High Nitrites After Cycle

[Schraufabagel]

I just finished cycling my rock in a trash can. It's been about 3 weeks since I started. The nitrites were sitting at 5 ppm and my Nitrates were at about 20 ppm. I've been doing 25% water changes trying to reduce those. However, each time it still says 5 ppm and 20 ppm for each. If the nitrite was really high and still converting to nitrate, then I would see nitrates rising (which it's not; been stuck at 20). So I just did a 60% water change today and the nitrites are still at 5 ppm.

I'm using the API test kit, so I'm not sure if it's just cause they suck. I'm wondering what I should do next though? The rock is cycled since the ammonia level hit 0 before I did my first water change (following the Dr. Tim's schedule for ammonia chloride dosing). I just want the nitrites to be 0 and nitrates to be lower by the first week of June. That's when I am moving and will be moving the cycled rock to my new tank. I suppose it's not a huge problem (since I could just do a 100% water change and move the cycled rock and sand in). But it would be nice to save some of the water if I can.

Also, I did make sure my RODI water was 0 TDS prior. Salinity was mixed to 1.025 (34 ppm)

 

[BlennyTime]

If you have a LFS nearby, you could take some water to them to test. They should do it for free or for a few dollars.

 

[fachatga]

I don’t think nitrate tests are accurate if you have nitrites present. If you are testing right after a 60% water change and nothing changes I would first think the tests are not accurate.

 

[Schraufabagel]

I don’t think nitrate tests are accurate if you have nitrites present. If you are testing right after a 60% water change and nothing changes I would first think the tests are not accurate.

Ok, I'll wait another day or two and test for Nitrites again

 

[Garf]

Sounds like the rock is ready. I would Not worry at all if youre adding a bigger volume of fresh saltwater when you move it over. Happy reefin’.

 

[Azedenkae]

I just finished cycling my rock in a trash can. It's been about 3 weeks since I started. The nitrites were sitting at 5 ppm and my Nitrates were at about 20 ppm. I've been doing 25% water changes trying to reduce those. However, each time it still says 5 ppm and 20 ppm for each. If the nitrite was really high and still converting to nitrate, then I would see nitrates rising (which it's not; been stuck at 20). So I just did a 60% water change today and the nitrites are still at 5 ppm.

I'm using the API test kit, so I'm not sure if it's just cause they suck. I'm wondering what I should do next though? The rock is cycled since the ammonia level hit 0 before I did my first water change (following the Dr. Tim's schedule for ammonia chloride dosing). I just want the nitrites to be 0 and nitrates to be lower by the first week of June. That's when I am moving and will be moving the cycled rock to my new tank. I suppose it's not a huge problem (since I could just do a 100% water change and move the cycled rock and sand in). But it would be nice to save some of the water if I can.

Also, I did make sure my RODI water was 0 TDS prior. Salinity was mixed to 1.025 (34 ppm)

Don't forget that 25% is not much when considering whether something is readable for nitrate. If we presume it actually reads 20ppm, it could be maybe a few ppm less than that to quite a bit higher given the next color is for 40ppm. So if you were at 30ppm and that read as 20ppm-ish, after 2 water changes it'd still be around 17ppm.

But as others said, it's probably not so relevant here, given that you have nitrite present, and nitrite affects the nitrate test.

Anyways, for marine aquariums there are essentially two ways to look at nitrite during cycling - either you want to be absolutely sure all nitrite produced is oxidized, i.e. needs it to be kept at 0, or you believe it'd probably never reach high enough levels during the cycle to be of concern and some people then don't even measure nitrite.

This is because nitrite needs to reach very high levels to be toxic enough to marine fish to kill them: Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

So yeah, a lot of people straight up just don't care about nitrites. One study found that nitrite needs to reach 25ppm to even potentially cause *some* harm to clownfish (ocellaris in particular). So yeah.

You can opt to not fret and just call the cycle done, if you feel comfortable with that.

 

[Schraufabagel]

Don't forget that 25% is not much when considering whether something is readable for nitrate. If we presume it actually reads 20ppm, it could be maybe a few ppm less than that to quite a bit higher given the next color is for 40ppm. So if you were at 30ppm and that read as 20ppm-ish, after 2 water changes it'd still be around 17ppm.

But as others said, it's probably not so relevant here, given that you have nitrite present, and nitrite affects the nitrate test.

Anyways, for marine aquariums there are essentially two ways to look at nitrite during cycling - either you want to be absolutely sure all nitrite produced is oxidized, i.e. needs it to be kept at 0, or you believe it'd probably never reach high enough levels during the cycle to be of concern and some people then don't even measure nitrite.

This is because nitrite needs to reach very high levels to be toxic enough to marine fish to kill them: Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

So yeah, a lot of people straight up just don't care about nitrites. One study found that nitrite needs to reach 25ppm to even potentially cause *some* harm to clownfish (ocellaris in particular). So yeah.

You can opt to not fret and just call the cycle done, if you feel comfortable with that.

