Nitrite and nitrate concerns

[Westoncase]

First post! New to the saltwater side of things. I have a 20g long with a blue damsel, fire shrimp and 2 turbo snails. The tank has been setup for about 4 months. Does anybody have an idea why my nitrite and nitrate tests have only read 0 for the past week or so? Ammonia has been at .2 for the last week. I use the read sea test kits. The fact that my nitrites and nitrates both read 0 is kinda suspicious to me. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Mjrenz]

First post! New to the saltwater side of things. I have a 20g long with a blue damsel, fire shrimp and 2 turbo snails. The tank has been setup for about 4 months. Does anybody have an idea why my nitrite and nitrate tests have only read 0 for the past week or so? Ammonia has been at .2 for the last week. I use the read sea test kits. The fact that my nitrites and nitrates both read 0 is kinda suspicious to me. Any input would be appreciated.

Welcome to the forum! Are you dosing anything in the tank? Since your tank has been set up for four months it should be cycled by now. You should be reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and at least have some trace amount of nitrates. I would recommend taking a water sample to your lfs and have them test it to compare the results you are getting. If there is a discrepancy then there could be a problem with your test kit or it's possible that you could be making a mistake during your testing procedure

 

[Waters]

First post! New to the saltwater side of things. I have a 20g long with a blue damsel, fire shrimp and 2 turbo snails. The tank has been setup for about 4 months. Does anybody have an idea why my nitrite and nitrate tests have only read 0 for the past week or so? Ammonia has been at .2 for the last week. I use the read sea test kits. The fact that my nitrites and nitrates both read 0 is kinda suspicious to me. Any input would be appreciated.

It is totally possible to read 0 nitrates (I did for the first year of my tank)....if you have good quality live rock, it could be converting the nitrates to nitrate gas, which is release through the surface of the water. The nitrites should be 0 always. The reading of .2 ammonia I am assuming (and hoping ) is just a testing error.

 

[Westoncase]

Welcome to the forum! Are you dosing anything in the tank? Since your tank has been set up for four months it should be cycled by now. You should be reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and at least have some trace amount of nitrates. I would recommend taking a water sample to your lfs and have them test it to compare the results you are getting. If there is a discrepancy then there could be a problem with your test kit or it's possible that you could be making a mistake during your testing procedure

Nope not dosing anything. I guess I have to get my lfs to check behind me.

 

[BestMomEver]

Nope not dosing anything. I guess I have to get my lfs to check behind me.

That sounds like a plan! Oh.... welcome to the reef! You’ll love it here!

 

[Westoncase]

It is totally possible to read 0 nitrates (I did for the first year of my tank)....if you have good quality live rock, it could be converting the nitrates to nitrate gas, which is release through the surface of the water. The nitrites should be 0 always. The reading of .2 ammonia I am assuming (and hoping ) is just a testing error.

I read decently high nitrites a about a month ago, Is .2 ammonia really that bad?

 

[BestMomEver]

I read decently high nitrites a about a month ago, Is .2 ammonia really that bad?

Yep.... some of the hardier fish could tolerate it for a while but your corals and harder to keep fish won’t. I would do a quick water change!

 

[Coralreefer1]

Welcome to R2R first of all as we are all like family and have great advice, information, knowledgeable info, kind words and will help you to spend your money.
As for the nitrite and nitrate issue, it seems like you are going through the beginning of a cycle. I say this because ammonia doesn’t come and go like that without the various bacteria’s breaking it down into less toxic form called nitrite Then to a harmless form of nitrogen called nitrates, which brings about micro-algae blooms for one.

 

[Westoncase]

Welcome to R2R first of all as we are all like family and have great advice, information, knowledgeable info, kind words and will help you to spend your money.
As for the nitrite and nitrate issue, it seems like you are going through the beginning of a cycle. I say this because ammonia doesn’t come and go like that without the various bacteria’s breaking it down into less toxic form called nitrite Then to a harmless form of nitrogen called nitrates, which brings about micro-algae blooms for one.

Everyone here is seems so welcoming, thanks! Could I have more than 1 cycle? I figured my tank was cycled after the brown diatom algae went away and my ammonia, nitrites and nitrates came back down.

 

[Westoncase]

Yep.... some of the hardier fish could tolerate it for a while but your corals and harder to keep fish won’t. I would do a quick water change!

Ok! I try to change about 25% every other week

 

[Waters]

Are you able to double check that ammonia reading with another test kit? It seems like your initial cycle already completed.....I still am doubting that ammonia reading of .2 with both your nitrites and nitrates reading 0, and the tank being set up for 4 months. On top of that, you only have 1 small fish which isn't going to create a ton of ammonia, even in a 20G tank....nothing that some cycled live rock can't handle anyways.

