Tank problems

smaddox · Apr 30, 2016

Hey guys set up a second tank and having trouble getting the levels in check phosphate 0 nitrate off chart nitrite 1.0 checked with api test kit and a Red Sea tank is a rsm 250 been running since Jan running the stock skimmer and stock lights with 2 power heads running a ball of chateo tried using no pox with no help and vinegar so far no help have a brs ro unit 6 stage

Kershaw · Apr 30, 2016

Ok first off lets get a full list of peramiters. Tamp
SG
Ammonia
Nitrite and and nitrate
Ph and kh.
How did you cycle tank?
Is there any live stock?
Where did you and how much live rock do you have.

Sounds like something is still releasing ammonia. Are you doing water changes?

smaddox · Apr 30, 2016

Ammonia 0 sg 1.026 temp is 76 cal 440 dkh 12mag 1400 brs dry rock used the Red Sea reef mature kit to cycle one damsel and a cuc some crabs and snails

smaddox · Apr 30, 2016

20% weekly water changes

smaddox · Apr 30, 2016

Ph 8.3

Kershaw · Apr 30, 2016

Is skimmer pulling anything out. defintly sounds like something is leaching from maybe the dry rock. Have you tried other test kits or taken into store to have checked

cmcoker · May 1, 2016

Which type of brs dry rock? Fiji, pukani, reef saver?

Live Water · May 1, 2016

Are you running charcoal? Any chance of outside chemicals?

smaddox · May 1, 2016

Yes took water to lfs with same results got the reef saver rock not running any carbon no chance of any outside chemicals

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 1, 2016

It is the nitrate and nitrite that are worrying you?

Have you tried that kit on some new salt water?

Organic carbon dosing can take a substantial period to drop nitrate significantly.

Kershaw · May 1, 2016

@Randy Holmes-Farley do you not see an issue with it being set up since Jan and still have nitrite? I over feed my fish and never show nitrite after cycle.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 1, 2016

It may need more cycling, or it may be an erroneous test kit, but in general, nitrite is not toxic in seawater (it is in fresh water), so it isn't that sort of concern, IMO.

Kershaw · May 1, 2016

Oh ok. I thought ammonia and nitrite where both toxic and that nitrate was the one that is the safest of the 3

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 1, 2016

Kershaw said:
Oh ok. I thought ammonia and nitrite where both toxic and that nitrate was the one that is the safest of the 3

In seawater, it typically takes hundreds to thousands of ppm nitrite to kill a fish, while in freshwater, some ca die in less than 1 ppm, and many die in the 1-10 ppm range.:

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.htm

smaddox · May 1, 2016

I have not tried it on new sw I have been using the Red Sea coral pro salt

smaddox · May 1, 2016

Should I change salt or just start stocking it or what

Servillius · May 1, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
In seawater, it typically takes hundreds to thousands of ppm nitrite to kill a fish, while in freshwater, some ca die in less than 1 ppm, and many die in the 1-10 ppm range.:

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.htm

Silly question probably for another thread, but then why do both systems take the same amount of time to cycle? Isn't the 6 weeks related to the time it takes for nitrobacteria to establish?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 1, 2016

Servillius said:
Silly question probably for another thread, but then why do both systems take the same amount of time to cycle? Isn't the 6 weeks related to the time it takes for nitrobacteria to establish?

I do not know why the timing would be the same or different, but the reduced toxicity of nitrite in seawater relates to competition for the nitrite binding sites on uptake proteins by the very high concentration of the similarly charged molecule, chloride (~19,000 ppm in seawater). The reduced tox has nothing to do with bacteria.