Hanna ULR Nitrite for High Range?

[JordanM]

Can you use the Hanna ULR nitrite tester to test the high nitrite range somehow? I know with test kits you use a certain dilution factor to be able to do this, but are you able to dilute in the same way you would with a colormeter even if the results are not super accurate? Currently my tank is cycling and past the 200ppm mark that the meter tests in, but i would like to have an idea of how high the nitrite is above this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

More than 200 ppm nitrite? That seems unusual, but yes, you can dilute if needed.

 

[JordanM]

More than 200 ppm nitrite? That seems unusual, but yes, you can dilute if needed.

Yes it is above 200ppm on the meter which breaks down to being 660ppm true nitrite. Does that sound high for a tank that is cycling? The ammonia is at 0.010 and nitrate was at 4ppm.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes it is above 200ppm on the meter which breaks down to being 660ppm true nitrite. Does that sound high for a tank that is cycling? The ammonia is at 0.010 and nitrate was at 4ppm.

I think it is most likely an error of some sort.

 

[JordanM]

I ran it twice and used a different batch of the reagent packet. What are normal nitrite levels while cycling a tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I ran it twice and used a different batch of the reagent packet. What are normal nitrite levels while cycling a tank?

What did you do to cycle it?

If you dosed ammonia, the level should be like 2 ppm, 5 ppm?

If you are curing messy live rock, it might get substantially higher, but I've not seen anyone (that I can recall) report levels above tens of ppm.

 

[JordanM]

What did you do to cycle it?

If you dosed ammonia, the level should be like 2 ppm, 5 ppm?

If you are curing messy live rock, it might get substantially higher, but I've not seen anyone (that I can recall) report levels above tens of ppm.

I added two shrimp for about a week and have been dosing MicroBacter7 since then. Tank is a 120 gallon. The ammonia has now came down to 0.007. I will check the nitrite again when i get home. This was all dry rock that had been bleached. This is going on week 3 of the cycle. Sorry but i definitely messed the units up which is probably causing alot of the confusion. The ULR nitrite measures in the ppb range with nitrite (N-N) then you multiply by 3.3 for the true nitrite reading.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I added two shrimp for about a week and have been dosing MicroBacter7 since then. Tank is a 120 gallon. The ammonia has now came down to 0.007. I will check the nitrite again when i get home. This was all dry rock that had been bleached. This is going on week 3 of the cycle. Sorry but i definitely messed the units up which is probably causing alot of the confusion. The ULR nitrite measures in the ppb range with nitrite (N-N) then you multiply by 3.3 for the true nitrite reading.

Then are you sure it isn't above 200 ppb? That's 0.2 ppm and is no concern.

 

[JordanM]

Yes, thats what i originally meant is that its above the 200ppb which i cannot measure past with this colormeter so can i dilute this to be able to test higher nitrite levels with this same meter?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, thats what i originally meant is that its above the 200ppb which i cannot measure past with this colormeter so can i dilute this to be able to test higher nitrite levels with this same meter?

lol

OK, so it's not high, and isn't any concern. But if you really want to measure it, dilution with seawater or RO/DI before testing is fine.

 

[JordanM]

lol

OK, so it's not high, and isn't any concern. But if you really want to measure it, dilution with seawater or RO/DI before testing is fine.

Thanks. If i dilute it by half to I just multiply the result by two?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes. [emoji3]

 

[JordanM]

I cut the dose by a quarter and got 127ppb so when I multiply this by 4 I get 508ppb n-n which is really 1.676ppm nitrite.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I cut the dose by a quarter and got 127ppb so when I multiply this by 4 I get 508ppb n-n which is really 1.676ppm nitrite.

That's certainly a fine level during cycling.

 

[JordanM]

So now i just wait for this level to start dropping before performing a water change and adding the fish?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’d mostly track ammonia. It’s fine to wait for nitrite to decline, but it is really not important in marine systems.

 

[JordanM]

Ammonia is down to .001 and nitrite is over 6.6ppm. I did a 1/10 dilution and it is still reading over the 200ppb recordable range of the meter which when converted is 6.6ppm. I may try a 1/20 dilution in a few days and see if that is within range of the meter.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd take put the shrimp now, if you haven't already.

 

[JordanM]

Ooo ya I took it out at day 7 when it was all white. I was using two shrimp on each side of the 120 gallon. Today ammonia is a 0.001 and with the 1/20 dilution I got the nitrite in range with a reading at 8.382ppm.
I assume the levels aren’t too bad because I threw some brittle stars in this tank that were hitchhiking in some corals I bought and I see the ones legs sticking out looking for food so I feed him directly every few days when I see him.

 

[JordanM]

Nitrite is at 8.514 so not much of a change. I expect this to start dropping soon I would think.