You don't need to worry or actively do anything to lower your nitrites. They are not at "stress" level, whatever that means. This isn't freshwater where it matters. A water change is not necessary to lower nitrite.
Is my cycle staled? 6 weeks deep into fishless cycle.
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Soren
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The water change would be to reduce nitrates.
Most aquarium systems do not have the right conditions for the final nitrogen cycle step of nitrate being converted to nitrogen gas and released from the system as fast as the nitrates increase in our aquariums (closed systems). Anaerobic conditions are needed for bacteria that complete this last step and these bacteria can also produce toxic hydrogen sulfide.
In our aquariums, nitrates are typically controlled through water changes (dilution/partial removal), uptake by corals or algae, or through de-nitrators.
The water change is not necessary but would be helpful in my opinion since your initial nitrate level is likely to increase to undesirable levels after all of the ammonia additions. I would do a 50% water change to prepare for the first fish.
I also recommend reading about disease prevention before new additions to learn methods of mitigating risk. Personally, I quarantine all fish in a separate tank to observe for disease and medicate for serious diseases when necessary. Not everyone has the time/space/skills needed for proper quarantine, but it is my preferred method (I keep several tanks running just for quarantine/hospital needs for new additions at this stage of my progress of setting up and starting new systems).
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Nitrate will be 3.6 times the amount of ammonia (in ppm) added during the cycle. You can’t test for nitrate with nitrite in the water but the theoretical conversion can be used to judge if you want to waterchange. To be honest, most folks don’t need to change water after the initial cycle.
Mschmidt
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A water change would only help, not hurt. I'd follow the advice of @Soren. And has more fully explained the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia turns to nitrite (really ammonium then nitrite), then turns to nitrate, then ideally but rarely turns to nitrogen gas and is expelled out the tank. The final step happens only in anaerobic conditions, eg in deep sand beds or deep in rocks. And it takes a long time for those bacteria to grow.
Brandon is wrong. Nitrite is part of the cycle and toxic to fish. But less than ammonia. Nitrate is toxic too. But at really high levels and after prolonged exposure.
Soren
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I would caveat this particular point with studies done to prove that nitrite is not toxic in saltwater, but I would need to find links/sources.
@Randy Holmes-Farley has studied nitrite toxicity and confirms that it is only toxic in freshwater.
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Nitrite is part of the cycle and toxic to fish
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I had to learn the hard way about that too so it's no offense
I posted that once in Randy's chem forum/got the zap.
in freshwater it really is the killer, and ammonia isn't / very odd twist between reefs and planted tanks.
in reefing, ammonia is the killer and nitrite is neutral
chloride concentration and ph differences cause strange rule inversions between fresh and saltwater setups for sure.
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I had to learn the hard way about that too so it's no offense
I posted that once in Randy's chem forum/got the zap.
in freshwater it really is the killer, and ammonia isn't / very odd twist between reefs and planted tanks.
in reefing, ammonia is the killer and nitrite is neutral
chloride concentration and ph differences cause strange rule inversions between fresh and saltwater setups for sure.
ptrick21186
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You said all you did was float the bag in the water then added the fish to the tank? Ya that's most likely why the fish didn't make it. Bulk Reef Supply sells a handy drip acclimator for like 10 bucks. I highly recommend it.
Soren
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Yep, cross-post at the same time. I saw that right after posting.
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marcosnano
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I feel bad for killing poor fish with my mistakes
I will definetly acclimate more carefuly fish next time.
And I'm glad my tank is finally cycled.
fishyjoes
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Anybody who keeps fish has killed fish, it sucks but it happens.
Here's a link to an excellent acclimation paper
www.reef2reef.com
Here's a link to an excellent acclimation paper
Acclimation Methods
Acclimating Animals to Aquariums Jay F. Hemdal c.2020 Introduction to acclimation techniques Most beginning aquarists hear that they must “acclimate” any new animals they add to their aquarium. Acclimation (sometimes termed...
www.reef2reef.com
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we all care greatly and deeply what the bacteria in someone else's square box of water is doing, I've noticed. im nearly ocd about what other people's bacteria do on a daily basis, and that's so fun. I get my dopamine reinforcement from it; stalled cycle threads are my tik tok stand in. entire friendships are forged and destroyed all from what we think bacteria in other people's tanks are doing, and that's how it should be.
