- to 6-weeks is "very" common...it will “get
there”. Eric Russell>>
Re: Those Pesky Nitrites - 11/13/06 Hey Eric, <<Hiya Ken>>
Sounds nice. <<Yes indeedy>> I travel to Asia and Southeast Asia
about 4 times a year for work. I had a couple days off in may and went
to Phuket, Thailand. <<Cool...Bob was just at Chiang Mai a few weeks
ago>> The water temp was similar to where you are.
<<Neat...forgot to mention also, visibility is about 100'...I think I'm
spoiled>> I guess I read too much about reef tanks cycling within a
week. <<It can/does happen...but is not the "norm">> You are
correct though about the rock. The rock that I got was not cured, but
was pretty clean. <<Not a problem...just needs time to cure>> I
got to the fish store as they just received 3 boxes of rock from Newark
Airport. <<Best way to do it in my opinion>> I picked about 90%
of my rock from those boxes. <<Excellent!>> They had airway
billstickers from LAX and also said New Zealand Airlines. I would
imagine that the rock was cleaned somewhat overseas plus whatever
died-off in transit and my bringing it back home and cleaning/putting in
my tank. <<Agreed. The extent of "cleaning" by collectors will
vary. Some have systems where the rock is placed on racks and sprayed
continuously with saltwater to rinse away dead/dying/decaying organisms,
others don't go to such trouble and will have varying degrees of
attention to the rock after collection>> The rock didn't smell bad,
but it did not smell cured. The rock does not have that smell any
longer. By the way, I did add some CaribSea Aragonite "live" reef sand
yesterday. I did not want a deep layer. I put in about 30 lbs. Just
enough to give me a little depth and to go around the rock but not
underneath it. <<Sounds fine>> Thanks for the help. <<Always
welcome>> Regards, Ken <<Be chatting, Eric Russell>>
R2: Those Pesky Nitrites - 11/13/06 Hey Eric, <<Ken>> I
usually stop in transit in Chiang Mai on my way from Hong Kong to
Bangladesh. <<Wow...long flights, eh?>> I have an unrelated
question for you. <<Okay>> Is it possible for a tank to be over
skimmed? <<Not really...in my opinion. Installing a skimmer bigger
than "needed" may not make "economic" sense, but I don't think it is
deleterious to your system>> I know skimmers have ratings (accurate
or not), <<The better skimmer manufacturers are pretty close on the
suggested ratings)>> but if I put a big and very efficient skimmer
on a tank that is rated much higher than the tank volume (example: 100
gallon tank and 700 gallon skimmer), is it detrimental to the tank?
<<Not in my opinion, but you will find the difference in price between a
100g-rated skimmer and a 700g-rated skimmer, among the high-end skimmer
manufacturers, will likely cause you to rethink this strategy>> Will
you pull out the good stuff from the water along with the bad? <<The
size of the skimmer has nothing to do with this ratio. Any skimmer will
remove a certain amount of "good stuff", but the advantages of these
devices far outweigh any perceived disadvantages in my opinion>> I
had also seen some information about K+ deficiency with regards to over
skimming. What are your thoughts on this? <<Potassium? Same as
with the possible removal of trace elements by these devices...all
easily replaced with frequent water changes>> Thanks and regards,
Ken <<Always welcome, EricR>> Help With A Nitrite
Reading...More Biofiltration - 05/22/2006 Good morning Bob,
<James today. Bob is out in sunny HI.> I was hoping you could
answer a question for me. On one of my customer's tanks, she can't seem
to shake a nitrite reading. I have had her replace the test kit 3 times,
trying a different kit each time. Every time she tests her nitrites, she
usually gets a .25 reading. Sometimes however, it is as far up as 1 ppm.
I am well aware of how dangerous this level is, and I have had her doing
partial water changes on a consistent basis to try to control this.
Nothing seems to work however. Here are the tank specs: It is a
75 gallon tank. There are 3 fish in the tank, an Auriga Butterfly, a
Coral Beauty Angel, and a chromis. The tank is fed moderately every
other day, and water changes are being done anywhere from one to two
days every week (because of the nitrites). The tank has been set-up for
6 months. I just can't seem to figure out why the nitrites keep
spiking. The only main problem with the tank is that there is not much
live rock. There is only 10 lbs. <I think you've answered your own
question here.> I have her curing 70 lbs. as we speak, but for the
time being, I would still love to have her get rid of these nitrites.
