Nitrite always present?

[alexanderthefishlover]

Hello all,

Reef been up and running no coral deaths, no fish deaths had Dino still having some and other algaes. My nitrites are always present. Low, yet present bellow .25 ppm.

I’ve never had this happen in a freshwater in my life I’m not sure why this is happening??

Everything is looking healthy my assumption is the algae I have is due to nitrite and instability.

I have a lot of bio media, never changed the media only the filter sick every 3 days.

Sand bed vacuumed often due to algae and Dino, have a skimmer, even used a double dose of Purigen and dosing phos guard.

Anyone know what’s going on? No poop build up, no rotting food, I can’t make this make sense.

My nutrients were low and I’m actually having to dose neonitro. Phos is always high. I only feed frozen foods and it’s all consumed as I turn everything off so it doesn’t blow around.

I can’t understand this. Dosed Fritz 9 and Microbacter7, stability, fluval cycle, nutrafin cycle for months and still this???

 

[PharmrJohn]

How big is the tank and do you have live rock?

 

[Pod_01]

Normal in reef tanks, my tank has been running 0.1-0.2 for years even ICP lab confirmed it:

Just keep in mind that NO2 can interfere with NO3 test and give elevated value.

Here is more on the subject:

Using NP-Bacto-Balance

Pod_01 has explained a lot already, thank you for filling in! :) Spdjnky, like Pod_01 explained, Plus-NP would be the right product in your nutrient situation. Usually we get reported that nitrate concentration drops when using NP-Bacto-Balance although nitrogen and even nitrate is added. A...

www.reef2reef.com

Hope the link works.

 

[Jekyl]

Once a tank is cycled you can throw the nitrite test away. Even during the cycle it's not the most useful.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hello all,

Reef been up and running no coral deaths, no fish deaths had Dino still having some and other algaes. My nitrites are always present. Low, yet present bellow .25 ppm.

I’ve never had this happen in a freshwater in my life I’m not sure why this is

Nitrite is harmless in saltwater tanks.

No need to test, throw the kit away.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

I understand that it’s less toxic my question is why is it remaining and is this normal for saltwater? As far as I understand for the 12 years I’ve been in aquaria, this means my nitrogen cycle or bacteria isn’t sufficient. I have 2 clowns, 1 yellow goby and 4 snails 4 tiny hermits and corlas that’s all in a 25 gallon waterbox AIO peninsula.

Nitrite is harmless in saltwater tanks.

No need to test, throw the kit away.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Once a tank is cycled you can throw the nitrite test away. Even during the cycle it's not the most useful.

But is it cycled? That’s my worry? If it were nitrite wouldn’t be present correct? At least that’s how it is in freshwater.

I cycled fishless for over a month with ammonium chloride and then added fish when both ammonia and nitrite were 0 the next day after adding 2ppm ammonium chloride.

I felt I did this right so I’m confused why this is still present.

I have 2 full bags of seachem matrix as well as bio spheres and ceramic balls, live sand, live rock…..

 

[Tripod1404]

How much nitrate are you dosing?

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

I understand that it’s less toxic my question is why is it remaining and is this normal for saltwater? As far as I understand for the 12 years I’ve been in aquaria, this means my nitrogen cycle or bacteria isn’t sufficient. I have 2 clowns, 1 yellow goby and 4 snails 4 tiny hermits and corlas that’s all in a 25 gallon waterbox AIO peninsula.

I have have algae, green algae, I believe Dino on the sand, and I feel like the nitrite is playing into this….. somehow

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

How much nitrate are you dosing?

Dosing to 5ppm. Doing this to try and fight the Dino which has helped but it’s still there. Phos is at .25 and I’ve even been adding phos guard doubled the dose and skimmer. Can’t seem to drop it and I don’t know why. I use distilled water, and seachem vibrant sea salt. Nothing has phos in it.

 

[Tripod1404]

But is it cycled? That’s my worry? If it were nitrite wouldn’t be present correct? At least that’s how it is in freshwater.

