I’m super confused

[Hannahmunt]

Just did my weekly tests…my ammonia is 0 yet nitrite is showing as 4! And nitrate is at 8.6.

I tested the salt water and both are 0 for nitrite and nitrates.

I also tested my ro water
and both are 0 for nitrite and nitrates.

about a week ago I added some fish and my ammonia went up to 0.10 but have now come down to 0.

is my rank going through another cycle maybe?

not sure if I should leave the tank alone if it is cycling again or to do my normal water change.

tank is 4 months old with cuc, soft corals, clowns and hawkfish.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Very interesting, is this API test? Possibly a mini cycle with the addition of fish. Just keep an eye on it, but if your ammonia is already down to 0 then your nitrite should be right behind it. Test it again to make sure you did it right. I will say when my tank cycled my nitrite never hit 4, that seems pretty high. Did you add all fish at the same time

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It could be the nitrite processing is not cycled yet, but I’d just ignore it as it is not toxic in a marine system.

 

[Hannahmunt]

Very interesting, is this API test? Possibly a mini cycle with the addition of fish. Just keep an eye on it, but if your ammonia is already down to 0 then your nitrite should be right behind it. Test it again to make sure you did it right. I will say when my tank cycled my nitrite never hit 4, that seems pretty high. Did you add all fish at the same time

I use a mix between hanna and salifert

last week I did have high ammonia and this week it’s gone down to 0. So to me it’s like a mini cycle is happening.

nitrate yesterday was 6.9 and today was 8.5

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

I use a mix between hanna and salifert

last week I did have high ammonia and this week it’s gone down to 0. So to me it’s like a mini cycle is happening.

nitrate yesterday was 6.9 and today was 8.5

how big is tank?

 

[radfly]

Just did my weekly tests…my ammonia is 0 yet nitrite is showing as 4! And nitrate is at 8.6.

I tested the salt water and both are 0 for nitrite and nitrates.

I also tested my ro water
and both are 0 for nitrite and nitrates.

about a week ago I added some fish and my ammonia went up to 0.10 but have now come down to 0.

is my rank going through another cycle maybe?

not sure if I should leave the tank alone if it is cycling again or to do my normal water change.

tank is 4 months old with cuc, soft corals, clowns and hawkfish.

With a new tank, add fish one at a time if possible, as the nitrite eating bacteria are slow growers and the nitrite will spike for a week with each new addition. Some call it a “mini-cycle”. And remember, if you are reading nitrite on your kit, then you will not get an accurate nitrate test, it will read a lot higher. While nitrite is not too terrible for the salt system, it’s presence is detrimental as it hinders proper nitrate readings.

 

[Hannahmunt]

It could be the nitrite processing is not cycled yet, but I’d just ignore it as it is not toxic in a marine system.

how big is tank?

160 litres so roughly 40g

oh one thing I forgot to mention..I did add bio balls to my filter and removed a sponge to make way for them…this could be a factor

 

[Hannahmunt]

With a new tank, add fish one at a time if possible, as the nitrite eating bacteria are slow growers and the nitrite will spike for a week with each new addition. Some call it a “mini-cycle”. And remember, if you are reading nitrite on your kit, then you will not get an accurate nitrate test, it will read a lot higher. While nitrite is not too terrible for the salt system, it’s presence is detrimental as it hinders proper nitrate readings.

I use salifert for nitrite and hanna for nitrate.

I dose with nopox as well

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

If your livestock is acting fine then just continue to proceed with caution. Don't add anything new until you get ammonia/nitrite down to 0. Time is your friend. Removing the sponge shouldn't have been an issue unless it is a large portion of your mechanical filtration, and if that is the case you would notice a foul smell or cloudy water coming from tank.