Reducing Nitrits

Melchiah · 02/22/2011, 08:57 PM

Hi all!

I have a 600l tank 4 months old. It have now 5 fishs: 1 hepatus, 1 veliferum, 1 goby and 2 salarias. All parameters of water seem to be fine except the nitrites that remain in the 0.02 ppm. The whole aquarium seems to be in good health. What can I do to get down the nitrites? Is it advisable to install a kind of canister filter or something loke that? Or should I wait until the system gets more mature?

Thanx

Angel*Fish · 02/22/2011, 11:10 PM

That's a pretty small amount to even be measuring. Is it possible your test kit is off? Have you tried getting your LFS to test it or maybe someone at your local reef club? What is your pH?

Melchiah · 02/23/2011, 02:10 AM

My pH is 8.2/8.3.

wmdick_2007 · 02/23/2011, 02:53 AM

For fish only or fish with live rock --- 20-ppm is okay. I like mine at 5-ppm or lower and a full reef as close to zero as possible. Maybe a refugium or sump when it climbs all the way up to 1-ppm.

WhoDey64 · 02/23/2011, 06:47 AM

Your nitrates are fine, a canister filter would only raise the level higher. By the way, .02 is a fractional amount to be measuring, what kit are you using?

MrTuskfish · 02/23/2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melchiah

Hi all!

I have a 600l tank 4 months old. It have now 5 fishs: 1 hepatus, 1 veliferum, 1 goby and 2 salarias. All parameters of water seem to be fine except the nitrites that remain in the 0.02 ppm. The whole aquarium seems to be in good health. What can I do to get down the nitrites? Is it advisable to install a kind of canister filter or something loke that? Or should I wait until the system gets more mature?

Thanx

You are saying "NITRITES"; the posts are about "NITRATES". Which did you mean? Its very unusual to have measurable nitrite in an established tank.

Korrine · 02/23/2011, 11:06 AM

that level of nitrites is fine. they should go away. keep testing and have someone confirm with another test.

MrTuskfish · 02/23/2011, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Korrine

that level of nitrites is fine. they should go away. keep testing and have someone confirm with another test.

Yeah, if its nitrItre, I'd suspect a bad test kit. Also, there has been a lot of studies that seem to show that nitrite isn't really a big deal in SW. Here's one I saved: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

coralfish · 02/23/2011, 01:15 PM

If these are nitrites and not nitrates, then I would suspect that they will go away with regular water maintenance and time or you have a bad test kit/bad test procedures. If they are nitrates, as WhoDey64 indicated, no worries at all.

BTW, how long has the tank been setup?

Melchiah · 02/23/2011, 01:16 PM

Yeah I'm speaking in nitrites. Nitrates are at 7 ppm. So, no need to be worry about 0.02 ppm of nitrites in my system?

coralfish · 02/23/2011, 01:18 PM

Never mind my last question. 4 months, I suspect that you may have gotten another mini cycle, especially if all the fish were added at the same time or very close to each other.

Do you have testable ammonia?

coralfish · 02/23/2011, 01:21 PM

I will say that, after using the on-line caculator (600l = 158g) that 5 fish are not an issue unless they are large, being overfed, or were placed in there all at once.

Angel*Fish · 02/23/2011, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melchiah

My pH is 8.2/8.3.

Then I don't see a concern as long as it's not going up. Maybe coralfish is right about why.

wmdick_2007 · 02/23/2011, 07:21 PM

Nitrite is of little concern in a cycled Saltwater aquarium. It depends on when you test, it does rise a little then falls quickly after feeding.

Nitrate at 7-ppm is okay.

jdyer88 · 02/23/2011, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coralfish

I will say that, after using the on-line caculator (600l = 158g) that 5 fish are not an issue unless they are large, being overfed, or were placed in there all at once.

I don't speak metric either!

coralfish · 02/25/2011, 09:30 AM

I disagree that nitrite is of little concern...It indicates that something is decaying and that the tank is not cycled, overloaded, overfed, and pretty much unstable. Nitrate on the other hand, unless you are keeping corals (SPS or some LPS), anemones, or some delicate fish, is of little concern at low levels

Angel*Fish · 02/25/2011, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coralfish

I disagree that nitrite is of little concern...It indicates that something is decaying and that the tank is not cycled, overloaded, overfed, and pretty much unstable. Nitrate on the other hand, unless you are keeping corals (SPS or some LPS), anemones, or some delicate fish, is of little concern at low levels

If you look at this article, same one posted above by Mr. Tuskfish, skip down to Where Does Nitrite Come From

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

The level Melchaih reported is so incredibly low anyway. He must have a really sensitive test kit to pick it up.

