Newbie nitrite testing....

[wanna-B-like-yours]

Hi everyone!
Just looking for advice or comments please?
Back in the marine hobby after 30 years and how things have "seemingly" changed..
(i have an existing freshwater tropical and pond too!)
I'm in the 3rd week of a "cycle" and have several test kits at my disposal... (API and Salifert)
I've started a virgin tank with dry rock and arag-alive sand and used Dr Timms... (60gal)
Using reef crystals, my ph 8.1, Salinity 1.026, ammonia is now zero, but nitrites i have conflicting numbers... Nitrates at 40ppm
Salifert shows zero
API saltwater shows 2ppm
API freshwater shows zero
Can I assume that the API saltwater test kit is more sensitive and wait till that reads zero?
I don't mind the wait and have done a 20% water change with little effect (on the API test result)
I'm assuming the API saltwater nitrite test kit works as RO reads zero..
Should I bin the API tester?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

the API test kit is not very good, most recommend not to use it. Personally, I would say the cycle is done, nitrites are not harmful to saltwater fish, and some people just wait for ammonia to drop to zero to consider the cycle done.

I would suggest to do a large water change to bring the nitrates down, then go buy your first fish.

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

the API test kit is not very good, most recommend not to use it. Personally, I would say the cycle is done, nitrites are not harmful to saltwater fish, and some people just wait for ammonia to drop to zero to consider the cycle done.

I would suggest to do a large water change to bring the nitrates down, then go buy your first fish.

Hi!
Thanks for the response and advice.
My ammonia readings have been zero for a few days and dependant on how low I want the Nitrate reading, determines the water change percentage?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

you want nitrate somewhere around 10. Since your nitrate is 40 now, approx 75% water change should bring it down to about 10-ish.

 

[Cell]

What Dr Tim's product are you using? If it's One and Only Starter bac, that is a 10 day protocol.

Stop reading nitrate if nitrite is present, you can't measure it in the presence of nitrite.

Nitrite is not harmful to our saltwater livestock at the levels we see.

API Ammonia often gives false positive. A way around this is to dose a measurable level of ammonia. After 24 hrs, if it decreases back to where it was, you are processing ammonia and can start slowly stocking.

A Seachem Ammonia Alert tag is easier and more reliable, imo, than the API ammonia test.

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

you want nitrate somewhere around 10. Since your nitrate is 40 now, approx 75% water change should bring it down to about 10-ish.

Makes sense. Thanks again.
Lastly if i may?
Should i be adding a buffer (Seachem reef buffer) to my ATO RODI water?
(my guess is that that would prevent bringing the PH and dKH down?)

 

[Rmckoy]

Makes sense. Thanks again.
Lastly if i may?
Should i be adding a buffer (Seachem reef buffer) to my ATO RODI water?
(my guess is that that would prevent bringing the PH and dKH down?)

I wouldn’t dose buffer unless needed
Being a new tank salt mix alone will maintain Alk levels while ph will fluctuate throughout the day and night naturally

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

I wouldn’t dose buffer unless needed
Being a new tank salt mix alone will maintain Alk levels while ph will fluctuate throughout the day and night naturally

Sorry.. i was referring to the RODI for auto top off...
( being paranoid, i tested the RODI and the PH is 7'ish and hence the lowering of the PH in the tank?)

 

[Rmckoy]

Sorry.. i was referring to the RODI for auto top off...
( being paranoid, i tested the RODI and the PH is 7'ish and hence the lowering of the PH in the tank?)

No !
Freshwater will naturally have a lower ph and the volume being added to top off will have minimal effect

I’m only going to assume being a new system you’re doing regular water changes ?
For what it’s worth … I rarely ever tested ph or dosed to chase a specific number
For entertainment purposes though I might test ph a few times through the day and record readings

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

No !
Freshwater will naturally have a lower ph and the volume being added to top off will have minimal effect

I’m only going to assume being a new system you’re doing regular water changes ?
For what it’s worth … I rarely ever tested ph or dosed to chase a specific number
For entertainment purposes though I might test ph a few times through the day and record readings

Again, thanks!
Ok... i'll leave well enough alone on the top off water!
Yes, I intend doing 10-15% weekly (and i guess that again will depend on load..)
I just see all the amazing tanks in the threads and it seems everyone is publishing parameters like crazy....
I'll take it as it comes and see where it goes....

 

[Rmckoy]

Again, thanks!
Ok... i'll leave well enough alone on the top off water!
Yes, I intend doing 10-15% weekly (and i guess that again will depend on load..)
I just see all the amazing tanks in the threads and it seems everyone is publishing parameters like crazy....
I'll take it as it comes and see where it goes....

