Nitrite levels

[nick654377]

So I have came to the conclusion that my RBTA is gone. It has been 3 weeks and now I am starting to see a slight increase in Nitrites. They were always zero and yesterday they weere 0.25. I did a 15 gallon WC on a 65 gallon tank. After rock work I would say its about a 55gallon total system. Tested again today and still have 0.25 on nitrite. Would doing another 15 gallon be fine two days in a row or should I wait a few more days? Ammonia is still reading zero.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

t may be from the anemone, or it may be test error, but in either case it is no concern and I would not do special water changes.

Nitrite is not toxic in marine systems. Concern about it is just a carry over from freshwater hobbyists.

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[nick654377]

t may be from the anemone, or it may be test error, but in either case it is no concern and I would not do special water changes.

Nitrite is not toxic in marine systems. Concern about it is just a carry over from freshwater hobbyists.

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

I have always been under the impression you want no Nitrites and Nitrates are fine.

 

[brandon429]

That’s only for freshwater. People read that for freshwater cycling and thought it applied to reefing but you can see in that reef-specific article above it doesn’t. Give that a read / what do you think after that reef specific work

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have always been under the impression you want no Nitrites and Nitrates are fine.

As mentioned, that is not correct.

 

[Dan_P]

So I have came to the conclusion that my RBTA is gone. It has been 3 weeks and now I am starting to see a slight increase in Nitrites. They were always zero and yesterday they weere 0.25. I did a 15 gallon WC on a 65 gallon tank. After rock work I would say its about a 55gallon total system. Tested again today and still have 0.25 on nitrite. Would doing another 15 gallon be fine two days in a row or should I wait a few more days? Ammonia is still reading zero.

@Lasse had an idea that the presence of nitrite might be an indication of the health of the nitrifying bacteria in the system. I lately wondered if it might indicate something else, like a nitrate to nitrite reduction that did not keep going to ammonia. In your case I wonder if it was a a temporary increase in ammonia which released nitrite into the water. It’s more of an intellectual issue though.