What level should my nitrates be?

[James_O]

I’m in the process of cycling my 29g tank, via bottled bacteria and live rock. I think it has been 4 days since I first added the bacteria.

What level should my nitrates me? Here are my parameters right now:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20-25ppm
pH: 8.0-8.2

—-

Does this look acceptable?

 

[iMi]

I personally like to keep nitrates at or above 5 ppm and under 20 ppm. Your numbers are not alarming but slightly high.

 

[Azedenkae]

I’m in the process of cycling my 29g tank, via bottled bacteria and live rock. I think it has been 4 days since I first added the bacteria.

What level should my nitrates me? Here are my parameters right now:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20-25ppm
pH: 8.0-8.2

—-

Does this look acceptable?

Interesting, that looks pretty high for four days. How are you introducing ammonia in the cycle, if at all? Ghost feeding? Seafood? Dosing ammonium chloride?

 

[James_O]

Interesting, that looks pretty high for four days. How are you introducing ammonia in the cycle, if at all? Ghost feeding? Seafood? Dosing ammonium chloride?

New Life Spectrum Marine pellets, 4 every day.

How are they high? The only thing that high is my nitrates.

 

[James_O]

I personally like to keep nitrates at or above 5 ppm and under 20 ppm. Your numbers are not alarming but slightly high.

Is there anyway to safely lower my nitrates? (Preferably without chemicals)

Will my nitrates bottom out once I get fish?

—-

It’s weird, because in my freshwater tanks, my nitrate is under 10ppm.

 

[Azedenkae]

New Life Spectrum Marine pellets, 4 every day.

How are they high? The only thing that high is my nitrates.

Sorry my bad, yeah I mean nitrates seem pretty high. To clarify, not high for a normal tank per se, just surprising to see that much nitrates in a cycling tank after 4 days. Especially now that you mention you are adding 4 pellets everyday.

Feels like it may have came from somewhere else.

Either way, it's cool. You are cycling so not a big deal. I personally would not cycle with ghostfeeding anymore so I don't have much to offer here, but yeah nah. At the end of the cycle you can always do a water change to reduce nitrates.

Long term there are a lot of ways to control it. My personal favourite is intentionally algae (preferably not in the display, but also there if need be).

 

[iMi]

Is there anyway to safely lower my nitrates? (Preferably without chemicals)

Will my nitrates bottom out once I get fish?

—-

It’s weird, because in my freshwater tanks, my nitrate is under 10ppm.

Water change. That's it. Large or small, doesn't matter at this point. There is no livestock there. Adding fish will ultimately increase nitrate unless it is being consumed or exported via water change.

 

[mdb_talon]

Looks like you are in good shape to me. High nitrates at end of cycle with no livestock is no concern. A large water change or two and all set.

 

[James_O]

Long term there are a lot of ways to control it. My personal favourite is intentionally algae (preferably not in the display, but also there if need be).

I do have algae on my live rocks, should this help? (I will also stop ghostfeeding)

Water change. That's it. Large or small, doesn't matter at this point. There is no livestock there. Adding fish will ultimately increase nitrate unless it is being consumed or exported via water change.

I will perform a small water change tomorrow.

—-

Should I wait a little while more to get stock? (My nitrates seem to be “acceptable”, but not that good...)

 

[Azedenkae]

I do have algae on my live rocks, should this help? (I will also stop ghostfeeding)

No don't stop ghostfeeding that's the whole point of cycling is to introduce ammonia that desirable nitrifiers can use for their respiration.

 

[James_O]

No don't stop ghostfeeding that's the whole point of cycling is to introduce ammonia that desirable nitrifiers can use for their respiration.

But my ammonia is already 0ppm, and has been converted into nitrite, which is also 0ppm, which was then converted into nitrate, which is approximately 20-25ppm.

I’m a little confused now. ;Bored

 

[iMi]

I do have algae on my live rocks, should this help? (I will also stop ghostfeeding)



I will perform a small water change tomorrow.

—-

Should I wait a little while more to get stock? (My nitrates seem to be “acceptable”, but not that good...)

If you're dosing bacterial in the bottle then you have to ghost feed or get livestock. That bacteria population needs a source of ammonia. I personally find it a lot more enjoyable to add a fish and as long as you follow instructions for the bacteria product you're using there should be no issues.

 

[Azedenkae]

But my ammonia is already 0ppm, and has been converted into nitrite, which is also 0ppm, which was then converted into nitrate, which is approximately 20-25ppm.

I’m a little confused now. ;Bored

Oh I forgot to mention. I don't really subscribe to the notion that it is enough just for ammonia to be oxidized to nitrate, at least not from what is produced by just four pellets a day. I mean, unless you plan to stock super slowly and only feed 4 pellets a day to begin with I suppose, then sure. Personally, I'd shoot for 2ppm ammonia a day though. Which should be more than 4 pellets a day.