Melchiah · 02/25/2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angel*Fish

The level Melchaih reported is so incredibly low anyway. He must have a really sensitive test kit to pick it up.

Well i use the tropical marin test...

coralfish · 02/25/2011, 07:26 PM

I will agree that .02 is negligible, but it does indicate that something is going on. Nitrites are of less concern than ammonia, but still a concern (for me) if above zero.

02/22/2011, 08:57 PM	#1
Melchiah Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 85	Reducing Nitrits Hi all! I have a 600l tank 4 months old. It have now 5 fishs: 1 hepatus, 1 veliferum, 1 goby and 2 salarias. All parameters of water seem to be fine except the nitrites that remain in the 0.02 ppm. The whole aquarium seems to be in good health. What can I do to get down the nitrites? Is it advisable to install a kind of canister filter or something loke that? Or should I wait until the system gets more mature? Thanx

02/22/2011, 11:10 PM	#2
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	That's a pretty small amount to even be measuring. Is it possible your test kit is off? Have you tried getting your LFS to test it or maybe someone at your local reef club? What is your pH? __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

02/23/2011, 02:53 AM	#4
wmdick_2007 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 191	For fish only or fish with live rock --- 20-ppm is okay. I like mine at 5-ppm or lower and a full reef as close to zero as possible. Maybe a refugium or sump when it climbs all the way up to 1-ppm. __________________ Enjoy! Current Tank Info: 13 mixed tanks

02/23/2011, 11:06 AM	#7
Korrine You could get a ticket!! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 4,288 Blog Entries: 1	that level of nitrites is fine. they should go away. keep testing and have someone confirm with another test. __________________ Try to keep in mind that we are all human...mistakes do happen! Be kinder than necessary because every one you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Current Tank Info: 40 breeder - started 9/2011 - platinum perc and sanjay's black photon clownfishes; sps and lps, and soft corals; 250w MH, 20 long sump w Bubble Magus Nac 3.5 skimmer 12g nano cube -serpent star, mini carpet anemones, w 6 sexy shrimp, 150w MH, maxi je

02/23/2011, 01:15 PM	#9
coralfish Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hardmoney, KY Posts: 750	If these are nitrites and not nitrates, then I would suspect that they will go away with regular water maintenance and time or you have a bad test kit/bad test procedures. If they are nitrates, as WhoDey64 indicated, no worries at all. BTW, how long has the tank been setup? __________________ One leg missing and both hands free. Current Tank Info: 220 Reef

02/23/2011, 02:10 AM	#3
Melchiah Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 85	My pH is 8.2/8.3.

02/23/2011, 06:47 AM	#5
WhoDey64 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ft Lauderdale Florida Posts: 1,311	Your nitrates are fine, a canister filter would only raise the level higher. By the way, .02 is a fractional amount to be measuring, what kit are you using?

02/23/2011, 01:16 PM	#10
Melchiah Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 85	Yeah I'm speaking in nitrites. Nitrates are at 7 ppm. So, no need to be worry about 0.02 ppm of nitrites in my system?

02/23/2011, 01:18 PM	#11
coralfish Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hardmoney, KY Posts: 750	Never mind my last question. 4 months, I suspect that you may have gotten another mini cycle, especially if all the fish were added at the same time or very close to each other. Do you have testable ammonia? __________________ One leg missing and both hands free. Current Tank Info: 220 Reef

02/23/2011, 01:21 PM	#12
coralfish Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hardmoney, KY Posts: 750	I will say that, after using the on-line caculator (600l = 158g) that 5 fish are not an issue unless they are large, being overfed, or were placed in there all at once. __________________ One leg missing and both hands free. Current Tank Info: 220 Reef

02/23/2011, 07:21 PM	#14
wmdick_2007 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 191	Nitrite Nitrite is of little concern in a cycled Saltwater aquarium. It depends on when you test, it does rise a little then falls quickly after feeding. Nitrate at 7-ppm is okay. __________________ Enjoy! Current Tank Info: 13 mixed tanks

02/25/2011, 09:30 AM	#16
coralfish Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hardmoney, KY Posts: 750	I disagree that nitrite is of little concern...It indicates that something is decaying and that the tank is not cycled, overloaded, overfed, and pretty much unstable. Nitrate on the other hand, unless you are keeping corals (SPS or some LPS), anemones, or some delicate fish, is of little concern at low levels __________________ One leg missing and both hands free. Current Tank Info: 220 Reef

02/25/2011, 07:26 PM	#19
coralfish Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hardmoney, KY Posts: 750	I will agree that .02 is negligible, but it does indicate that something is going on. Nitrites are of less concern than ammonia, but still a concern (for me) if above zero. __________________ One leg missing and both hands free. Current Tank Info: 220 Reef

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