Awesome. I’ll wait to see if it resolves itself after a few days. I’m hoping the 60% water change helped. If needed, I’ll just replace most of the water once I move

 

[brandon429]

This cycle is done and requires no further testing, see this thread:

Please help me solve my nitrite mystery!

OK, this is my first saltwater aquarium. I migrated over from 8 years or so of freshwater and I've never encountered this issue before. I'm going to give a timeline so it's easier to follow: Mar 9th: Cycle started with dead grocery store shrimp. Mar 9th - 20th: Ammonia spiked and went to...

www.reef2reef.com

summary: only ammonia control matters


not nitrite, ever, in any reef


and not nitrate that’s for color tuning in corals

 

[Schraufabagel]

This cycle is done and requires no further testing, see this thread:

Please help me solve my nitrite mystery!

OK, this is my first saltwater aquarium. I migrated over from 8 years or so of freshwater and I've never encountered this issue before. I'm going to give a timeline so it's easier to follow: Mar 9th: Cycle started with dead grocery store shrimp. Mar 9th - 20th: Ammonia spiked and went to...

www.reef2reef.com

summary: only ammonia control matters


not nitrite, ever, in any reef


and not nitrate that’s for color tuning in corals

Cool. Thank you!!

 

[aws2266]

This thread has been super helpful. I'm running into the same thing on my tank. The ammonia is 0ppm, Nitrite is 1ppm, and Nitrates is 20ppm. I do water changes and nothing changes. It's gonna be tough because everything in me is screaming to do more water changes(been doing 15% daily and 30% on Sundays for two weeks.) or look for a chemical solution.

 

[Schraufabagel]

This thread has been super helpful. I'm running into the same thing on my tank. The ammonia is 0ppm, Nitrite is 1ppm, and Nitrates is 20ppm. I do water changes and nothing changes. It's gonna be tough because everything in me is screaming to do more water changes(been doing 15% daily and 30% on Sundays for two weeks.) or look for a chemical solution.

Have you tested your phosphate?

 

[aws2266]

Have you tested your phosphate?

Actually, I have not. This is going to be a FOWLR so I wasn't too concerned about phosphates yet. Did that have something to do with yours?

 

[kittenbritches]

This thread has been super helpful. I'm running into the same thing on my tank. The ammonia is 0ppm, Nitrite is 1ppm, and Nitrates is 20ppm. I do water changes and nothing changes. It's gonna be tough because everything in me is screaming to do more water changes(been doing 15% daily and 30% on Sundays for two weeks.) or look for a chemical solution.

I did zero water changes while cycling, and *did* wait until my nitrites were zero. It took about a solid two weeks with nitrites at 5ppm and nitrates at 20ppm before the nitrates finally spiked and nitrites read zero. I dosed a little ammonia every few days to feed the bacteria, and was otherwise patient. Did a big WC at the end to reduce nitrates and started stocking.

If your tank doesn't have any livestock, stop wasting SW while cycling. The whole nitrites-don't-have-to-be-zero thing left me shook, but I still waited. It's a good exercise in patience, which is definitely needed in this hobby.

 

[aws2266]

itrites at 5ppm and nitrates at 20ppm before the nitrates finally spiked and nitrites read zero. I dosed a little ammonia every few days to feed the bacteria, and was otherwise patient. Did a big WC at the end to reduce nitrates and started stocking.

If your tank doesn't have any livestock, stop wasting SW whi

The tank has been up and running since 8/15. It's a 29gallon and initially used 15 gallons of water from my 55gal, then used Brightwell cycle(not sure what it's called). I watched the ammonia go up then down, the nitrates went up and came down, but the nitrites are stuck at 1ppm. Two weeks ago I added saltwater mollies and haven't seen a change. The phosphates btw are .25ppm and have confirmed test readings of nitrite with LFS.

 

[kittenbritches]

The tank has been up and running since 8/15. It's a 29gallon and initially used 15 gallons of water from my 55gal, then used Brightwell cycle(not sure what it's called). I watched the ammonia go up then down, the nitrates went up and came down, but the nitrites are stuck at 1ppm. Two weeks ago I added saltwater mollies and haven't seen a change. The phosphates btw are .25ppm and have confirmed test readings of nitrite with LFS.

So it's been running about a month... Those last stubborn nitrites will be converted soon. If your ammonia is consistently zero, consider yourself cycled.

 

[eddiegee]

Noob question… if you do a 50%+ water change, wouldn’t that put you almost back to square one?

I understand there may be enough needed bacteria but wouldn’t the water levels get out of whack to the point where you are basically starting the cycling process over again?

Thought only a 5% weekly water change during the cycling process was needed for about a month.

Why not just add a couple invertebrates and see how they fare, would this be a good test to see if a clownfish would survive after going through the initial water cycling?

 

[brandon429]

A water change does not undo a cycle, bacteria stick on surfaces very fast after addition. Study this helpful example

100% Water Change

So in my previous thread, I had an ammonia issue that was out of hand. As suggested, I did a 100% WC and now i’m wondering when I should start adding fish back. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!

www.reef2reef.com