You don't need to worry about it while you're cycling
Thank you so much for taking the time to help out a newbie with such a lengthy, detailed explanation. Could you kindly direct me to the information you referenced regarding nitrite. I was led to believe that although not nearly as toxic as ammonia it is still harmful.I looked at your post history TW
your cycle is done, you're now past cycling, and into reefing choices. this will help you move from one phase of concern into another set
-never test for ammonia again on this reef if you want to save yourself false stall headaches. your non-digital test kits are subject to mislead you late in the game if you keep testing for cycle params after a cycle has closed. yours is done.
ammonia isn't a param that creeps out of control if we don't do things to prevent it, being post-cycle inherently means ammonia will remain controlled for any bioload you choose. if a given disease killed off fish while you're gone and you come home to high ammonia, that's not a cycle issue that's a disease issue. ammonia rising will never precede a fish kill in a display reef. it'll be hardware issues or disease that get em, but not a cycle issue at week 3
we wont test for nitrite due to reasons Randy has listed in myriad posts and writeups. You have already seen that nitrite presence affects your nitrate test kit accuracy, so wait until roughly day 60 total setup time before reacting to any nitrate. I have never tested for nitrate nor owned the kit and I keep all common corals for decades, it's not a required param to know unless you're determined to know it. get a digital kit if you want to accurately know nitrate.
your cycle is done because you've moved ammonia to zero or close to it twice now...once was enough. if your reef has a stack of rocks that's cooked in bottle bac and feed for 3 weeks, you were done cycling on day ten even though your test kits may not have agreed. digital ammonia testers would have agreed. you're done cycling and into fish disease prevention choices, and chemistry measures for a typical running reef now.
You're done cycling because waiting any longer for parameter changes can't make your tank safer for fish. Only specific disease preps from the disease forum can provide initial fish safety.
www.reef2reef.com
www.reef2reef.com
I stopped adding Nitrocycle and decided to give the nitrites a few days bc a read they can go from fairly high to zero very rapidly. Yesterday 5 today zero. WONDERFUL, except my nitrates per Hanna are >75, likely near 100. I tested them at 65 after the first week of cycling and thought it to be false due to ammonia and nitrites interfering. Well, they’re gone and this result appears legitimate. I double checked with the API test kit I have. Is this normal? Do I now do a 100% water change and immediately add fish?I looked at your post history TW
your cycle is done, you're now past cycling, and into reefing choices. this will help you move from one phase of concern into another set
-never test for ammonia again on this reef if you want to save yourself false stall headaches. your non-digital test kits are subject to mislead you late in the game if you keep testing for cycle params after a cycle has closed. yours is done.
ammonia isn't a param that creeps out of control if we don't do things to prevent it, being post-cycle inherently means ammonia will remain controlled for any bioload you choose. if a given disease killed off fish while you're gone and you come home to high ammonia, that's not a cycle issue that's a disease issue. ammonia rising will never precede a fish kill in a display reef. it'll be hardware issues or disease that get em, but not a cycle issue at week 3
we wont test for nitrite due to reasons Randy has listed in myriad posts and writeups. You have already seen that nitrite presence affects your nitrate test kit accuracy, so wait until roughly day 60 total setup time before reacting to any nitrate. I have never tested for nitrate nor owned the kit and I keep all common corals for decades, it's not a required param to know unless you're determined to know it. get a digital kit if you want to accurately know nitrate.
your cycle is done because you've moved ammonia to zero or close to it twice now...once was enough. if your reef has a stack of rocks that's cooked in bottle bac and feed for 3 weeks, you were done cycling on day ten even though your test kits may not have agreed. digital ammonia testers would have agreed. you're done cycling and into fish disease prevention choices, and chemistry measures for a typical running reef now.
You're done cycling because waiting any longer for parameter changes can't make your tank safer for fish. Only specific disease preps from the disease forum can provide initial fish safety.
The >75 nitrate reading IS a Hanna test kit. Just to clarify, you’re good with me doing a close to 100% water change to reduce nitrates and hopefully avoid an immediate algae issue. I’m also assuming my bacteria is in my rocks and Marinepure blocks and will not be harme by the water change.
