Issues with nitrites in new setup

[hanslanda]

So iv'e been cycling my new saltwater tank (55 gal) for about 8 weeks now. Iv'e been doing the fishless cycle with Dr... you know what i don't want to even promote that product anymore so lets just call it live bacteria additive. I am using pure ammonium chloride to dose the tank with ammonia. Currently i can convert 2ppm of ammonia pretty quickly. Id say very close to 24-48 hours. But nitrites.... are just dogging. Once the ammonia converts in 24 hrs or so, i just end up having a back-up of nitrites. They just sit there. It takes in some cases over a week to convert the 2 ppm of nitrite over to nitrate. Iv'e dosed probably 5 times by now and this should have been over with weeks ago. Do higher nitrates prevent nitrite conversion? The only thing i could add POTENTIALLY in my negative would be my nitrates are up around 30 ppm.

Parameters
---------------

pH: 7.8-7.9
Ammonia: what ever i want it to be/currently 0
Nitrites: 2ppm+
Nitrate: 30ppm

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Don’t sweat the nitrites. Period. It’s just an indicator.
IMO , you’re tank is cycled.
Dr tims one and only is great stuff.

A big water change will drop the no3. Personally I don’t sweat that either. It’s from the additional ammonia addition.

 

[Zonly1]

^^^ what he said. Same thing as my tank and all is great!

 

[hanslanda]

Really? I mean i can throw a fish in and let it ride. I have another 20lbs of dry rock that should be about done cycling i want to add, and one last touch on my protein skimmer.

 

[lapin]

Add your stuff and tune the skimmer and let er rip.............

 

[hanslanda]

Alrighty thanks guys. I'll add my rock tonight and tomorrow ill go get a clown.

 

[Captain Quint]

Really? I mean i can throw a fish in and let it ride. I have another 20lbs of dry rock that should be about done cycling i want to add, and one last touch on my protein skimmer.

Please just do a decent sized good water change as saltyfilmfolks suggested. You've done well and were patient for sue.

Happy for you.

 

[hanslanda]

Please just do a decent sized good water change as saltyfilmfolks suggested. You've done well and were patient for sue.

Happy for you.

Absolutely! I bought 2 giant storage bins from home depot and have been storing make-up and water-change water in those. I have a good 25 gallons salt mixed and ready to go at all times.

I have actually done about a 50% change in this process already, but because the nitrates were up near 40ppm, so it dropped down to around 20ppm after, and this is the second time with me re-dosing. From what i can tell 2ppm ammonia turns into around 10ppm nitrate.


Ill do a 50% change when i put the rock in to get it back to around 20ppm. Maybe another 25% later this week or something. What do we try and stay below in terms of nitrate?

 

[Captain Quint]

Absolutely! I bought 2 giant storage bins from home depot and have been storing make-up and water-change water in those. I have a good 25 gallons salt mixed and ready to go at all times.

I have actually done about a 50% change in this process already, but because the nitrates were up near 40ppm, so it dropped down to around 20ppm after, and this is the second time with me re-dosing. From what i can tell 2ppm ammonia turns into around 10ppm nitrate.


Ill do a 50% change when i put the rock in to get it back to around 20ppm. Maybe another 25% later this week or something. What do we try and stay below in terms of nitrate?

If FOWLR 10 or below is actually not too bad. Of course, folks like to see zero but I never see mine under 5 and honestly up to 10 frequently loaded with BTA's and yes I admit I am a tad heavy-handed on feedings.

 

[hanslanda]

If FOWLR 10 or below is actually not too bad. Of course, folks like to see zero but I never see mine under 5 and honestly up to 10 frequently loaded with BTA's and yes I admit I am a tad heavy-handed on feedings.

Ahh very good thanks. I do plan to go coral in the future. I have a fuge i plan on adding some algae to at some point when i do that to help with nitrates. Where do nitrates like to be for the sake of coral ?

 

[hanslanda]

Just a heads-up for the curious. Today i added the last of the live-rock, and retested the water(out of curiosity). I'll be doing a 50% water change tonight. Then i'll do another 50% this weekend right before i add the fish. A couple days after the new fish ill need to do at least around 25% again to keep the nitrate below 10ppm. Also worth noting, today the nitrites dropped from 2ppm to 0.5ppm.

Ammonia measured 0.25 but i hear this is common with API
Nitrite measured 0.50
Nitrate up at 40ppm

So my two 50% water changes should get me down to 10ppm nitrate and nothing measurable on the other two. Then i'll add the fishy. A couple days later ill do another 25-50%


Sound good?

 

[sean rand]

A

Just a heads-up for the curious. Today i added the last of the live-rock, and retested the water(out of curiosity). I'll be doing a 50% water change tonight. Then i'll do another 50% this weekend right before i add the fish. A couple days after the new fish ill need to do at least around 25% again to keep the nitrate below 10ppm. Also worth noting, today the nitrites dropped from 2ppm to 0.5ppm.

Ammonia measured 0.25 but i hear this is common with API
Nitrite measured 0.50
Nitrate up at 40ppm

So my two 50% water changes should get me down to 10ppm nitrate and nothing measurable on the other two. Then i'll add the fishy. A couple days later ill do another 25-50%


Sound good?

AnY update with this. I have the same issue now with my nitrites stuck at 4ppm