LFS wont sell unless 0 nitrates

[YOYOYOReefer]

How does your lfs know what any of your parameters are? Never heard of a store that requires a sample to buying a fish. I would suggest a different store. Save your money next time and just use a dead fish to cycle the tanks instead , same result for free

 

[MindlessToxin]

You sure he didn’t say “zero nitrites”

For sure he said nitrates and meant it. I said" I thought the only way to get rid if nitrates was a water change." He said "once the cycle is complete the nitrates and nitrites would come down." Super irritating.

 

[alindell]

High nitrates can lead to poor water quality affecting fish but generally speaking lower levels are needed and do not harm fish. I literally dose in phosphate and nitrate. Nitrites do not harm marine fish fish. They can tolerate extremely high values. Ammonia is what you to be zero. I waited till ammonia was zero and that take like 4 weeks as long as there a carbon source for the bacteria to process. I added fish when there was some nitrites with no issue. Alot of LFS have old school or lack knowledge on the husbandry of marine aquariums. They are a business and not all of them share the passion, enthusiasm and knowledge that marine aquarists generally have

 

[rhitee93]

Yeah, what he is telling you is just wrong, and I can see how frustrating that would be.

If this person has any real authority on how the fish are treated in the store, you probably want to shop elsewhere in spite of the fact the place looks like the "Cleanest" in town. If they are just someone working there, you might be OK, but beware of judging a book by its cover in this case.

 

[Dbichler]

If it’s the only good lfs in your area do your own research like this then take a sample of your freshly made saltwater in and give that to them there won’t be anything off that way and your good to go. Every lfs near me has different beliefs and some are just plain wrong like this. So I buy from the best price with the best quality. Sometimes it’s one store sometimes the next. You’ll never find one that does the exact thing everyone else does.

 

[PotatoPig]

Is the LFS a Petco with an overzealous fish person?

 

[mfinn]

For sure he said nitrates and meant it. I said" I thought the only way to get rid if nitrates was a water change." He said "once the cycle is complete the nitrates and nitrites would come down." Super irritating.

Find a different store.

 

[littlefoxx]

Best thing I ever did was join this thread for advice. I would honestly try a different store or do what others said about fresh made saltwater… Ive got some people like this at one of my stores, I just go when he isnt there lol or ask someone else to help

 

[dstockwell]

Sounds so familiar, when I needed to raise mine I asked if he had xxx I needed to my nitrates - end of story there.

 

[brandon429]

At least the lfs was applying a standard of care required for what they viewed important. Dr Tim makes nitrite seem that important in the youtube video where he discusses nitrite stalling of reef cycles

To claim nitrite isn't important in cycling and doesn't stall biofilter establishment is against the grain for sure. The lfs is relaying the best info they have at the time it sounds. The truth is nitrite doesn't matter in reef tank cycling at all, skip the measure.

It'll take a while to get that word out, with buy-in and rules updated down to the lfs level

If the employee said that bottle bac has you covered for the small bioloads we use in stocking and disease prep is where the hard part remains, and then demanded to know their fallow and quarantine protocols before proceeding that would be 2023

But they're not going to get that word until 2026


Why's that? Because our mods won't make a sticky titled: your nitrite doesn't matter collecting alternate evolving views

It would help get the word out if they did that

 

[GK3]

Every lFS I’ve gone to, they always start with “how big is your tank?” Or “how old is your tank”. Depending on the mood I’m in and what I am looking to buy, I either say 400 gallons and had it for years or 2.5 gallons and had it for years. Both answers generally get us past the let me give you advice stage.

Point being unless you’ve gotten to know the person and trust their advise, their’s a lot of nonsense in the hobby. Do your research, pick your approach, and go. I totally get your comment about this Lfs having best fish in town, not every where has multiple quality options. If they are really going to not sell you a fish and you really want what they have, take in freshly made salt water made from RO water.

 

[spsick]

So they are expecting you to do a fishless cycle? What if you plan to QT fish?

This is weird. Some LFS suck, but I get it. They are trying to get less fish killed by newbs. Good intentions albeit maybe misguided.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

@MindlessToxin I see you're in Chattanooga (my family's 2nd favorite vacation spot losing only to the Keys), I know there are a couple different LFS up there. I agree with a couple different replies here, time to go somewhere else with your money.

