Nitrates and when it is safe to add fish

masja205

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
Wellington, NZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey! I have finished cycling my saltwater tank where 2ppm ammonia drops to zero with nitrite reading of 0ppm after 24hours of adding ammonia.

My nitrates are sky rocket high 128ppm (using readers test kit). I did a 50% water change to reduce it down to 48ppm.

I want some advice on what I should do before adding my clownfish. Do I need to perform another water change to drop it down to a lower reading (if so what should that be?)

Ny display tank will be a Fowlr tank with dry rock and a sand bed and planning to add two clownfish (25 gallon)

IMG_8808.png
 

gbroadbridge

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Messages
4,567
Reaction score
4,826
Location
Sydney, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey! I have finished cycling my saltwater tank where 2ppm ammonia drops to zero with nitrite reading of 0ppm after 24hours of adding ammonia.

My nitrates are sky rocket high 128ppm (using readers test kit). I did a 50% water change to reduce it down to 48ppm.

I want some advice on what I should do before adding my clownfish. Do I need to perform another water change to drop it down to a lower reading (if so what should that be?)

Ny display tank will be a Fowlr tank with dry rock and a sand bed and planning to add two clownfish (25 gallon)

IMG_8808.png

That level of Nitrate is harmless to fish.

Many tanks run consistently above that level.
 

Dan_P

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 21, 2018
Messages
7,505
Reaction score
7,885
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That level of Nitrate is harmless to fish.

Many tanks run consistently above that level.
Totally agree. When considering whether to do a water change, should we consider that many new aquarists struggle to bring down nitrate after starting their aquarium and maybe starting the new system with a lower nitrate level might ease this concern?
 

gbroadbridge

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Messages
4,567
Reaction score
4,826
Location
Sydney, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Totally agree. When considering whether to do a water change, should we consider that many new aquarists struggle to bring down nitrate after starting their aquarium and maybe starting the new system with a lower nitrate level might ease this concern?

I think it is perhaps best to simply mention that levels of 50-100 ppm NItrate are of no real concern in a newly cycled tank, and that given time as the biological filter becomes fully established, Nitrate levels will fall on their own.

Reducing Nitrate using too many water changes may result in a situation where the tank has very low Nitrate and perhaps encourage the establishment of harmful organisms like invasive Dinoflagellates in the tank.
 
OP
OP
M

masja205

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
Wellington, NZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You must have done that repeatedly to get that high nitrate?
hey! yes it was a repeated to grow the nitrite-consuming bacteria, otherwise I wasn't sure how 2ppm of ammonia was going to be bought down to zero nitrite and ammonia over 24hrs
 

Jasongtr

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 31, 2022
Messages
608
Reaction score
348
Location
Uk
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
As mentioned nitrates at 50ppm won't effect fish, but id prefer to start with lower amounts. But get a reading on your phosphate too, personally I've learned not to try a pin a number as you chase it and wind yourself up over it, I'm just about to drop some Dr tims in my little fluval today, once cycled I'll aim for 10ppm nitrate and 0.1 phosphate but won't be too concerned if it's a touch over, after all it's water changes that I'll be doing to control nutrients on this little tank
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
71,843
Reaction score
69,466
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
hey! yes it was a repeated to grow the nitrite-consuming bacteria, otherwise I wasn't sure how 2ppm of ammonia was going to be bought down to zero nitrite and ammonia over 24hrs

In the future, ignore the nitrite reductions and don't use so many ammonia dosing repetitions. Nitrite is not worth worrying about.
 
OP
OP
M

masja205

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
Wellington, NZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
As mentioned nitrates at 50ppm won't effect fish, but id prefer to start with lower amounts. But get a reading on your phosphate too, personally I've learned not to try a pin a number as you chase it and wind yourself up over it, I'm just about to drop some Dr tims in my little fluval today, once cycled I'll aim for 10ppm nitrate and 0.1 phosphate but won't be too concerned if it's a touch over, after all it's water changes that I'll be doing to control nutrients on this little tank
Sweet I’ll try give that a go thanks
 

amarti2038

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 6, 2024
Messages
12
Reaction score
5
Location
.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you do a water change for Reducimg nitrates do it big, around 80% of water. This should not affect the cycle.
 

amarti2038

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 6, 2024
Messages
12
Reaction score
5
Location
.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
With high Nitrates a 50% water change reduces to the half the Nitrates, an 80% reduces and 80%. Doing small/medium water changes will need much more water changes, salt and RO water to be so effective as a big one.
 
OP
OP
M

masja205

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
Wellington, NZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
cheers for the replies everyone! I have done a 90% water change and see that my nitrates are now measuring 6ppm from using the Red Sea Nitrate Pro test kit.

I will be moving my fish over to the (fish only) display tank soon :)

I have gone through soo much salt as part of this whole process!!
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

HOW ARE YOUR CORALS DOING TODAY? HONEST ANSWERS ONLY!

  • Everything seems to be doing great!

    Votes: 32 21.6%
  • Almost everything is doing good!

    Votes: 50 33.8%
  • Some are doing good, others not so much...

    Votes: 34 23.0%
  • They're okay, I guess.

    Votes: 15 10.1%
  • They're not doing too well right now.

    Votes: 11 7.4%
  • Not good at all...

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 4 2.7%
Back
Top