Nitrite & Ammonia Question & help!

coffeejunkie33

coffeejunkie33

Member
Levels in 6+ mo. old tank. Ammonia .25ppm, Nitrate .25, PH down to 7.8, Nitrite .25. 80 gallon tank, 3 fish w/about 30+lbs of LR. Tank cycled months and months ago. All levels before water change were fine except Nitrate level which was about ..20 & .40.
All this has happened after doing a water change several days ago. I did a small 10g change last night to try and stave off the high Nitrite levels & Ammonia. Which didn't really make a dent in the levels this morning. Im afraid I have disturbed the bacterial bed in my tank and this is what's causing my rising levels. It's like my tank is cycling all over again...
Should I continue to do small water changes lowering my levels slowly so it doesn't stress out the fish to much..??
 
kingsmith

kingsmith

Member
You can start by testing your source water, or maybe while doing the change you stirred the sand up too much and caused a minicycle, though I think you can certainly use more live rock
 
R

rcreations

Guest
You need more live rock but it does sound like you stirred up the sand and started a mini cycle. With more live rock, this wouldn't have happened. In other words, you need more surface for the denitrifying bacteria.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
If you're careful, you can change all the water you want without disturbing your bacteria cultures. A lot of folks think the bacteria is in the water, except for a tiny amount, it ain't! Aerobic bacteria, to convert ammonia/nitrite to nitrate is very easy to culture. Even the filter media in a canister filter usually has enough surface area growing bacteria to keep ammonia/nitrite at zero in most established tanks. IMO&IME, its very unusual to see any ammonia in an established, well-maintained tank. Although nitrate at moderate levels won't hurt fish (bad for inverts, though), you'll need a lot more LR to culture the anaerobic bacteria that eliminates nitrate.
 
coffeejunkie33

coffeejunkie33

Member
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3183066
If you're careful, you can change all the water you want without disturbing your bacteria cultures. A lot of folks think the bacteria is in the water, except for a tiny amount, it ain't! Aerobic bacteria, to convert ammonia/nitrite to nitrate is very easy to culture. Even the filter media in a canister filter usually has enough surface area growing bacteria to keep ammonia/nitrite at zero in most established tanks. IMO&IME, its very unusual to see any ammonia in an established, well-maintained tank. Although nitrate at moderate levels won't hurt fish (bad for inverts, though), you'll need a lot more LR to culture the anaerobic bacteria that eliminates nitrate.
Well, I was thinking I would do at least a 25% or so water change. I made some water last night & let it sit overnight. The new water all levels are where there suppose to be. I am buying more LR for the tank today. I believe what caused this is that I disturbed my bed a little to much the other day. I figure small water changes so it doesn't shock the fish to much.
 
coffeejunkie33

coffeejunkie33

Member
Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/3183056
You need more live rock but it does sound like you stirred up the sand and started a mini cycle. With more live rock, this wouldn't have happened. In other words, you need more surface for the denitrifying bacteria.
A mini cycle is quite possible. More LR is on it's way today.
 
coffeejunkie33

coffeejunkie33

Member
Originally Posted by KingSmith
http:///forum/post/3183014
You can start by testing your source water, or maybe while doing the change you stirred the sand up too much and caused a minicycle, though I think you can certainly use more live rock
Source water test is okay! Made some last night and let it sit overnight to see if Ammonia or any other levels were present in my tap water. So far so good. All levels in the new water test perfect.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Make sure the LR is cured before you put it in the tank.
 
coffeejunkie33

coffeejunkie33

Member
Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/3183120
Make sure the LR is cured before you put it in the tank.
yeah, all the LR I buy is cured. I did find a website that sold LR for $2 a lb. But wether I trust them to send quality rock I dunno. It's $7 a lb here and $2 lb sounds pretty dam good.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by u mike
http:///forum/post/3183653
can you explain way ???%%
It seems that when ever anyone has a problem with nitrates the stock answer is add more live rock. If the hobbyist takes the time to research how live rock will reduce nitrates they will see that it is in fact a very inefficient way. For LR to reduce nitrates it has to have anaerobic bacteria colonize with in the rock. This will happen only if the porosity of the rock is correct and the advection is such that it feeds the anaerobic bacteria with a near zero oxygen level. As far as nitrites go there is absolutely no advantage to adding it. You can have a tank that cycles organics without one piece of live rock. Bacteria that preform Nitrification can colonize on any surface that comes in contact with organic breakdown (ammonia)
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3183694
It seems that when ever anyone has a problem with nitrates the stock answer is add more live rock. If the hobbyist takes the time to research how live rock will reduce nitrates they will see that it is in fact a very inefficient way. For LR to reduce nitrates it has to have anaerobic bacteria colonize with in the rock. This will happen only if the porosity of the rock is correct and the advection is such that it feeds the anaerobic bacteria with a near zero oxygen level. As far as nitrites go there is absolutely no advantage to adding it. You can have a tank that cycles organics without one piece of live rock. Bacteria that preform Nitrification can colonize on any surface that comes in contact with organic breakdown (ammonia)
Yeah, Joe--LR has to function perfectly to remove nitrate. I'll skip the other benefits of LR and natural life growing on it; but I see no reason that base rock (limestone) wouldn't do the job just as well. I agree on the nitrification; an old-fashioned undergravel filter with powerheads will take care of the ammonia/nitrite in the average tank as well as LR. So will the media in any filter; even a HOB. Nitrates are another story with these methods, of course.. But I think we both agree that ammonia/nitrite is extremely easy to eliminate and if either shows up in an established tank; something is very wrong.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
But I think we both agree that ammonia/nitrite is extremely easy to eliminate and if either shows up in an established tank; something is very wrong.
exactly the nitrification proses has to have been compromised in some way. A situation that needs immediate attention
 
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