Let’s see what others say regarding ato
Some will use kalk which also helps alkalinity along with ph .

I personally have always only used rodi for ato . But dose 2 part daily for Alk and cal

 

[GARRIGA]

API second step needs to be shaken for the required time. I use a magnetic stirrer and stop watch on my iPhone and get consistent results. Feel they are relatively accurate since my alkalinity stabilizes around 9 when nitrates under 10 ppm. Plus could buy reference solution or make your own with NeoNitro to confirm any results.

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

API second step needs to be shaken for the required time. I use a magnetic stirrer and stop watch on my iPhone and get consistent results. Feel they are relatively accurate since my alkalinity stabilizes around 9 when nitrates under 10 ppm. Plus could buy reference solution or make your own with NeoNitro to confirm any results.

Thanks - but was testing Nitrites....

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

Let’s see what others say regarding ato
Some will use kalk which also helps alkalinity along with ph .

I personally have always only used rodi for ato . But dose 2 part daily for Alk and cal

Found this really convincing response from a reef chemist...

Just to add to what's been stated, the pH of purified top off water has no impact on the pH of the aquarium.
Even if the pH of the top off looks to be 7 or 6 (you can't measure it accurately, but suppose this is what you observe, or even what it really is), it has almost no buffering capacity at all, and when combined with pH 8.2 tank water, does not tend to lower the pH. It might even raise the pH a tiny bit.
The pH of two solutions mixed is not just the average of the two, and needn't even be between the two.

Yay! don't need to touch the top off water!

 

[GARRIGA]

Thanks - but was testing Nitrites....

You mentioned 40 ppm nitrates and what I’m referencing but you should be able to get source material from Hach. Only way to know is having a base line to match.

 

[Rmckoy]

Found this really convincing response from a reef chemist...

Just to add to what's been stated, the pH of purified top off water has no impact on the pH of the aquarium.
Even if the pH of the top off looks to be 7 or 6 (you can't measure it accurately, but suppose this is what you observe, or even what it really is), it has almost no buffering capacity at all, and when combined with pH 8.2 tank water, does not tend to lower the pH. It might even raise the pH a tiny bit.
The pH of two solutions mixed is not just the average of the two, and needn't even be between the two.

Yay! don't need to touch the top off water!

Many years of reefing has paid off . But I am
The first to say do your research and see what others suggest as well .

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

What Dr Tim's product are you using? If it's One and Only Starter bac, that is a 10 day protocol.

Stop reading nitrate if nitrite is present, you can't measure it in the presence of nitrite.

Nitrite is not harmful to our saltwater livestock at the levels we see.

API Ammonia often gives false positive. A way around this is to dose a measurable level of ammonia. After 24 hrs, if it decreases back to where it was, you are processing ammonia and can start slowly stocking.

A Seachem Ammonia Alert tag is easier and more reliable, imo, than the API ammonia test.

Hi!
Yes Dr Tims one and only...
My "issue" is the Nitrite readings from different manufacturers... (ammonia is zero)
Nitrite on the Salifert test is zero but 2ppm on the API saltwater test kit BUT zero on the freshwater test kit.....

 

[Cell]

Nitrite doesn't really matter in our tanks. It's an indicator the cycling process is moving along and has little use beyond that. I wouldn't sweat the inconsistency between kits.

 

[wanna-B-like-yours]

Nitrite doesn't really matter in our tanks. It's an indicator the cycling process is moving along and has little use beyond that. I wouldn't sweat the inconsistency between kits.

Thanks for the info.
I guess as my ammonia readings return to zero after adding ammonium chloride within 24 hours i'm not going to wait till the Nitrites get to zero.
My thinking is that the bacteria to process nitrites are still growing and at some point in the near future, the nitrite readings will get to zero and i'll stop stressing about the numbers.. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry.. i was referring to the RODI for auto top off...
( being paranoid, i tested the RODI and the PH is 7'ish and hence the lowering of the PH in the tank?)

Just to amplify what others have said, adding pH 7 pure fresh water to seawater at pH 8.1 is not just a minimal effect on pH, it actually raises the pH of the salt water.

pH is not something where one can look at the values to necessarily know the final pH when mixing two solutions.

I explain why that happens in detail here, if anyone is interested:

Master Reef Chemist Certification Question!!! (yes, you want this title)

Let's have some fun with a question that wraps up several different aspects of reef chemistry into a single, very simple (perhaps deceptively simple) question. It's just the pH of a hyposalinity solution. How much easier can it get? [emoji1] Get it right for the right reason and you too can...

www.reef2reef.com