Nitrites still too high?

[Ocean’s Piece]

There is no harm in @vetteguy53081 cycling approach to wait for nitrite to clear. That's the backbone of our reefing, all cycle materials contain the recommend.

the trending away from considering nitrite is just cycling evolution... everything is so speedy nowadays people just want consistency in keeping animals alive. The real focus should be the emergence of fish disease + loss, nh3 control is the easy part.




People who move homes also like to know about nitrification, nitrite, cycling and recycling prevention its all a very legit study

one thing is for sure: not everyone wants to wait the 30~ days for natural nitrite control, some have practical deadlines due. The ones who waited the extra time got no different outcome than the timed nh3 starts, that's legit science to offer up as well. begins to usher in change- and timeliness for buyers, to the disdain of sellers.

remember that if buyers always, always, always operate from the angle that bacteria in water need us, need our provisions to stay alive, need carefully timed waits for weeks on end that's good for the market. if people began controlling their cycles intently, without testing and supports, going solely off known depositional timing already on file, that'd be most likely bad for markets.

the most standout hidden fact of the cycling revolution is that while everyone is looking left for the fish to die from some rushed start after using skip-cycle bottle bac, on the right disease is taking 80-90% of any fish bought and put into a non fallowed / qt setup. we are aiming our concerns incorrectly in today's cycling threads. always default to the bac being ready v unready after ten days

if skipped fallow, 80% losses are expected by first 6-8 mos says any post in the fish disease forum currently running now or in the past. Everyone who has an opinion about qt/fallow can make work threads in the fish disease forum to test claims. Current work threads clickable right now show fallow and qt 99% dominant method. .

For the sake of common ground, I agree. Two different methods. I cycled without nitrifying bacteria and live rock and the cycle's going to be different who used nitrifying bacteria and dry rock. They're two different methods that both work. You may want to do some more research on information about cycling with atm colony and what other people's cycles have been like with it. Typically though, the cycle is like the chart I keep talking about. The additive may make the cycle run in a completely different course. Research and Patience.

 

[brandon429]

atm colony was studied there its decent. the ninety pages below was factored heavily in this tank's assessment

Bacteria in a bottle, Myth or Fact

Not a myth; my 60g was ready for the addition of two fish in a couple of days after treating with Fritz Turbo 900. It instantly establishes the necessary bacteria colony without the need for cycling the tank.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Azedenkae]

I was worried about nitrites. But it's reassuring to hear that it's not high! Should I just do a 20% water change now?

No you don't need to do a water change.

Depending on which school of cycling you subscribe to, you are either already cycled, or need to wait until nitrite reach 0, and then to make sure ammonia and nitrite both reach 0 within 24 hours after dosing 2ppm ammonia. I subscribe to the latter philosophy, just to be safe, but feel free to opt for either. If the latter, I can help a bit more. If the former, someone else has to chime in.

 

[brandon429]

agreed no water change is needed. we only do that to make up for the varying ways people dose over/under ammonia into new tanks, the metabolic waste algae fuel that results... its the great equalizer to start fresh/new water. on this tank its simply ready to carry bioload as designed agreed.

 

[VicarReefer]

There is no harm in @vetteguy53081 cycling approach to wait for nitrite to clear. That's the backbone of our reefing, all cycle materials contain the recommend.

the trending away from considering nitrite is just cycling evolution... everything is so speedy nowadays people just want consistency in keeping animals alive. The real focus should be the emergence of fish disease + loss, nh3 control is the easy part.