The weird thing is that she never has any detachable ammonia
reading. Every time she tests the water, ammonia is always 0 and nitrite
is .25 or 1ppm. The tank was properly cycled, and there is a Whisper
hang-on filter on the tank, as well as a Visi-Jet skimmer. <Poor
choices for filtering and skimming on this size tank. The tank needs
more biofiltration. The Whisper isn't going to help in that
regard. I'm sure that once the additional 70 pounds of live rock is
added, nitrites will drop to 0 shortly after. I would not have added
sensitive fish like the butterfly and angel to a tank without an
efficient bio-filter.> Any help you can provide would be wonderful!
Thank you! <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> Sincerely,
Ryan
No nitrites - 05/16/2006 Hello, and
thanks for all the great reading and help. My set up is as follows: 90
gal reef with 20 gal sump. 220 lbs of Australian gold sand (dreaming of
a dusky jaw) and 115 lbs live rock. My equipment is 3 maxi-jet 1200's
inside main tank and a PM bullet 1 skimmer in sump. I have no livestock
at all, trying to cycle naturally. My lighting is 2- 150w MH,
2-96w blue actinics with 4 lunar lights. My tank has been set up like
this since April 13th, starting the process about a week before that. I
believe I need a fan over my sump as my temp. goes from 80.4' to 82.4'
during the course of the day. I only keep my MH's on for 6 hours,
actinics for 10. I do have a built in fan under lights in canopy. From
what I've read here I should try fanning my sump. I recently (5
days ago) finally had an ammonia spike of 1.0, this was quick--
basically waiting for weeks and then bam, here and gone. My ammonia is
now 0. My nitrates are only 5-10ppm (I have only done 1 water change due
to too many diatoms, 3 weeks ago) . I have not seen a nitrite reading at
all. I know my test is working property as I cycled my quarantine just
fine. I presently have 2 clowns in my quarantine waiting, and
I'm wondering--did I miss the nitrite spike? I test about every 4 days.
I'm not sure how long I should wait. Thanks I know this is
ridiculously long, I truly appreciate it. Jill <<Jill: How long
have the clowns been in QT? What is the SG of your tank and QT? Before
you add the Clowns to the main tank, I would make sure that they are
healthy and eating. It's a lot harder to catch a fish in a tank with a
lot of rocks. At this point, since you already have the clowns and you
believe that your tank has cycled, you can consider adding them to the
tank. However, if you really want to play it safe and avoid introducing
fish diseases into your main tank, you should QT the clowns for at least
6 weeks with at an SG of 1.009 measured with a refractometer. While the
clowns remain in QT, you can consider getting some snails, etc to add to
the tank. Best of luck, Roy>>
Nitrite reading - 1/6/06
Hi, <Hello Dave> I have a relatively new 50 gallon marine set up
with two small clowns a medium size yellow tang and a small royal Gramma
the set up is about 8 weeks old and had fish in for about 2 weeks. The
protein skimmer is not working properly but I am in contact with the
supplier in the US to replace the water pump. My problem is I am
getting 0.25 reading of nitrite and even lower reading of ammonia, is
this normal in a new set up, do you think its because the skimmer is not
working,<No> I have just done a 15% water change. <In reading your "PS"
below, yes this is probably the reason. I am assuming that you are
treating with copper which will dramatically reduce the bacteria
required for biological filtration. It is important at this time to keep
the tank clean and do not overfeed. James (Salty Dog)> Thanks
Dave PS I am currently treating the tang and Gramma for white spot.
Could this be a reason for nitrite readings? Nitrite reading
Hi, <<Dave, forgot to mention that you should seriously consider a
Quarantine tank both for quarantining new arrivals and for the treatment
of diseased fish. James (Salty Dog)>> The Simple Approach To
Nitrite Reduction! 12/29/05 Hey there, <Hi there!