I cycled fishless for over a month with ammonium chloride and then added fish when both ammonia and nitrite were 0 the next day after adding 2ppm ammonium chloride.

I felt I did this right so I’m confused why this is still present.

I have 2 full bags of seachem matrix as well as bio spheres and ceramic balls, live sand, live rock…..

Being present and accumulating are different things. A cycled tank has both ammonia and nitrite but it doesn’t accumulate since bacteria convert it to nitrate. If nitrite levels are not increasing, I would not worry.

IMO one possibility for this is that you are doing too many things, which is causing a bottleneck somewhere. Stop dosing and give it time and it will correct it self on its own.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

How much nitrate are you dosing?

My corals love the water they open and are growing…. But so is other crap I don’t want LOL…. I know that nitrite in freshwater causes large algae blooms, nitrate too but it’s a different type of algae when it’s nitrite vs nitrate. Usually brown is caused by the nitrite and then green by the nitrates. I’m not sure if that’s the same in saltwater but that’s been my experience for 12 years with fresh.

I can’t understand why I can’t get this to balance out! It’s killing me all the scrubbing sifting sand to remove the algae/Dino. I just want it to stop!

My coraline has also been spreading more on the rocks which I want. But so is other junk

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Being present and accumulating are different things. A cycled tank has both ammonia and nitrite but it doesn’t accumulate since bacteria convert it to nitrate. If nitrite levels are not increasing, I would not worry.

IMO one possibility for this is that you are doing too many things, which is causing a bottleneck. Give it time and it will correct it self on its own.

I’ve tried to let it go on its own and it nearly killed my tank mates….. that’s why began taking action. And have been for months now. Everyone keeps saying it will balance out but it’s been like this since December….. and I’m honestly looking faith.

I just cycled another freshwater, that and it looks amazing fish thriving, plants amazing nitrite 0 ammonia 0 nitrates perfect… but saltwater hates me!

I’m getting really frustrated with it. I’d love one day where I don’t have to scrub the rocks, glass and sift sand. I’m doing this sometimes 4 times a day! It’s insane. It’s not normal.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

If the tank is processing ammonia rapidly (the hobby standard seems to be 2.0 ppm ammonia to 0 in 24 hours) and you have Nitrate showing up in your tank, then your tank is cycled.

Having some minimal residual ammonia and nitrite show up during testing is normal (as the living things in the tank produce ammonia which is converted to nitrite before ending up as nitrate, so there should theoretically always be some minimal amount of ammonia and nitrite in the water), particularly with certain test kits - as long as the ammonia stays 0 (or as close to it as the test kit can read which in some cases may be 0.25 or even 0.5 ppm), you're fine.

My nitrites are always present. Low, yet present bellow .25 ppm.

As mentioned above with the ammonia, this may be the lowest the test kit can read, but even if it's not, as long as ammonia is processing to Nitrite and Nitrite is processing to Nitrate, you're fine.

all the scrubbing sifting sand to remove the algae/Dino. I just want it to stop!

It sounds like your tank is new and just going through the "uglies" as they're called, so I really wouldn't be too concerned with the algae - it should largely clear up as the tank stabilizes and matures; then you just worry about the algae like GHA, Bryopsis, bubble algae, etc.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I’ve tried to let it go on its own and it nearly killed my tank mates….. that’s why began taking action.

Would you elaborate a bit on this point- what happened and what you've been trying to do to correct the issue?

 

[Kmst80]

My corals love the water they open and are growing…. But so is other crap I don’t want LOL…. I know that nitrite in freshwater causes large algae blooms, nitrate too but it’s a different type of algae when it’s nitrite vs nitrate. Usually brown is caused by the nitrite and then green by the nitrates. I’m not sure if that’s the same in saltwater but that’s been my experience for 12 years with fresh.

I can’t understand why I can’t get this to balance out! It’s killing me all the scrubbing sifting sand to remove the algae/Dino. I just want it to stop!

