Is It True That Nitrite Levels "Don't Matter"?

[Tnops]

Hello, I just tested my relatively new QT's nitrite and it's around 5 ppm, ammonia at 0. I quickly started researching and found that nitrite levels in saltwater aquariums aren't toxic unlike freshwater. Maybe that explains why my fish look and behave fine in 5 ppm of nitrite. Can a few people confirm for me? Thanks

 

[mdb_talon]

Depends on who you ask. There are a couple recent threads about that have been active in the last couple days.

Personally i think in a saltwater tanks it is a waste of time to test and irrelevant at any levels we are likely to see.

 

[austibella]

I don't know how to answer that I have had low nitrites and spikes very high. Did a quick water change before any damage could be done so I don't know the answer. I don't even chase those numbers anymore. If someone in the tank doesn't look right I do a big waterchange. Now I do at least 35 gal waterchange every 2 weeks or if I cant do it I will do at least 70 gal water change once a month.but I prefer to do 35 gal change 2x a month. Then I don't have to chase numbers

 

[Spare time]

In one study the authors find it to be dangerous to clownfish (I think oscillaris) at 25ppm. There are other effects if it gets high, but 5ppm likely doesn't cause an issue in my non expert opinion. The difficult thing is many self proclaimed experts on here look at a fish and can magically say how a fish's body is responding (ie organ lesions, stress levels, etc.). I stick with a published paper on this topic for my reference (I can send it to you if u want). Again, I guarantee you that the Internrt Forum University graduates will come to disagree, but the best I could find is it has similar effects as ammonia when it reaches 25ppm in clownfish. Other than that, the data appears sparse.

 

[Tnops]

Depends on who you ask. There are a couple recent threads about that have been active in the last couple days.

Personally i think in a saltwater tanks it is a waste of time to test and irrelevant at any levels we are likely to see.

Oh wow I didn't think that there would be threads recently. So 5 ppm isn't something to worry about ig

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I dont practice this hobby in a way that "it doesnt matter". It likely wont kill a fish, but no evidence that it hurts or makes the fish uncomfortable, or if any long term effects, etc... What about inverts, corals, and other life forms, does it matter to them? I'm not been convinced to throw my nitrification textbook out the window just yet

 

[mdb_talon]

In one study the authors find it to be dangerous to clownfish (I think oscillaris) at 25ppm. There are other effects if it gets high, but 5ppm likely doesn't cause an issue in my non expert opinion. The difficult thing is many self proclaimed experts on here look at a fish and can magically say how a fish's body is responding (ie organ lesions, stress levels, etc.). I stick with a published paper on this topic for my reference (I can send it to you if u want). Again, I guarantee you that the Internrt Forum University graduates will come to disagree, but the best I could find is it has similar effects as ammonia when it reaches 25ppm in clownfish. Other than that, the data appears sparse.

As a general rule it is best to not be quite so dismissive and insulting of anyone who disagrees and assume there are not more than one study to be referenced. For example you can see in the chart in this article they found the mean concentration toxic to clownfish to be 344.

It is easy to see that the mean toxic levels for almost all marine livestock referenced here to be much higher than an aquarium would have in all but extreme cases. Just as important is that in an aquarium it would be all but unheard of to be able to reach toxic nitrite levels without also having had much more toxic levels of ammonia present beforehand.

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

 

[Cell]

Hello, I just tested my relatively new QT's nitrite and it's around 5 ppm, ammonia at 0. I quickly started researching and found that nitrite levels in saltwater aquariums aren't toxic unlike freshwater. Maybe that explains why my fish look and behave fine in 5 ppm of nitrite. Can a few people confirm for me? Thanks

Correct.

 

[mdb_talon]

I dont practice this hobby in a way that "it doesnt matter". It likely wont kill a fish, but no evidence that it hurts or makes the fish uncomfortable, or if any long term effects, etc... What about inverts, corals, and other life forms, does it matter to them? I'm not been convinced to throw my nitrification textbook out the window just yet

Curious what your nitrification textbook says about the toxicity of nitrite to marine organisms? Does it also speak to the fact that in a reef aquarium it is all but impossible to reach sky high levels of nitrite without having first reached extremely high ammonia levels which would have already killed the organisms?