Nitrate Nitrite
- Thread starter eeltastic
- Start date
pezenfuego
Active Member
Originally Posted by eeltastic
http:///forum/post/3000945
What is the easiest way to test these levels, and what is the ideal level for them? my sailnity is at 122. what else should i be looking for before i add fish? i have a new 75g that has been cycling for 4 weeks.
Your salinity is at 122??? mine is at 35ppt. Do you mean to say that it is 1.022?
Not being rude, just confused.
Anyway the level that nitrite MUST be at is 0. Nitrate should be as low as possible. If you are wanting a reef tank, then it too should be 0 or very very close to it. Get a master test kit of some sort...API is crappy, but better than nothing. Test often.
http:///forum/post/3000945
What is the easiest way to test these levels, and what is the ideal level for them? my sailnity is at 122. what else should i be looking for before i add fish? i have a new 75g that has been cycling for 4 weeks.
Your salinity is at 122??? mine is at 35ppt. Do you mean to say that it is 1.022?
Not being rude, just confused.
Anyway the level that nitrite MUST be at is 0. Nitrate should be as low as possible. If you are wanting a reef tank, then it too should be 0 or very very close to it. Get a master test kit of some sort...API is crappy, but better than nothing. Test often.
bang guy
Moderator
Salifert test kits are very good.
In general the lower the Nitrate the better. A trace amount (<5ppm) is fine in my opinion.
I don't test for Nitrite. I really don't see the point. Once the tank has cycled it should always be zero. It's harmless at low levels but if it is not zero then there is a problem with your biologic filtration.
In general the lower the Nitrate the better. A trace amount (<5ppm) is fine in my opinion.
I don't test for Nitrite. I really don't see the point. Once the tank has cycled it should always be zero. It's harmless at low levels but if it is not zero then there is a problem with your biologic filtration.
pezenfuego
Active Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/3000949
Salifert test kits are very good.
In general the lower the Nitrate the better. A trace amount (<5ppm) is fine in my opinion.
I don't test for Nitrite. I really don't see the point. Once the tank has cycled it should always be zero. It's harmless at low levels but if it is not zero then there is a problem with your biologic filtration.
Salifert is good.
Fish only tanks can have some pretty high nitrate levels before the fish start to feel the effects...but I agree that in a reef it should be as close to 0 as possible.
I don't test for nitrite and ammonia very often. Nitrate, phosphate, pH, calcium, and alkalinity are the main ones I test for. I have all the tests for everything else, but I don't waste them since I know what the outcome is going to be anyway.
But for a new tank, ammonia and nitrite are very important to test for. +1 salifert.
http:///forum/post/3000949
Salifert test kits are very good.
In general the lower the Nitrate the better. A trace amount (<5ppm) is fine in my opinion.
I don't test for Nitrite. I really don't see the point. Once the tank has cycled it should always be zero. It's harmless at low levels but if it is not zero then there is a problem with your biologic filtration.
Salifert is good.
Fish only tanks can have some pretty high nitrate levels before the fish start to feel the effects...but I agree that in a reef it should be as close to 0 as possible.
I don't test for nitrite and ammonia very often. Nitrate, phosphate, pH, calcium, and alkalinity are the main ones I test for. I have all the tests for everything else, but I don't waste them since I know what the outcome is going to be anyway.
But for a new tank, ammonia and nitrite are very important to test for. +1 salifert.
srfisher17
Active Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/3000949
Salifert test kits are very good.
In general the lower the Nitrate the better. A trace amount (<5ppm) is fine in my opinion.
I don't test for Nitrite. I really don't see the point. Once the tank has cycled it should always be zero. It's harmless at low levels but if it is not zero then there is a problem with your biologic filtration.
I don't test for nitrite, either. There seems to be a lot of evidence that nitrite is harmless in SW:http://www.*** Sorry but links are not allowed -Sep Also; I never seen any info that nitrates hurt fish at all. Reefs and inverts, nitrates should be as low as possible. But, in fish-only tanks; nitrates just aren't much of an issue; IMO. Normal water changes should keep nitrate at, say, 60ppm (just a random number) and that level is fine for fish.
http:///forum/post/3000949
Salifert test kits are very good.