But anyways more important, it is still unclear where your nitrate comes from to be honest. 20ppm nitrate should correlate to 5.5ppm ammonia or somewhere thereabouts, and I doubt 16 pellets would introduce 5.5ppm ammonia in a 29 gallon tank.

I mean, it could very well be that your tank is cycled, just I am not sure without testing it.

 

[James_O]

If you're dosing bacterial in the bottle then you have to ghost feed or get livestock. That bacteria population needs a source of ammonia. I personally find it a lot more enjoyable to add a fish and as long as you follow instructions for the bacteria product you're using there should be no issues.

I used the whole bottle of Instant Ocean Bio-Spira, as instructed.

I thought this product was supposed to cycle your tank “instantly”.

Oh I forgot to mention. I don't really subscribe to the notion that it is enough just for ammonia to be oxidized to nitrate, at least not from what is produced by just four pellets a day. I mean, unless you plan to stock super slowly and only feed 4 pellets a day to begin with I suppose, then sure. Personally, I'd shoot for 2ppm ammonia a day though. Which should be more than 4 pellets a day.

But anyways more important, it is still unclear where your nitrate comes from to be honest. 20ppm nitrate should correlate to 5.5ppm ammonia or somewhere thereabouts, and I doubt 16 pellets would introduce 5.5ppm ammonia in a 29 gallon tank.

I mean, it could very well be that your tank is cycled, just I am not sure without testing it.

Now I’m really confused...

My ammonia is already 0ppm, the cycle is literally complete. My issue is, that the nitrates are a little to high.

or get livestock

I was planning on getting a watchman goby anyway, and I it was recommended to me to get that first, because it’s supposedly Hardy?

 

[Azedenkae]

Now I’m really confused...

My ammonia is already 0ppm, the cycle is literally complete. My issue is, that the nitrates are a little to high.

I mean I could pour some water in a container and measure 0 ammonia as well, does not mean that container is cycled.

How do you know if it is 0ppm ammonia because there was not that much ammonia produced in the first place, versus that there were ammonia produced and have been consumed? To be fair yeah the moment you add food and so long as the environment is not super sterile, there'd probably be some decomposition right away. My main concern is that the ammonia produced from that is not enough, and when you actually add a fish and start feeding quite a bit, ammonia will begin to start climbing.

But, so long as you are sure that the ammonia reading you got is from nitrification, and you are certain ammonia produced from the fish you introduce will be all oxidized by the nitrifiers in your tank, then that's fine.

 

[James_O]

I will continue to ghostfeed then, until my watchman goby comes in.

Does that sound like a plan?

 

[Azedenkae]

I will continue to ghostfeed then, until my watchman goby comes in.

Does that sound like a plan?

I can't help, I don't do ghostfeeding so don't know what's the end point of it.

Sorry, I did not mean to raise any issues or something. All I was curious about was the nitrate reading, but because I don't ghostfeed to cycle (anymore), I really don't know how it should go.

 

[KrisReef]

Where did the live rock come from? Post a picture if you can.

 

[iMi]

I used the whole bottle of Instant Ocean Bio-Spira, as instructed.

I thought this product was supposed to cycle your tank “instantly”.



Now I’m really confused...

My ammonia is already 0ppm, the cycle is literally complete. My issue is, that the nitrates are a little to high.



I was planning on getting a watchman goby anyway, and I it was recommended to me to get that first, because it’s supposedly Hardy?

You were also instructed to introduce livestock at the same time as Bio-Spira, which I prefer as well by the way. I've had nothing but great outcome using it. I would recommend you add one or two fish and monitor your numbers daily. You may see a small spike in ammonia. That's okay. It should follow by spike in nitrites and then nitrates. That's it. After that you should really not see any ammonia in a cycled, healthy reef. If you see a sustained ammonia readings, let us know.

 

[James_O]

Where did the live rock come from? Post a picture if you can.

I got it from my LFS. I don’t have any closeups, but here:

I can see algae on the three pieces, and some is long enough to wave in the current.

You were also instructed to introduce livestock at the same time as Bio-Spira, which I prefer as well by the way. I've had nothing but great outcome using it. I would recommend you add one or two fish and monitor your numbers daily. You may see a small spike in ammonia. That's okay. It should follow by spike in nitrites and then nitrates. That's it. After that you should really not see any ammonia in a cycled, healthy reef. If you see a sustained ammonia readings, let us know.

Ok, will do.

I can't help, I don't do ghostfeeding so don't know what's the end point of it.

Sorry, I did not mean to raise any issues or something. All I was curious about was the nitrate reading, but because I don't ghostfeed to cycle (anymore), I really don't know how it should go.

No worries, I was just a bit confused. ;Hilarious