Scott F. here, back from the limitless void> I have wrote to you all
about my 75 gallon saltwater tank that was inherited. It came with
about an 18" zebra moray. Here is my question. I have a Seaclone
skimmer that was cleaning pretty good, a Rena XP2 filter, and about
40-50lbs. of live rock. Due having my fish (small Clown, juvenile Blue
Tang, juvenile Niger, and sm. Dottyback, and Eel) in a small tank while
the big one cycled; I put everything in the big once all my chemical
levels zeroed. Now my nitrites are about .25 and everything else is
good. Sorry to ramble...I have been doing about 5 gallon water changes
very regularly to help with this, but nothing seems to work. Any
suggestions? Thanks, Rob <Well, Rob, nitrite in any system
is indicative of an "immature" or disrupted biological filtration
capability. By doing water changes, you may actually be disrupting the
very process that you are trying to foster. My solution to your problem
is probably this most simple of all...Don't do anything at all! Just let
nature complete the cycle. Given time and a little patience on your
part, you'll see the nitrites drop to undetectable levels. Best of luck
to you! Regards, Scott F.>
Ammonia and Nitrite - 12/26/05
Hi, <<Hello>> I find your website very very interesting for
beginners in saltwater aquarium hobby. <<That's great!>> I have
a 66 Gallon tank. I have 2 power filters, one for the skimmer (it’s a
quite a big skimmer) and one to get a good water circulation. I also
have a canister filter (1100L/H) and a heater. I have used saltwater
water direct from the sea but conditioned. <<Not the best way to
go. Too much risk of introducing pollution/parasites, along with a very
weak/short-lived buffer capacity.>> I have dead corals, dead rock,
sea sand and a bit of crushed coral sand in the tank. My tank looks
great with the crystal clear water. Now I want to start my cycling
process. <<Mmm...the cycling process started once all was added to
the tank.>> So 3 days after setting up the tank when all my
equipment were running well I introduced 6 Damsel Fish (4 Domino and 2
Blue Damsels) <<Sheesh...I know this is a somewhat accepted and
often used method, but I just think there are better ways to introduce
nitrogenous compounds/waste to a tank for cycling purposes. Aside from
the obvious stress and distress caused to these fishes, many times
aquarists find they don't want these fishes/can't keep other fishes due
to the damsel's nasty dispositions (the Domino damsels will grow in to
real terrors, magnified by the confines of this tank). It is my opinion
that the same result can be achieved when cycling a tank by adding a
"small" amount of fish food every few days...or better yet... a couple
small bits of uncured live rock.>> when I checked my Ammonia,
Nitrite & pH values on the 5th day it was as follows; Ammonia (mg/l) =
very close to 1.0, Nitrite (mg/l) = 0.2 – 0.5. My questions how can I
get both the Ammonia and Nitrite readings together like this? If I am
correct I should get the Nitrite reading after the Ammonia reading is
zero right? <<Not correct. You have insufficient bacteria growth
yet in this system, along with a very heavy fish load for this tank and
its current stage (one damsel would have been plenty). As such, you are
going to have measurable amounts of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in
this system. Please do some reading here and at the indices in blue at
the top of the page:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm >> Is there
something wrong with my tank condition? <<Nothing unexpected...you
are experiencing the nitrogen cycle...please do some reading up on this,
much info re on our website.>> My fish seems to be fine for the
moment but I am worried please let me know your view. <<You have my
view on this. Regards, EricR>> Thanks Akila Re: Ammonia and
Nitrite - 12/25/05 Hi Eric <<Hello Akila>> Thanks for
your quick and valuable response. <<You're very welcome.>> By
reading your reply and also the recommended information on the cycling
process I have decided that patience is virtue here. <<Indeed>>
So I’ll be doing the tests regularly and see what’s happening.
<<Very good>> Also could you please let me know what exactly buffer
capacity is? How you do measure your buffer? What effect does that have
on fish, water quality and bacteria? <<Buffer capacity, simply
stated, is a measure of your tanks ability to neutralize acids while
resisting change. Do some more reading here for further explanation:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm >> I have placed my
tank outdoor. But when I researched so many articles say to keep your
tank out of direct sunlight. Why is this? <<This is generally to
reduce/prevent heat buildup.>> I actually don’t have direct sunlight
to the place where my tank is but I get somewhat more sunlight than
keeping it inside the house. <<If the tank is not overheating it is
likely fine. Rodney Jonklaas did just this many years ago with his fish
only tanks in Ceylon.>> Please let me know what effect sunlight has
on the tank water quality, fish and bacteria. Up to now I don’t seem to
have a problem. <<Then I doubt you will...no need to worry.>>
Appreciate your response. Thanks Best regards, Akila
<<Cheers my friend, EricR>> Re: Ammonia and Nitrite II - 12/29/05
Dear Eric <<Hello Akila>> Thanks again for your valuable
information. <<Always welcome my friend.>> I live in Ceylon too.
