Nitrites In Dwarf Tank

danimgale · Jul 7, 2020

I need some help. I keep getting a .25ppm nitrite level in my Dwarf Seahorse tank. I've been doing water changes to bring this down to 0 and keep my ponies safe but I'm afraid I am just prolonging the issue by doing so. What should I do to keep my dwarfs safe but help get through this mini cycle I am having? Do I continue to do water changes and hope it eventually cycles through?

Lasse · Jul 7, 2020

Nitrite is not acute toxic in seawater. I would just let it be. What are you measure with?

Not ionized ammonia is a bigger issue and you can use Sea Chem ammonia alert to be sure the NH3 not rise up to dangerous levels. But I would not be worried for 0.25 in nitrite in seawater

Sincerely Lasse

danimgale · Jul 7, 2020

I have the ammonia alert badge in the tank and it shows 0 toxic ammonia. I am currently just using the API test kit (which also shows 0 ammonia). I normally wouldn't worry about that low of a nitrite level in my reef tank. I am only worried because I have heard that dwarfs are sensitive to nitrites and levels of nitrate over 20ppm.

Lasse · Jul 7, 2020

How does your pony behave? If nitrite is in toxic levels inside the body of a fish it will form methemoglobin through oxidation of hemoglobin - methemoglobin cannot transport oxygen and the sick fish (or pony) will act as it suffer from low oxygen levels. Heavy breathing - seek for the upper layer of water and so on. This is the most common disease among fresh water fish. However the fish need to take up the nitrite from the water and that+s happens trough (probably) transport channels in the gills. If chloride levels higher than 90 ppm is present (and that´s nothing) the chlorides will block this uptake mechanism and the nitrite stay in the water. There is some propenatiality between chloride levels and toxic nitrite concentrations. Higher chloride concentration - higher nitrite levels will be tolerated. By the way - sea water contents around 19 900 ppm Chloride. So I´m rather sure that even for dwarf ponies - 0.25 ppm nitrite is way to low in order to create problems in a saltwater tank. If you test show the right figure will say.

according to nitrate concentrations of 20 ppm - I have never seen any evidences that nitrate is acute toxic to any fish in these levels. I can have my ideas why people think that nitrate is toxic to fish because there is limitation for drinking water. But it is not because that Nitrate is toxic by itself - it is because nitrate can be converted into nitrite in the human body during certain circumstances.

This is only my general IMO - never have had dwarf ponies so you have to value my writing that way.

Sincerely Lasse

danimgale · Jul 7, 2020

Thank you for your help Lasse! I have held off on doing a water change today and watched their behavior to see if they seem stressed, just as you mentioned. It seems as though they are all hanging out more towards the top of the system but are still eating and moving around. I will continue to monitor them and hope the nitrites cycle out quickly. If it does seem as though they are struggling for oxygen will water changes prevent the tank from cycling through this? I have read mixed feelings on whether or not water changes mid cycle can stall the progression of your BB build up. I can also add some Bio Spira to help speed the process through but it seems as though the addition of this causes a nitrate spike as well (although, nitrates may be better than nitrites in this case). Perhaps I am too worried about chasing numbers.

Lasse · Jul 7, 2020

danimgale said:
I can also add some Bio Spira to help speed the process through but it seems as though the addition of this causes a nitrate spike as well

Adding biospira will probably help your out - it will not harm your system.