My coraline has also been spreading more on the rocks which I want. But so is other junk

Time and patience is the key to stability. I have had dinos for a good half year plus the hairalgae, that was nearly 1 year into my tank. I am 2.5 years down the track now, no dinos, no hairalgae, just a little bit diatoms. Give it time, but if it's dinos keep nitrate and phosphate up and suck as much of the dinos out as you can. You will win that battle with some patience and determination.

 

[Malcontent]

Ammonia and nitrite are never really zero, just below the minimum detection level of the test.

With lab grade test kits, I've never had "zero" nitrite in freshwater and have only seen "zero" ammonia a handful of times. I also noticed the API freshwater kit reads 0.25 ppm nitrite as "zero."

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

If the tank is processing ammonia rapidly (the hobby standard seems to be 2.0 ppm ammonia to 0 in 24 hours) and you have Nitrate showing up in your tank, then your tank is cycled.

Having some minimal residual ammonia and nitrite show up during testing is normal (as the living things in the tank produce ammonia which is converted to nitrite before ending up as nitrate, so there should theoretically always be some minimal amount of ammonia and nitrite in the water), particularly with certain test kits - as long as the ammonia stays 0 (or as close to it as the test kit can read which in some cases may be 0.25 or even 0.5 ppm), you're fine.

As mentioned above with the ammonia, this may be the lowest the test kit can read, but even if it's not, as long as ammonia is processing to Nitrite and Nitrite is processing to Nitrate, you're fine.

It sounds like your tank is new and just going through the "uglies" as they're called, so I really wouldn't be too concerned with the algae - it should largely clear up as the tank stabilizes and matures; then you just worry about the algae like GHA, Bryopsis, bubble algae, etc.

How long does it last? This stage? Freshwater ugliest last a week and it never comes back if it’s maintained….. 4 months of this and I’m dying from the maintenance….. 4 times a day. I known it’s Dino still cause if I leave it it becomes slimy brown. Only around the rocks where the sand connects, never on the rocks anymore, appears rapidly, also grows in the dark ( not sure why)… the hermits like the hair algae so I leave some of it. I was told once the hair algae came that the tank would stop getting Dino. So I was told…

I was told it’s like a war zone of competition and once another competitor takes over the other looses. Made sense sounded logical as it’s limited space, but nope!

It’s really annoying and I would love a day I can just sit watch and enjoy! Like everything looks healthy happy and no deaths of corlas or fish. That I’m happy about at least

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

How long does it last? This stage?

It depends on the tank and a huge number of variables associated with it - it can last weeks or even months (some people have reported combatting dinos for over a year). Whenever the tank's microbiome matures and stabilizes, it should die down.

also grows in the dark ( not sure why)…

Any photos of this or more in depth description of it? It's not really relevant to the topic at hand, I'm just curious.

was told it’s like a war zone of competition and once another competitor takes over the other looses

This may be largely true depending on the tank, but it isn't necessarily always true, and it isn't necessarily always fast.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Time and patience is the key to stability. I have had dinos for a good half year plus the hairalgae, that was nearly 1 year into my tank. I am 2.5 years down the track now, no dinos, no hairalgae, just a little bit diatoms. Give it time, but if it's dinos keep nitrate and phosphate up and suck as much of the dinos out as you can. You will win that battle with some patience and determination.

Omg! 2.5 years??!!!!! Holy! That’s insane…. I’m not that patient I have a job that requires a lot of focus and I Just can’t imagine taking this much time to maintain this for that long until this balances.

I may end up converting to a freshwater, maybe shell dwellers at this point if it doesn’t stop soon.


Side note, I’d be thrilled with diatom as it’s not producing toxins. That’s why I’m so overly done with the Dino. Hair algae doesn’t even bother me that much.

The large cell amphedinium that multiples like cray on the sand and glass that’s what’s getting to me. I hear it’s less toxic but if left untreated will kill my corlas.

So I wish I could leave it if it was diatom i would.


I will probably do this for a few more months as I love this aquarium, but I can’t and don’t have the time for this stuff. I do bi-weekly water changes in freshwater and that takes 10 min with my python siphon and that’s all I need to do it’s pretty self sufficient with plants and pothos.