People who move homes also like to know about nitrification, nitrite, cycling and recycling prevention its all a very legit study

one thing is for sure: not everyone wants to wait the 30~ days for natural nitrite control, some have practical deadlines due. The ones who waited the extra time got no different outcome than the timed nh3 starts, that's legit science to offer up as well. begins to usher in change- and timeliness for buyers, to the disdain of sellers.

remember that if buyers always, always, always operate from the angle that bacteria in water need us, need our provisions to stay alive, need carefully timed waits for weeks on end that's good for the market. if people began controlling their cycles intently, without testing and supports, going solely off known depositional timing already on file, that'd be most likely bad for markets.

the most standout hidden fact of the cycling revolution is that while everyone is looking left for the fish to die from some rushed start after using skip-cycle bottle bac, on the right disease is taking 80-90% of any fish bought and put into a non fallowed / qt setup. we are aiming our concerns incorrectly in today's cycling threads. always default to the bac being ready v unready after ten days

if skipped fallow, 80% losses are expected by first 6-8 mos says any post in the fish disease forum currently running now or in the past. Everyone who has an opinion about qt/fallow can make work threads in the fish disease forum to test claims. Current work threads clickable right now show fallow and qt 99% dominant method.

Very helpful thanks @brandon429! When you say that 80% of losses are due to disease is this because they haven't been QT?

 

[brandon429]

yes for sure. so many folks are able to skip fallow by starting all dry, they're 50% of the way to best safe practices we have but then lose it by adding the non qt fish.

a dry start reef + already qt fish is a powerful start with todays best fish retention rates, feed like Paul B does. store bought quality feed not from a box/bag if you want strong fish health as he does certainly get.

 

[arking_mark]

I'm cycling my Waterbox Reef 70.2 and using ATM colony. I added two small oscellaris clowns and a cleaner shrimp. I'm on Day 13 of the cycle and have the following readings on salifert test kits

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0.5
Nitrate - 25

Should I be worried that nitrites are still reading this high? When do I do the first water change?

As always, there are many opinions in R2R on cycling a tank. Based on your readings and using ATM, you should be good to go.

With regard to you actual question, you can water change any time you like. It won't effect the cycle at this point and will only help your water quality.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don’t think your cycle is completed, so technically you shouldn’t have added fish yet because of stress and higher chances of deaths which lead to a prolonged cycle but too late now. So the cycle is completed when your nitrites hit 0 and nitrates start to rise. When nitrates start to rise considerably, you do a water change.
take a look at this chart:

IMO, that theoretical chart is not useful for several reasons.

1. The main reason that folks will not get a chart like that in a reef tank has to do with nitrate testing. Most of the nitrate kits that hobbyists use are designed to have a massive interference of nitrite in nitrate testing. With some, even 0.2 ppm nitrate will read as 20 ppm nitrate, even when there is zero nitrate present. Thus, a reefer using such kits will get unreliable nitrate readings between day 10 and day 40.

2. The second is that nitrite is just not toxic at levels attained in marine systems. There's no reason to bother measuring it, IMO, unless the reason is to validate a nitrate reading as not being due to nitrite.

Once ammonia can be repeatedly been shown to drop from a couple of ppm to none detected, the tank is good to go. Too many reefers have been dragged into frustration trying to get nitrate to zero when there's no demonstrable value to that.

I discuss nitrite and give all the available toxicity data I could find in this article:

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm cycling my Waterbox Reef 70.2 and using ATM colony. I added two small oscellaris clowns and a cleaner shrimp. I'm on Day 13 of the cycle and have the following readings on salifert test kits

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0.5
Nitrate - 25

Should I be worried that nitrites are still reading this high? When do I do the first water change?

I'd just stop measuring nitrite. it is not adding any value, and the levels attained are no concern. It is not toxic, and theoretical discussions of whether the cycle is "complete" also do not help the hobbyist know when the tank is ready for fish.

Ammonia is the thing to focus on.

 

[fishhead1973]

I'm cycling my Waterbox Reef 70.2 and using ATM colony. I added two small oscellaris clowns and a cleaner shrimp. I'm on Day 13 of the cycle and have the following readings on salifert test kits

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0.5
Nitrate - 25

Should I be worried that nitrites are still reading this high? When do I do the first water change?

Your alright it will come down. Got a good skimmer right? It takes time don’t rush.