 

[Westoncase]

Are you able to double check that ammonia reading with another test kit? It seems like your initial cycle already completed.....I still am doubting that ammonia reading of .2 with both your nitrites and nitrates reading 0, and the tank being set up for 4 months. On top of that, you only have 1 small fish which isn't going to create a ton of ammonia, even in a 20G tank....nothing that some cycled live rock can't handle anyways.

No I’ll just have to go to my lfs for a doublecheck. I tested them again on my lunch break and the nitrates were about 10 and the nitrites were still either at 0 or not reading correctly. I’m 100% sure I didn’t do anything different, these test kits make me feel stupid[emoji849]

 

[Waters]

No I’ll just have to go to my lfs for a doublecheck. I tested them again on my lunch break and the nitrates were about 10 and the nitrites were still either at 0 or not reading correctly. I’m 100% sure I didn’t do anything different, these test kits make me feel stupid[emoji849]

They frustrate the best of us lol.........I am guessing it is just an issue with the test kits or testing errors. Happens all the time :-) Good idea to have your LFS test the water though to be sure.

 

[brandon429]

Ill link this to the microbiology of cycling thread.

duration cycling doesn't vary, this tank is cycled. he's spent more than 30 days underwater with ammonia producing animals in place and an ammonia reading that doesn't rise e24h

Why test kits may or may not show it varies. use of Prime water conditioner, kitchen lighting, fw vs sw charts, reagent shaking and line fill, the variation never ends.

but what never ever varies is this:

this tank cannot have persistent .2 ppm ammonia, there's no biological mechanism for it.
two reasons
1. its holding vs climbing
2. this tank can pass a digestion test of likely 3-4+ ppm movement, not necessarily zero per your testing, and we can prove that if required you'll just need to remove your corals and fish for a sec. Since I can make that tank measure 3-4 ppm oxidation of ammonia in 24 hours when I get to use that test kit the way I want to, where .2 ppm equals zero then we boost to 1 ppm above that and check in 24 expecting .2, that means you have no way for it to hover at .2 or .25 as most other kits would show

when seneye monitors read .2 free ammonia, alert.

you'd have to be emitting a source of ammonia greater than 4 ppm in 24 hours...that water would be stinky and cloudy.

No mechanism exists for holding low level ammonia -that a titration kit will show accurately- in a four mo old reef. This is a mistest any way you slice it. even if your tester shows hard zero on distilled water calibration, you don't have free ammonia in that tank as I can't see a source of that much rot available for sustained input above what the tank can certainly already oxidize every 24 hours.

 

[Westoncase]

Ill link this to the microbiology of cycling thread.

duration cycling doesn't vary, this tank is cycled. he's spent more than 30 days underwater with ammonia producing animals in place and an ammonia reading that doesn't rise e24h

Why test kits may or may not show it varies. use of Prime water conditioner, kitchen lighting, fw vs sw charts, reagent shaking and line fill, the variation never ends.

but what never ever varies is this:

this tank cannot have persistent .2 ppm ammonia, there's no biological mechanism for it.
two reasons
1. its holding vs climbing
2. this tank can pass a digestion test of likely 3-4+ ppm movement, not necessarily zero per your testing, and we can prove that if required you'll just need to remove your corals and fish for a sec. Since I can make that tank measure 3-4 ppm oxidation of ammonia in 24 hours when I get to use that test kit the way I want to, where .2 ppm equals zero then we boost to 1 ppm above that and check in 24 expecting .2, that means you have no way for it to hover at .2 or .25 as most other kits would show

when seneye monitors read .2 free ammonia, alert.

you'd have to be emitting a source of ammonia greater than 4 ppm in 24 hours...that water would be stinky and cloudy.

No mechanism exists for holding low level ammonia -that a titration kit will show accurately- in a four mo old reef. This is a mistest any way you slice it. even if your tester shows hard zero on distilled water calibration, you don't have free ammonia in that tank as I can't see a source of that much rot available for sustained input above what the tank can certainly already oxidize every 24 hours.

Reading this made me feel more stupid

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Reading this made me feel more stupid

Lol I feel that way a lot...

How much live Rock and other biomedia do you have in the system?

Yes, a second cycle is possible.

Welcome to r2r!

 

[Westoncase]

Lol I feel that way a lot...

How much live Rock and other biomedia do you have in the system?

Yes, a second cycle is possible.

Welcome to r2r!

A lil over 15lbs of lr, I have an aquaclear50 with just a sponge pad and chemipureblue.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Should be plenty.

I agree on verifying test results. Adding some bottled bacteria cant hurt.

 

[Millimylilly]

I just started dosing nitrates. Following along!

 

[Waters]

Reading this made me feel more stupid

Definitely shouldn't feel stupid........we are all learning, all the time :)