Help! My Nitrite and Nitrates are too high!

[aeg5aeg]

Hey everyone!


I’m new to the saltwater side of the hobby and wanted to share my journey so far—plus get some advice and reassurance from the pros here on Reef2Reef!


I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for a while, but about 3 weeks ago, I finally took the plunge into saltwater and set up my first reef tank. After getting everything running and cycling, my water parameters started looking good, so I decided to add 2 clownfish. They seem to be doing pretty well—eating and active—but I noticed that one of them is always hanging around the heater, and I’m not sure if that’s normal behavior or a red flag.


Just a few days ago, I added my first corals:
1 Green Star Polyp
1 Hammer Head Coral


Here are my current water parameters:

• Ammonia: 0
• Nitrite: 2 ppm
• Nitrate: 20 ppm

Since this is my first saltwater tank, I’m still trying to figure everything out. I’m a bit concerned about the nitrite still reading at 2 ppm—should I be worried at this point in the cycle? Could that be affecting the clownfish behavior?


Would love to hear from others who’ve transitioned from freshwater to saltwater—what did your early days look like, and what would you recommend I do next?


Tank Setup:

• Tank size: 10 gallons
• Light: Fluval Nano Marine 3.0
• Filter: Tidal 35
• Temperature: 80°F

Thanks in advance! Excited to keep learning and growing in the reefing hobby!

 

[TX_REEF]

Hey everyone!


I’m new to the saltwater side of the hobby and wanted to share my journey so far—plus get some advice and reassurance from the pros here on Reef2Reef!


I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for a while, but about 3 weeks ago, I finally took the plunge into saltwater and set up my first reef tank. After getting everything running and cycling, my water parameters started looking good, so I decided to add 2 clownfish. They seem to be doing pretty well—eating and active—but I noticed that one of them is always hanging around the heater, and I’m not sure if that’s normal behavior or a red flag.


Just a few days ago, I added my first corals:
1 Green Star Polyp
1 Hammer Head Coral


Here are my current water parameters:

• Ammonia: 0
• Nitrite: 2 ppm
• Nitrate: 20 ppm

Since this is my first saltwater tank, I’m still trying to figure everything out. I’m a bit concerned about the nitrite still reading at 2 ppm—should I be worried at this point in the cycle? Could that be affecting the clownfish behavior?


Would love to hear from others who’ve transitioned from freshwater to saltwater—what did your early days look like, and what would you recommend I do next?


Tank Setup:

• Tank size: 10 gallons
• Light: Fluval Nano Marine 3.0
• Filter: Tidal 35
• Temperature: 80°F

Thanks in advance! Excited to keep learning and growing in the reefing hobby!

please refer to the responses and questions in the previous identical post you made, we can't help you if you don't respond :) : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/help-nitrites-are-high.1102463/#post-13404559

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Locked to avoid duplicates