<<Cool! Maybe someday I'll come visit, go diving...>> I have no
overheating problems because as I said although the tank is outdoors the
tank is not exposed to any direct sunbeams. <<Sounds fine>> But
my concern is algae. <<Likely of little "concern" if the tank does
not receive direct sunlight.>> I heard when the tank is outdoors you
are more likely to get algae problems in your tank. <<A lighting
(sunlight) issue...doesn't seem to be the case here.>> What kind of
algae are these? <<The same that occur under artificial lighting.>>
And how do you remove them if a problem occurs? <<The same way you
do for those that occur under artificial lighting. Here's some more
reading for ya: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm
>> Oh, and also by keeping my marine tank outdoors, will my water
turn into brown or green color like the common problem in freshwater
tanks? <<If neglected, yes.>> What are hair algae that everyone
talks about? <<Just that...long, stringy, filamentous algae that
resembles, well...hair...usually a sign/result of overstocking/feeding,
excess nutrients, insufficient export mechanisms, etc..>> Because my
tank is a Fish Only tank is this something to be worried about because I
read many articles say that the problem exists in Reef tanks. Why is
this? <<Mmm...this algae can be/become problematic in any system
(FO/FOWLR/REEF), if not properly maintained. But is possibly
encountered more/most often in reef systems due to the higher intensity
lighting associated with same.>> Also please let me know some tank
cleaning animals (like scavenges in freshwater tanks) that will
control the algae over growth. Are Shrimps & Gobies good for this
job? Or are there any other kind? <<Turbo and Astrea snails are
considered good algae grazers by many, though I honestly have my doubts
as to their utility re. Some blennies, some tangs, are good
grazers...as are urchins of the genus Diadema. I've also heard tell of
a small (3") tropical Pacific Abalone that is supposed to be a good
algae grazer, but I've not yet been able to acquire any to see for
myself. A Google search for "algae grazer" should provide some other
ideas/examples as well. But whether or not you can have some of these
critters will depend on the fishes in your tank.>> Sorry to trouble
you with so many questions almost everyday. As I am new to this hobby I
am still confused. <<No trouble at all.>> Thanks for your help.
Appreciate your response. Happy New Year to youj)))) Best
regards, Akila <<Happy New Year to you too Akila! EricR>>
Re: Ammonia and Nitrite III - 01/01/06 Hi Eric <<Hi Akila>>
Thanks again for your valuable information and also if you do come to
Ceylon I'll sure help you out with your journey. <<Sounds good my
friend.>> My current condition of the tank is at expected
levels. Now my ammonia level is dropping and the nitrite is sky high.
<<Yes, as expected with a tank that is cycling.>> Anyways I have
some more problems that I need your views on. <<Okay>> When I
replace the evaporated water, is it alright to refill it with
Chlorine-less tap water or should I have buy purified water all the
time? <<Depends on your tap water ultimately, but for a fish-only
system this is usually fine.>> Do I have to add some saltwater to
the tank when replacing the evaporated water (Ex: when replacing
evaporated water should I add 75% fresh and 25% saltwater).
<<Nope...maintain your salinity with frequent partial water changes.>>
And what about saltwater that goes out with the protein skimmer should I
replace that water with saltwater? <<Monitor salinity and adjust as
explained.>> Also it is alright to use normal very clean salt (NOT
MARINE SALT) that we use in our kitchen to balance the salinity of the
water (at very urgent situations only)? <<I wouldn't...best to
use a proprietary salt mix here.>> Monthly when maintaining how much
water (Percentage) should I take out to replace with new saltwater
<<Twenty percent monthly is a good starting point...can be increased if
necessary.>> and does this reduce the nitrate levels in the tank?
