Nitrites lingering after cycling 400 gallons

[doubtful101]

The reason is very simple, the bacterial additives we use contain several strains of bacteria, those that consume ammonia, those that consume nitrites, and then nitrates. The ammonia consuming bacteria bloom first, as ammonia is the first food available, then subsequently the nitrite consuming bacteria, and then nitrate. This is why nitrite takes longer.

Nitrite is taking 2+ days after appearing** not after adding ammonia, should have clarified that. I recognize it’s also slower in general than the first bacteria in the process, but not usually this slow. I’m less so worried about potential toxicity than I am about there just being some strange unknown problems that are causing this. I’ve never run into this problem before and wanted to see if anyone had some explanation.

 

[doubtful101]

It's that nitrite doesn't matter and you shouldn't own the test kit (not testing for a neutral impact parameter saves your efforts. You can aim them properly when not distracted by cycle concerns)

Sounds harsh I know, but updated cycling science has you focus this much on disease prep for the fish. The cycle is done it didn't matter how long nitrite takes to leave, it's neutral. It only matters in old cycling science


Only the ammonia matters nowadays, its the impacting parameter, and yours is controlled.

The only thing that matters now is your choice of fish disease preps from Jay's forum, all efforts aim there.

Thanks for all your responses! Lastly you mentioned my ammonia being controlled, but do you think it is being that it too takes longer than usual?

It takes at least a day and a half, but sometimes 2 and a half days. Then at that point nitrite takes an additional 2 days, leading the entire process to take upwards of 4 days - a week.

Should I try dosing phosphate to see if that alleviates it, or should I add more media?
Could it possibly have anything to do with the rate of the sump flow? The temp? I’m adding some very precious livestock that I would like very much to keep alive…

 

[brandon429]

Here's a giant thread using only ten days wait, and no testing, to prove today's bottle bac cycles work fine


We don't factor nitrite here

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-unstick-any-seemingly-stuck-cycle.742202/This is how I know your setup is ok, we could enter your tank here on page 33 as an example of a closed cycle

You added bottle bac over ten days ago, any water changes done after that time can't export bacteria adhered to rocks, the system carries fish, that's cycled.

We never require more than one ammonia dose. Re proving over and over isn't better cycling, it's less efficient. Lastly, non digital test kits have a lag time that seneye doesn't have

Any ammonia doses you input were resolved in ten minutes, the non digital kits are that bad. People would have dying/ dead tanks above vs happy reefs if it took longer than ten days for any bottle bac cycle to complete.

 

[brandon429]

#2 post got it right here. Fritz is 24 hour adhering bacteria, does not require ten days

There's nothing to boost or benefit by adding phosphate, we never do above

 

[doubtful101]

Here's a giant thread using only ten days wait, and no testing, to prove today's bottle bac cycles work fine


We don't factor nitrite here

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-unstick-any-seemingly-stuck-cycle.742202/This is how I know your setup is ok, we could enter your tank here on page 33 as an example of a closed cycle

You added bottle bac over ten days ago, any water changes done after that time can't export bacteria adhered to rocks, the system carries fish, that's cycled.

We never require more than one ammonia dose. Re proving over and over isn't better cycling, it's less efficient. Lastly, non digital test kits have a lag time that seneye doesn't have

Any ammonia doses you input were resolved in ten minutes, the non digital kits are that bad. People would have dying/ dead tanks above vs happy reefs if it took longer than ten days for any bottle bac cycle to complete.

Wow, great thread. Thank you