In general the lower the Nitrate the better. A trace amount (<5ppm) is fine in my opinion.
I don't test for Nitrite. I really don't see the point. Once the tank has cycled it should always be zero. It's harmless at low levels but if it is not zero then there is a problem with your biologic filtration.
I don't test for nitrite, either. There seems to be a lot of evidence that nitrite is harmless in SW:http://www.*** Sorry but links are not allowed -Sep Also; I never seen any info that nitrates hurt fish at all. Reefs and inverts, nitrates should be as low as possible. But, in fish-only tanks; nitrates just aren't much of an issue; IMO. Normal water changes should keep nitrate at, say, 60ppm (just a random number) and that level is fine for fish.
pezenfuego
Active Member
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3000969
I don't test for nitrite, either. There seems to be a lot of evidence that nitrite is harmless in SW:http:/*** Also; I never seen any info that nitrates hurt fish at all. Reefs and inverts, nitrates should be as low as possible. But, in fish-only tanks; nitrates just aren't much of an issue; IMO. Normal water changes should keep nitrate at, say, 60ppm (just a random number) and that level is fine for fish. Exactly what I have heard. Phosphates aren't bad for fish either, I don't think. They just harbor algae...which is bad only to look at.
http:///forum/post/3000969
I don't test for nitrite, either. There seems to be a lot of evidence that nitrite is harmless in SW:http:/*** Also; I never seen any info that nitrates hurt fish at all. Reefs and inverts, nitrates should be as low as possible. But, in fish-only tanks; nitrates just aren't much of an issue; IMO. Normal water changes should keep nitrate at, say, 60ppm (just a random number) and that level is fine for fish. Exactly what I have heard. Phosphates aren't bad for fish either, I don't think. They just harbor algae...which is bad only to look at.
srfisher17
Active Member
Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/3000973
Exactly what I have heard. Phosphates aren't bad for fish either, I don't think. They just harbor algae...which is bad only to look at.
Yeah, and when anything in the widely interpreted "organics"
category gets too high; IMO, its a sign of poor maintenance. I think there may still be compounds, not yet documented, that could easily be harmful to fish and are reduced by water changes, etc. In reality, this hobby is fairly new and rapidly evolving; there is still a lot of important stuff to be discovered.
http:///forum/post/3000973
Exactly what I have heard. Phosphates aren't bad for fish either, I don't think. They just harbor algae...which is bad only to look at.
Yeah, and when anything in the widely interpreted "organics"
category gets too high; IMO, its a sign of poor maintenance. I think there may still be compounds, not yet documented, that could easily be harmful to fish and are reduced by water changes, etc. In reality, this hobby is fairly new and rapidly evolving; there is still a lot of important stuff to be discovered.
socal57che
Active Member
Your profile says that you already have a cleaner shrimp, 4 chromis and a sweetlips.
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by eeltastic
http:///forum/post/3000945
What is the easiest way to test these levels, and what is the ideal level for them? my sailnity is at 122. what else should i be looking for before i add fish? i have a new 75g that has been cycling for 4 weeks.
Welcome to the boards!! How did you cycle the tank? Pick up some Salifert tests. Ammonia and nitrite should be zero, Nitrate should be below 40-60 if it is fish only or FOWLR. A lot depends on how the tank was cycled. We will need that information.
http:///forum/post/3000945
What is the easiest way to test these levels, and what is the ideal level for them? my sailnity is at 122. what else should i be looking for before i add fish? i have a new 75g that has been cycling for 4 weeks.
Welcome to the boards!! How did you cycle the tank? Pick up some Salifert tests. Ammonia and nitrite should be zero, Nitrate should be below 40-60 if it is fish only or FOWLR. A lot depends on how the tank was cycled. We will need that information.