<<Yes, as well as reducing other pollutants, and replenishing
trace/earth elements.>> Or are there any other ways to reduce
nitrate levels? <<For your situation I think frequent partial water
changes will serve well.>> Thanks for your help. Appreciate your
response. Best regards, Akila <<Always welcome, EricR>>
High Ammonia and Nitrite 11/25/05 Hi guys, unfortunately my
ammonia levels spiked after I put some Blade Brush plants in my tank. I
had poly filters in for two days, and the ammonia level is still high,
so is the nitrite levels. I ran out of poly filters, and I don't know
what else I can do. I replaced them with regular sponge filters. any
advice? I'm a little stuck. ~Sam <You could use Amquel to drop the
ammonia in this emergency, but you must also figure out why your
biological filtration did not handle these wastes. Please see these two
links for more information:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i5/Filtration/Filtration.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm > P.S. I have a
Picasso and a tusk, and they both seem to be more inactive since the
spike in ammonia. <No doubt! In the short term, I would suggest
using Amquel to reduce the ammonia and then performing a couple of large
water changes. DON'T do water changes while the ammonia is high!! The
high pH of newly mixed saltwater makes the ammonia more toxic. You
don't provide much information about your system (age, filtration, live
rock, etc.), so I can't make specific recommendations, but the two links
above should provide you with plenty of good info to be sure that you
are providing the basics for marine aquarium filtration. Best
Regards. AdamC.> <If one keeps pre-mixed, aerated/circulated
saltwater on hand, one ought to do water changes. It's only newly
mixed saltwater that is the major concern, here. -SCF>
High Ammonia and Nitrite part 2 12/04/05 Hi, I emailed you
guys on my high ammonia levels. I was told to use AmQuel. Someone said I
needed to be more specific about what's in my tank, so I wanted to let
you know. I have a 90 gallon with about 75 LBS of live rock. I have a
wet dry filter, Fluval 304, two powerheads, and a Aquawheel filter.
<The live rock and wet/dry should each be able to handle quite a bit of
ammonia on their own, and it is hard to imagine what is producing so
much ammonia that they are both overwhelmed. I would suggest verifying
your ammonia reading with another test kit (preferably new and a
different brand).> I don't have any carbon in right now as a matter
of fact because I have been treating for ich. A crazy strain of it. It's
been in my tank for about a month. I treated for 3 weeks with SeaCure
copper treatment. I then got a UV sterilizer, I think I might of
recently got rid of it. Anyway, yes a Picasso, and a tusk are the fish I
have in my tank right now. <Copper should never be used in a display,
especially with live rock. It can harm the critters living in the rock
as well as reduce the population of bacteria that process ammonia. It is
possible that these treatments damaged your biological filtration and
caused the ammonia to rise, but it is also possible that the copper
itself (which is easily overdosed) is causing your fish to look bad. Any
drug treatment should be carried out in a hospital tank, and the
instructions for copper must be followed carefully.> Will carbon help
me lower my high ammonia levels that I have. should I just stock up on
more PolyFilters? thanks, Sam <Carbon will only reduce ammonia in so
much as it acts as a place for bacteria to colonize. Poly filters are
probably only slightly more effective. I would suggest using AmQuel and
feeding very lightly in the short term (a few days), while your
biological filtration catches up. Best Regards. AdamC.>
The
Disappearing Nitrite Mystery 11/3/05 Bob -- <Chris> First,
I must say that I thoroughly enjoy your site and want to thank you for
all the great information it has provided me in starting this great
hobby. <Welcome> I'm cycling a 30g marine tank and it's nearing
the end of the cycle (yay). I started with 30lb of mostly cured live
rock from the LFS, but with enough dead stuff to kick up a short ammonia
spike. This has made the whole "cycle" go really fast (2 weeks, rather
than 4) since I was essentially seeding the system with *some* bacteria.
<Good> Anyway, my nitrites have been off the chart, while ammonia
settled down to about .1ppm ... Which was a good indicator that I did
indeed have healthy bacteria on the live rock. Nitrates slowly came up
to about 10ppm and the nitrites have remained steadily "off the chart".
<Happens> I did a 5g water change 2 days ago. Last night, I tested
the tank again... Ammonia had settled to 0 (yay, again), but
surprisingly, nitrites jumped down to .25ppm! Surprisingly, nitrate is
still at 10ppm. SO... This leaves me with a puzzling question... Where
did all those nitrites go?? <Converted! Like a football touchdown!>
<<Somewhat, however, this conversion always gets you the two points.