Heck, Sustainable Aquatics is two hours from you and they have their own LFS over there in Jefferson City - they also do some imports. Great source for both aquacultured fish and coral if you're up for a road trip.

 

[Kzang]

You know what we generally tell people who have no measurable nitrate?

Feed more or dose nitrate.

Newish tanks set ups. I had to just start doing this because all my fish are eating pods. I even throw in frozen and pellets, and couldn't get my nitrates up....so dosed brightwell nitrate. dang the dinos!

 

[MnFish1]

Hello all, I'm new to reefing and saltwater. I've been constantly researching, watching videos and reading up on the hobby for the last few months. I'm currently waiting on my 75 gallon to finish it's initial cycle. I'm doing Dr. Tim's fishless cycle and so far it's processing ammonia into nitrite/ nitrate. Still waiting on my nitrites to start coming down.

I was talking to the guy at my LFS and he knows I'm new and that I'm waiting on my cycle to finish before I get my first fish(pair of clowns). He told me I needed to bring a sample of water that is showing no nitrites, NO NITRATES and little to no ammonia. This is where I am super confused. I said okay so I need to do large(50%) water change to get rid of the nitrates and he said "no that will get rid of all the good bacteria". He then said that once the cycle is complete that the nitrates would come down.

Correct me I'm wrong but isn't water change the only way to get rid of nitrates at the point of being cycled?? Unless I have something that is consuming nitrates like Algae, Chaeto, Corals. I feel like either they are uneducated on the subject or I am.

If I am right it's a little frustrating for me that I have to bring a test showing 0 nitrates. Especially considering that's the cleanest LFS in town with the healthiest looking fish.

He is incorrect - on multiple topics. First, water changes will not 'remove all (or even much) of the bacteria thats doing the job. Second - I'm not sure why he's saying you can have a little ammonia - you should have zero. The nitrates will not come down 'on their own' for a long time, if ever.

Nitrites, on the other hand are not toxic at saltwater pH unless extremely high. If you are following the protocol for Dr. Tim keep following it. One thing that people have done is they keep adding ammonia. When Dr. Tim says 'stop adding ammonia' stop adding it.

No offense to your LFS, but some of the answers he/she gave you would make me want to look elsewhere for advice. Good luck with your new tank!

PS - I see now that much of that has been said - sorry for the repeat - the replies did not show up when I posted. One more comment Nitrite/nitrate tests can be affected by the presence of one another to a degree - so I would take the LFS recommendation with even more of a grain of salt.

 

[Tired]

It is actually possible for nitrates to go down without water changes, from being used up by corals, algae, and bacteria. 0 nitrates is, of course, as already said quite a few times, not needed or desirable.

And, as someone's just said above me, yep- water changes don't remove a notable amount of bacteria. Most of your biofilter lives on surfaces.

 

[Troylee]

Ask him for a water sample and test it in front of him and say okay you got nitrates please get rid of all these fish immediately they’re in danger!

 

[jda]

While there are plenty of morons who own and work at fish stores, are you sure that they did not misspeak or were not mis understood? Ask them again, IMO.

 

[exnisstech]

And here I've been doing it all wrong. I don't test for ammonia or nitrite when cycling a tank. When I have a decent amount of nitrate maybe 5-10 I start slowly adding live stock. I haven't owned an ammonia or nitrite test kit since my fresh water days when I cycled my tanks using household ammonia.

 

[MindlessToxin]

@MindlessToxin I see you're in Chattanooga (my family's 2nd favorite vacation spot losing only to the Keys), I know there are a couple different LFS up there. I agree with a couple different replies here, time to go somewhere else with your money.

Heck, Sustainable Aquatics is two hours from you and they have their own LFS over there in Jefferson City - they also do some imports. Great source for both aquacultured fish and coral if you're up for a road trip.

I'll check that out. I definitely enjoy going to different stores and seeing what's out there. Although one particular LFS near me was pretty traumatizing. I went in all excited and went to their saltwater section and they had multiple dead fish throughout a couple different tanks. It was very sad. Like how did they not know? Do they even check their livestock? Anyways I'll probably go to original LFS I mentioned tomorrow. My nitrite levels came down and nitrate is looking somewhere between 5-10 ppm. Im going to do a 50% water change and then should be good to go.