Nitrite high at aquarium cycle

[Calden]

New 500g tank setup using Dr. Tim One and Only . My Ammonia came down to 0ppm, but my Nitrite and Natrate is off the chart. Does anyone know why this is happening.

 

[lost66]

As far as I know this is normal and you are in the middle of cycle. Are you setting up 500 gallon tank without that knowledge?

 

[Calden]

Well I know thats part of the cycle, but I have never had both Nitrite and Nitrate at such an high level at the same time during a fishless cycle. but thanks for your input.

 

[Lasse]

You do not have high nitrate. Ii is a false reading caused by your high nitrite. All hobby nitrate test I know use the same analytic process. first step in this process is to convert nitrate into nitrite, second step is to measure the nitrite level and third step is to convert this read nitrite level into nitrate concentration. This is inbuilt in the colour chart. The tests use different multiplication factors - often between 50 and 100 * read nitrite level. It is obvious that if you have nitrite in the sample before you convert nitrate into nitrite - you will have a false reading.

You are in the middle of the process but your process have halted between the first and second stage. Do NOT add any more NH3/NH4 if you run a fish less nitrification cycle process. I would (if I had a similar problem) dose the bacteria every day until I read 0 in (or near 0) in nitrite. If you do not have any CUC in the tank - keep the light off.

In contrast to fresh water - nitrite is not very toxic to salt water organisms but when you had follow this path - starting with high NH3/NH4 levels - I would not add any more organisms before the nitrite coming down.

Recently - there have been some indications that the stop in the process is caused by lack of PO4 for the autotrophic nitrification bacteria (they are like plants - using inorganic nutrients for growth but use the energy differences between NH3/NH4 - NO2 - NO3 instead of light) it could speed up the process to add some low amount of PO4 into the water. It had help in some cases as I know.

Please see my article about cycling with fish - it maybe can help you to take decisions how to go forward from your present situation

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method Display Tank. Photos are all courtesy of Lasse Forsberg. ©2019, All Rights Reserved. INTRODUCTION There are many methods to start a saltwater aquarium--each major aquarium product manufacturer has its own. Common to most, however...

www.reef2reef.com

Sincerely Lasse

 

[lost66]

I was in the same place and I was adding Stability for 7-10 days. But as far as I read, this situation might not be the ideal path of cycling but it is nothing wrong with it.

 

[Charles Silva]

Here is the answer

 

[Kyuss13]

You do not have high nitrate. Ii is a false reading caused by your high nitrite. All hobby nitrate test I know use the same analytic process. first step in this process is to convert nitrate into nitrite, second step is to measure the nitrite level and third step is to convert this read nitrite level into nitrate concentration. This is inbuilt in the colour chart. The tests use different multiplication factors - often between 50 and 100 * read nitrite level. It is obvious that if you have nitrite in the sample before you convert nitrate into nitrite - you will have a false reading.

You are in the middle of the process but your process have halted between the first and second stage. Do NOT add any more NH3/NH4 if you run a fish less nitrification cycle process. I would (if I had a similar problem) dose the bacteria every day until I read 0 in (or near 0) in nitrite. If you do not have any CUC in the tank - keep the light off.

In contrast to fresh water - nitrite is not very toxic to salt water organisms but when you had follow this path - starting with high NH3/NH4 levels - I would not add any more organisms before the nitrite coming down.

Recently - there have been some indications that the stop in the process is caused by lack of PO4 for the autotrophic nitrification bacteria (they are like plants - using inorganic nutrients for growth but use the energy differences between NH3/NH4 - NO2 - NO3 instead of light) it could speed up the process to add some low amount of PO4 into the water. It had help in some cases as I know.

Please see my article about cycling with fish - it maybe can help you to take decisions how to go forward from your present situation

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method Display Tank. Photos are all courtesy of Lasse Forsberg. ©2019, All Rights Reserved. INTRODUCTION There are many methods to start a saltwater aquarium--each major aquarium product manufacturer has its own. Common to most, however...

www.reef2reef.com

Sincerely Lasse

Hello Lasse
I am also in the high nitrite stage and doing a fishless cycle, I saw you said stop dosing ammonia but I was worndering will this starve the ammonia consuming bacteria?

 

[Lasse]

IMO - not. The ones that already there will go dormant. There is some research indicate that high NH3/NH4 will hinder the second step. Some PO4 in the water will speed upp the start of the second step - especially when you do a fish less cycle.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Kyuss13]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question, going to try it .

 

[Lasse]

After the complete cycle - take It carefully with feeding. Start with very low amount and rise it slowly during some time.

Sincerely Lasse