MH>> One possible answer... The 5 gallons of new water (DI water)
was treated with Amquel+, and of course, allowed to "brew" for a few
days with a heater and airstone for circulation. I highly doubt that the
5 gallons treated with Amquel+ (1/2 tsp) would have enough kick in it
after a few days to clear up all those nitrites in a 30g tank. <Mmm,
the Amquel could be masking some here, as well as giving you a "false
negative" on your nitrite tests... but all is likely cycling... and
nitrites should be negligible soon> So... I'd just like to figure out
where all those nitrites went. I don't want to incorrectly assume that
my cycle is finished, because I would expect to see the nitrates rise as
the nitrite falls. <Mmm, they have...> At least for the next few
days, I'll be watching the nitrites to see if they remain steady, or
rise back to cycle levels. Nitrates, of course, are still at 10ppm where
they've been for a while. <May be about here for a while/ever>
BTW, I've got a blue-legged hermit and a small snail that came as
hitchhikers on the rock, plus the typical amphipods, a few bristle
worms, small sponges, 1 small coral, and some coralline algae (which I
hope will grow over the next few months). Best, --Chris in
Goffstown, NH <Bob F, back in sunny Southern Cal.>
Nitrite Rise ! 9/28/05 Hello WetWebMedia, <Sam> I
have a standard 4ft tank and have just changed the gravel from shell
grit to coral sand. after a few days I noticed that the nitrite was at
0.5 and still is. <Mmm, not unusual> Is this just a temporary
rise and if it is how long do you think it will take to go back to 0.
<Hopefully temporary... would take action if approaches 1.0 ppm...
likely to drop in a few weeks... maybe sooner. There are articles, FAQs
files on nitrites, biological filtration, substrates... on WWM. Bob
Fenner> From Sam
Nitrite rise after substrate change
9/26/05 Hello WetWebMedia, <AdamC. Here today!> I have a
standard 4ft tank and have just changed the gravel from shell grit to
coral sand. After a few days I noticed that the nitrite was at 0.5 and
still is. Is this just a temporary rise and if it is how long do you
think it will take to go back to 0. From Sam <This rise is probably due
to the disruption in your biological filtration. Depending on your
other filtration (live rock, power filters, etc.), it should return to
zero in a few days. Best Regards. AdamC.>
Can't get rid of
the nitrite First of all I would like to thank you for all the
information that you guys have given. <You're welcome> I'm having a
problem with my 65 gallon saltwater tank. I have been in the hobby for
about a year now and am still learning as I go. As I said my tank is 65
gallons, with a wet/dry filter, a canister filter, about 20 lbs of live
sand (sitting on top of some none live sand) and 40 lbs of LR for
filtration. My problem is that I still have nitrite in the tank, around
.15 ppm (although if fluctuates b/w .15 and .25 ppm), with the ammonia
reading zero. <mmm unusual. Have you tried another nitrite test kit?>
I let the tank cycle four about four weeks with some LR in the tank, and
I did get the nitrite down to zero at one point in time. My LFS is not
sure what could be wrong, though they have made many suggestions but
nothing seems to work. I know that there is nothing died in the tank
and I am sure that I am not over feeding the fish. I make regular water
changes every two weeks, about 15-20 gallons each (is this to much at
one time?), using ro/di water. <Twelve gallons every two weeks is
sufficient, preferably six gallons per week.> I use to siphon the sand
during the water changes but was told by my LFS to leave it alone. Is
this good advice? <If you don't have any sand sifting creatures, I would
vacuum during water changes. You will be surprised at the detritus that
is removed.> I'm trying to start a reef tank and already have a couple
pieces of corals in the tank. There seems to be nothing wrong with
them, although like I said I am a beginner and not completely sure about
some of the behaviors of the corals on a regular basis.<You need to go
to the Wet Web Media, keyword "Corals" and read, know what you are
getting into and the requirements that have to be met.> The fish also
seem not be suffering from the nitrite also. I guess what I am looking
for is any possible solutions that you may have to fix this
problem. Thank you very much. <I'd start by trying a different
nitrite test kit. Take your sample somewhere mid tank, not the
surface. James (Salty Dog)> Nitrite safe in a marine
