Nitrite - help

[bandando]

I have an issue with the nitrite (NO2), they are always too high.
Today I measured them at 0,1 mg/l.
I check them with a TM test and the colour is always pink, rarely I have seen white or very light pink.

The tank (50 GAL) is 20 months old therefore not so yung, DSB and live rocks.
I have 8 fishes small size and 2 fishes little bit bigger, LPS and SPS.
The technical equipment is indicated below in my signature.

Two times a week I dose ZeoBak KZ and I use dosing carbon TM (Elimini NP or Bacto Balance).

The SPS are not healthy and in my opinion this is the reason. All other values are good.

I don't understand what I have to do! Any advice?

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ignore it. Nitrite is not toxic in marine systems (unlike freshwater). There is some other reason for the coral issues.

 

[brandon429]

what test kit is showing uncontrolled nitrite at month 20 here

 

[bandando]

what test kit is showing uncontrolled nitrite at month 20 here

Tropic Marin Professional

 

[brandon429]

Just wondering if it was api. For sure you can ignore it as stated

 

[bandando]

Ignore it. Nitrite is not toxic in marine systems (unlike freshwater). There is some other reason for the coral issues.

Real? I didn’t know that.
But is it normal?

 

[brandon429]

I would never believe the non digital test kit. nitrite doesn't take 20 months to not resolve, it's done in a month and stays in low level conversion rates for the life of the system, your test is overreporting those rates if this is a common display reef tank with lots of expected surface area. let's see a pic of the tank, the test kit doesn't matter.

 

[bandando]

I would never believe the non digital test kit. nitrite doesn't take 20 months to not resolve, it's done in a month and stays in low level conversion rates for the life of the system, your test is overreporting those rates if this is a common display reef tank with lots of expected surface area. let's see a pic of the tank, the test kit doesn't matter.

 

[bandando]

At the beginning I had only LPS but in the last months I decided to change to SPS, my first love.
The trouble is that some lose tissue from the tips.

 

[brandon429]

that is amazing. in no way would I ever, ever ever believe any test kit that says that mature reef isn't handling nitrite. I dont care if it was hanna's gold standard iso9 million never wrong marine nitrite checker: that reef's cycle is under full control. very very nice pro setup

I would personally never run an ammonia kit or a nitrite kit again on that reef, ever, because misreads can cause reactive additions and unneeded changes that a system of that caliber just doesn't need. per rules of updated cycling science that tank's cycle is never going to be in question, that's just a solid mature rock solid cycled system. very very nice

 

[biom]

It is okay to have that amount of nitrite in a reef tank even if it is not a test error. I have measured nitrite up to 0.5 ppm especially when my nitrate were close to zero and slowly disappearing with rising nitrate. Nitrite, similarly to ammonia and nitrate can be used by corals as nitrogen source. The reason for burned coral tips could be very strong light, high alkalinity, low nutrients etc.

 

[bandando]

that is amazing. in no way would I ever, ever ever believe any test kit that says that mature reef isn't handling nitrite. I dont care if it was hanna's gold standard iso9 million never wrong marine nitrite checker: that reef's cycle is under full control. very very nice pro setup

I would personally never run an ammonia kit or a nitrite kit again on that reef, ever, because misreads can cause reactive additions and unneeded changes that a system of that caliber just doesn't need. per rules of updated cycling science that tank's cycle is never going to be in question, that's just a solid mature rock solid cycled system. very very nice

Thank you

 

[bandando]

Maybe today I understood the trobles of the SPS.
Before the holidays (I went to you in USA ) I cleaned the skimmer and, when I put it in the sump again, I throttled the air tube.
I didn't think that 12 days with little skimming created that ... suffering to SPS and probably the increase of nitrite.