Is my tank Cycled properly?

[Z0RN]

I’ve had this tank set up for a good month now and cycled it using microbacter 7 and a cube of Mysis shrimp.

A week ago I went to my lfs and the owner said my tank was ready for fish as my ammonia read zero and I had nitrite and nitrates present. I was sceptical, because I thought nitrite had to read zero for the cycle to be completed, but he assured me nitrite was non toxic to marine fish. Fast forward about a week, I now own a couple clownfish that seem to be doing just fine but my nitrite has still not gone down to zero. Is this something I should be concerned about or do I just need to give it more time?

 

[Azedenkae]

I’ve had this tank set up for a good month now and cycled it using microbacter 7 and a cube of Mysis shrimp.

A week ago I went to my lfs and the owner said my tank was ready for fish as my ammonia read zero and I had nitrite and nitrates present. I was sceptical, because I thought nitrite had to read zero for the cycle to be completed, but he assured me nitrite was non toxic to marine fish. Fast forward about a week, I now own a couple clownfish that seem to be doing just fine but my nitrite has still not gone down to zero. Is this something I should be concerned about or do I just need to give it more time?

Your LFS is correct (enough), nitrite is considered non-toxic to marine fish. Though to be more precise, it takes a lot of nitrite to be toxic to marine fish. Like, a lot.

So long as your nitrite is not reaching like 10 ppm, I would not be concerned. Have a read here of what levels of nitrite has what effect on what fish: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

10 ppm is a bit of an arbitrary number, it is just that it would seem like if your nitrite can reach 10 ppm, it can go way beyond that so probably best to do something about it then. But the amount of nitrite you are seeing now is like, heaps low, so nothing to be concerned about. Just give it some more time.

 

[Z0RN]

Ah okay, thanks for the reassurance. I’ll keep doing water changes to bring the nitrates down further and leave it be for now. Would like to add coral and another fish soon, but the lfs owner said I should work on bringing my nitrates down before turning the lights on or I’ll get a really bad algae bloom. Currently no algae in the tank

 

[Azedenkae]

Ah okay, thanks for the reassurance. I’ll keep doing water changes to bring the nitrates down further and leave it be for now. Would like to add coral and another fish soon, but the lfs owner said I should work on bringing my nitrates down before turning the lights on or I’ll get a really bad algae bloom. Currently no algae in the tank

That is also potentially true, though what are your plans for handling nitrate? Not eveyone is able to get denitrification to occur rapidly enough, so it means another method has to be considered. Are you gonna do water changes, set up an algae scrubber, fuge, etc?

 

[Z0RN]

That is also potentially true, though what are your plans for handling nitrate? Not eveyone is able to get denitrification to occur rapidly enough, so it means another method has to be considered. Are you gonna do water changes, set up an algae scrubber, fuge, etc?

I have a Nuvo 20 with 1 compartment empty, so I was thinking about getting a mini max reactor and running bio pellets to get the nitrates under control. Another option would be dosing Red Sea algae management. Right now I’ve been doing very frequent water changes but I need figure out something soon to keep down the nitrates between water changes.

 

[Z0RN]

That is also potentially true, though what are your plans for handling nitrate? Not eveyone is able to get denitrification to occur rapidly enough, so it means another method has to be considered. Are you gonna do water changes, set up an algae scrubber, fuge, etc?

Do you know much about vodka/vinegar dosing? What would you recommend

 

[Azedenkae]

I have a Nuvo 20 with 1 compartment empty, so I was thinking about getting a mini max reactor and running bio pellets to get the nitrates under control. Another option would be dosing Red Sea algae management. Right now I’ve been doing very frequent water changes but I need figure out something soon to keep down the nitrates between water changes.

Do you know much about vodka/vinegar dosing? What would you recommend

The NoPoX in the Red Sea algae management program, vodka, and vinegar dosing are all methods of organic dosing. I don't do it because I am pretty lazy and don't want to really keep it up. So I also don't really know too much about it.

I mainly rely on a pseudo-algae scrubber to help remove nitrates.

 

[Z0RN]

The NoPoX in the Red Sea algae management program, vodka, and vinegar dosing are all methods of organic dosing. I don't do it because I am pretty lazy and don't want to really keep it up. So I also don't really know too much about it.

I mainly rely on a pseudo-algae scrubber to help remove nitrates.

Gotcha, thanks. I’m torn between setting up a little refuge in one of the back chambers or dosing NoPox. NoPox would likely be more effective, but chaeto is more natural and can host pods

 

[Azedenkae]

Gotcha, thanks. I’m torn between setting up a little refuge in one of the back chambers or dosing NoPox. NoPox would likely be more effective, but chaeto is more natural and can host pods

I kinda always prefer the natural route, but that is just me. Chaeto probs will take more time to establish too, not everyone has success with chaeto it seems.

 

[Jeffcb]

yep