aquarium 8/17/05 Hello, <<Hello Jonathan. Ted with you
today>> I had a colleague at a pet store that I work at, tell me
that nitrite (with an 'I') is nontoxic in a marine aquarium. I know
that in a freshwater aquarium, medicinal aquarium salt can be used to
relieve nitrite poisoning, so it seems logical. I found one website
that stated due to the high pH and salinity of a marine aquarium that
nitrite isn't toxic to fish, and they can be seen swimming in 25 ppm
with no stress. I can't find too many sources on google that say
any more to confirm this, or WetWebMedia. <<Are you sure someone
isn't confusing nitrite with nitrate? Nitrite at the level we're
discussing is toxic>> Off course as a concerned hobbyist we should
strive to ensure that the tank reads zero on the nitrite scale. And
having detectable nitrite in someone’s aquarium concerns me that the
have possibly had a surge of ammonia, or damaged their biological filter
which could lead to ammonia poisoning. <<A increase in nitrite,
especially in an established system would be a concern.>> In a
practical sense, if nitrite was nontoxic to fish in a marine
environment. That means when someone cycles their tank the old
fashioned way with damsels, they can breathe a sigh of relief when
they've gotten past the ammonia part of it. (Though I would never
recommend to add more fish until the cycle is complete with no nitrite
and little bit of nitrate)<<And don't forget to quarantine before adding
more livestock.>> And if for some reason they have it present in an
established tank, I could address the problem as; trying to find out why
they have it, advising daily water tests for ammonia and nitrite, and if
ammonia becomes visible to do a good sized water change / and or apply
SeaChem Prime<<Agreed>> If ammonia is 'nontoxic' to fish in a marine
aquarium I wouldn't have to treat it as in freshwater, where a high
nitrite level can kill, and is just as serious as ammonia.<<But we
know that ammonia is toxic>> Which, as a follow up, would mean
possibly the same in a brackish tank? Or a salted freshwater
aquarium? (Which I dislike the practice of)<<I'm not sure what you mean
here.>> Thank you for time and furtherment of the hobby,
<<You're welcome.>> p.s. If possible could you pass this email
around, I love second opinions, ha, regards, Jonathan
<<Cheers - Ted>> Re: Nitrite safe in a marine aquarium
8/18/05 Sorry to over-elaborate. Let me rephrase. <<No
worries.>> Someone told me that nitrite is nontoxic in a marine
aquarium. Is this correct?<<That is incorrect. Nitrite is less toxic
than ammonia but it is still toxic.>> We know that nitrite in a
freshwater aquarium is toxic, and high enough it can kill. I suppose I
assumed it's the same thing in marine, especially considering how
sensitive marine fish are compared to fresh.<<Correct. Nitrite is
toxic in marine aquaria and will kill when found in high enough
concentrations.>> If Nitrite was nontoxic in a salt water aquarium,
then when I test someone's water who hypothetically could have 0
ammonia high nitrite (4 ppm) low nitrate I could just advise
them to do nothing, and let bacteria readjust, keeping a wary eye out
for ammonia. <<What do you mean by 'low nitrate'? In a newly
establishing system with an idealized nitrification cycle, 0 ammonia and
nitrite of 4ppm might be found around 21 days into the cycle. At that
point, nitrate would have an expected value of around 10ppm. If this
scenario were a newly cycling tank, I would expect nitrate values of
10ppm or more and I would advise monitoring of the nitrite so verify
that it has peaked and the nitrite level is diminishing. At the same
time, monitor the nitrate level as it should continue to increase. If
this were an established system, I would wonder what happened (what
died?) to cause a spike in nitrites. You are right, eventually, the
bacteria should readjust the nitrite levels.>> Where as a freshwater
tank with those readings, I'd have to tell them to do a water change or
prime stat or death could be the result.<<To be clear, an increase to
4ppm of nitrite in an established marine system is cause for concern,
needs to be monitored and might require water changes also.>> Do you
understand my line of reason? If I explained well enough, I'm kinda
jumbled.<<I think I understand you reasoning except the premise is
wrong. Nitrite is harmful in marine systems. Please do a search here
at WWM on "nitrification". There is a lot of information available on
biological filtration, cycling, etc. Cheers - Ted>>
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