Nitrites Arent Going Down?

Lil' RegalReefster · Sep 28, 2020

Hi there, I have a Red Sea Reefer 450 and I started cycling my tank about 2 weeks ago. It has plenty of sand dry live rock and a couple of marine pure bricks. I am using Microbacter start XLM and I have followed all the instructions correctly. I used pure ammonium chloride as my nitrogen source. I dosed the ammonia to around 3 mg/L and after 3 days it was completely gone as indicated by three different test kits. The Nitrites went up to 4 mg/L and after two days dropped to 2 mg/L (the Nitrates went up to 100+ mg/L and have not changed). After a week and a half, the nitrites have not dropped whatsoever. Is this normal or is something wrong? BTW I am still dosing Microbacter start xlm. Any advice is useful, thx.

Finnaddict · Sep 28, 2020

Nothing wrong. Tank is still cycling, give it a couple more weeks or so. Let Mother nature do her thing.

Alaeriel · Sep 28, 2020

Looks like its on track! Keep on waiting and you'll be cycled before you know it

Lil' RegalReefster · Sep 28, 2020

ok thx, I think my paranoia was just overreacting

brandon429 · Sep 29, 2020

Your tank is done cycling. Ammonia is controlled, we don’t factor nitrite anymore that’s old rules, and yours might be controlled anyway but the testers can’t read correctly

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

www.reef2reef.com

the bottle bac you paid for worked, and saved you having to wait weeks they’re ready in days as your tests show.

Chbix · Oct 28, 2020

brandon429 said:
Your tank is done cycling. Ammonia is controlled, we don’t factor nitrite anymore that’s old rules, and yours might be controlled anyway but the testers can’t read correctly

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

www.reef2reef.com

the bottle bac you paid for worked, and saved you having to wait weeks they’re ready in days as your tests show.

So I am in a similar boat as the OP. Using Dr Tims one and only, and ammonia chloride. I do not have any fish in. Started 10/14.Ammonia at 2ppm down to 0 over over 3-4 days. Nitrites to 2. Nitrate over 100 according to API test. Tested Nitrite again over the course of the last few days and still at 2ppm. Dosed ammonia to 2ppm again and 0 the next day, using the research and other posts from Brandon429 its either been green or not with the API test. Nitrite has maintained 2ppm, even after a 15% water change yesterday.

Tank is a 180, 80lbs of sand, good amount of rock and a brightwell no3 block. I have been cycling at 84 degrees and 1.015 sg per Dr Tims recommendations.

Any thoughts? Do I put my 2 chromis who have been in QT? Obviously after reducing temp and increasing salinity.

Lil' RegalReefster · Oct 28, 2020

I did a 75 percent water change and then put a couple of tester hermits in the tank just to be sure. After a couple days I added a clownfish and basslette. Everyone is doing good now

also bring the salinity up obviously.

brandon429 · Oct 28, 2020

Agreed to both of those, it'll work Chbix that's long enough submersion time + oxidation performance for the job, also factoring large dilution can begin

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 29, 2020

Chbix said:
So I am in a similar boat as the OP. Using Dr Tims one and only, and ammonia chloride. I do not have any fish in. Started 10/14.Ammonia at 2ppm down to 0 over over 3-4 days. Nitrites to 2. Nitrate over 100 according to API test. Tested Nitrite again over the course of the last few days and still at 2ppm. Dosed ammonia to 2ppm again and 0 the next day, using the research and other posts from Brandon429 its either been green or not with the API test. Nitrite has maintained 2ppm, even after a 15% water change yesterday.

The nitrate value is not real. It is a false reading due to nitrite that can read as 100x the nitrite amount in nitrate.