Nitrite and nitrate

[sbazain]

Just did a test at my lfa one month into it , dead rock, put boosting bacteria and been dosing stability twice a day added two clowns and mu eel their doing fine but now my testes read 4.1 nitrites and 77 nitrates from 0 nitrites and 3 nitrates going to do a large water change but would like to understand my lfs couldn't give an explanation

 

[mdb_talon]

I am making some assumptions here, but it seems likely cause is you don't have enough nutrient export to handle the feeding of the clowns and eel. We may be able to help more with a lot more details on tank size, filtration, etc.....but what you describe does not sound unreasonable at all. Going to need a way to remove those nitrates(either before or after they have turned into nitrates). The nitrites I would not worry about(though they may be distorting your nitrates reading).

 

[Soren]

Just did a test at my lfa one month into it , dead rock, put boosting bacteria and been dosing stability twice a day added two clowns and mu eel their doing fine but now my testes read 4.1 nitrites and 77 nitrates from 0 nitrites and 3 nitrates going to do a large water change but would like to understand my lfs couldn't give an explanation

It could be due to the nitrifying bacteria populations catching up to ammonia introductions from feeding and fish waste and now seeing measureable nitrites and nitrates. Ammonia gets converted by nitrifying bacteria into nitrites which are then converted to nitrates (then, ideally, into nitrogen gas that is released from the system into the air).

Can you share more information about how you measured your initial cycle and general tank information, such as size, sump/filtration methods, amount of rock, etc.? Pictures could be especially helpful as well.

 

[brandon429]

hey can you take an ammonia test and post that actual reading so we can see it, or is the pet store doing the testing for your water

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just did a test at my lfa one month into it , dead rock, put boosting bacteria and been dosing stability twice a day added two clowns and mu eel their doing fine but now my testes read 4.1 nitrites and 77 nitrates from 0 nitrites and 3 nitrates going to do a large water change but would like to understand my lfs couldn't give an explanation

I suspect false reading and what tests are you using ? Are tests expired?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No need for a water change, IMO.

The nitrate reading is likely mostly nitrite reading as nitrate. Nitrate may be very low.

If ammonia is being converted into nitrite and mostly stopping there, that explains the values.

 

[sbazain]

It could be due to the nitrifying bacteria populations catching up to ammonia introductions from feeding and fish waste and now seeing measureable nitrites and nitrates. Ammonia gets converted by nitrifying bacteria into nitrites which are then converted to nitrates (then, ideally, into nitrogen gas that is released from the system into the air).

Can you share more information about how you measured your initial cycle and general tank information, such as size, sump/filtration methods, amount of rock, etc.? Pictures could be especially helpful as well.

Been testing only from lfs is 60 gallon it's going to be up for a month on Feb 15th has a sump , skimmer . Two clowns wich are doing good do have a large eel but can't get rid of her she's been with me now for ten years rock is just one formation done for me by my lfs maybe 30 to 40 pounds all dead rock did have to order all my ro filters today reading 3

 

[sbazain]

I am making some assumptions here, but it seems likely cause is you don't have enough nutrient export to handle the feeding of the clowns and eel. We may be able to help more with a lot more details on tank size, filtration, etc.....but what you describe does not sound unreasonable at all. Going to need a way to remove those nitrates(either before or after they have turned into nitrates). The nitrites I would not worry about(though they may be distorting your nitrates reading).

Just got out of an abdominal surgery so this week my daughter is going to help me do ax25 gallon water change per lfs instructions advice from you would be helpful I've been at this for a while now but never with deade rock

 

[14 foot reef]

The nitrate reading is a false reading coming from nitrites. No need for water change, wait till Nitrites are zero, then retest nitrate. Then you will have a true Nitrate reading, as long as LFS is not using API test kit. Your Nitrates are NOT in the 70's.

 

[sbazain]

hey can you take an ammonia test and post that actual reading so we can see it, or is the pet store doing the testing for your water

Am doing one tomorrow will post it

 

[sbazain]

No need for a water change, IMO.

The nitrate reading is likely mostly nitrite reading as nitrate. Nitrate may be very low.

If ammonia is being converted into nitrite and mostly stopping there, that explains the values.

Can you explain a bit better

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can you explain a bit better

Nitrate kits work by taking a small portion of the nitrate (the portion varies by brand, say 1%), converts that nitrate into nitrite, detects the nitrite, then multiplies that result by the proportion of the nitrate converted to nitrite to get a final answer (say, 100x in the example).

Thus 0.1 ppm nitrite will be read by that nitrate kit as 10 ppm nitrate, when in reality there may be no nitrate present.

 

[sbazain]

Nitrate kits work by taking a small portion of the nitrate (the portion varies by brand, say 1%), converts that nitrate into nitrite, detects the nitrite, then multiplies that result by the proportion of the nitrate converted to nitrite to get a final answer (say, 100x in the example).

Thus 0.1 ppm nitrite will be read by that nitrate kit as 10 ppm nitrate, when in reality there may be no nitrate present.

Nitrite still high let's see how long it takes to come down am still adding mb7 clowns are doing fine

 

[I never finish anythi]

Tank looks small for the eel . Sorry to judge

 

[sbazain]

Tank looks small for the eel . Sorry to judge

I know but she's been with me for 10 years and the landlord won't go higher than what I got , she use to be in a 150 sometimes I wonder if the nitrites are high cause of her , just saying

 

[sbazain]

I know but she's been with me for 10 years and the landlord won't go higher than what I got , she use to be in a 150 sometimes I wonder if the nitrites are high cause of her , just saying

I don't know what to do with her people just won't take an eel that size

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

That is a freakin huge eel whoa I would not be able to sleep in that house

 

[I never finish anythi]

I don't know what to do with her people just won't take an eel that size

Like I said I ain't judging you. Just my opinion. I know how hard it is to get rid of animals you live . I have 2 tangs in my 75g I'm trying to get rid of , but it's hard

 

[brandon429]

as cycle posts go this is a huge bioload tank, speaks well to the quality of bottled bac for sure. I believe the eel will die from disease from not being able to conduct normal daily activities, ever being able to stretch out or swim or hide or hunt

it'll just sti there coiled up

if you want to save it give it to someone or to a zoo or a pet store, anywhere but that tank where it must stay coiled up.

not being mean, it's to save the eel. lack of ammonia control isn't going to kill it, it'll be disease expression from clowns added without preps or the general squeeze into that small tank sustained. he might can exist months and months in that condition, but I wouldn't do that to it.

not a judgement just a prediction from examples in the disease forum. as far as cycle examples go this is one heck of a demonstration of bioload carry on demand that's for sure.

 

[brandon429]

hey can you take a picture of your ammonia reading and post it so we can see the color and the card

that's probably the single highest bioload carry within startup timeframe I've seen. curious if the ammonia reading from a non digital kit looks like every other reading they produce including readings from 2 year old tanks not overstocked. if your api is solid black I might could see why let's see it pls for the sake of cycle patterning. really neat thread for that aspect for sure.