Cycle - High Nitrite

[kbkathri]

I am about couple of weeks into cycling my tank. My ammonia was at 0.5 and my nitrIte at over the scale of my API test kit. I changed about 16 gallons of my 75 gallon tank (this was all the RO/DI water that I had) and retested. The Ammonia is closer to 0.25 now, but the nitrIte is still over the top. I have at least two questions:

1. How high is too high on the nitrItes? Should I just let it go through it's cycle or try to do another water change to bring it down within readable levels?

2. Since my ammonia is so low, should I add more ammonia? Adding more ammonia, won't this just create more nitrItes that I am worried about being too high? But don't I always want ammonia to keep that bacteria growing?

My son pointed out that was more than two questions, but it really boils down to only two answers.

Thanks for the help'

 

[Greenmaster]

I would pick a dosing amount and dose for a couple more weeks at that amount and not bother checking for a while. The Nitrite reducing bacteria can't start to populate till the Nitrite is there. Your Nitrite reducing bacteria is about 2 weeks behind your ammonia reducing bacteria.

 

[ryshark]

I would just wait it out and do nothing... don't even test for a few days. Sounds like you are getting a hard cycle. Thats better in the long run than getting a small one. Reason being, less chance of getting another mini cycle when you add fish etc.

 

[Krypt]

+1 for Ryshark's tip. Best thing to do is stop doing any water changes and just wait out the cycle. Doing water changes while cycling can really slow the whole process down.

 

[kbkathri]

Ok. My main concern was the high nitrite reading.

Thanks guys. My wife keeps saying I need to be patient. Looks like she isn't the only one.

 

[cmor1701d]

You want a high nitrite reading that drops while nitrates go up and ammonia stays at zero.
"A long cycle is a good cycle" (I just mad ethat up).

As Ray said, just wait it out.

 

[Greenmaster]

One thing I would do if I was going to wait it out (I didn't think of this option) is once the nitrites are down I would add some ammonia to ensure that there is still enough of the ammonia reducing bacteria to prevent a mini cycle.

 

[cmor1701d]

How did you start your cycle?
Did you use pure ammonia or raw shrimp?

 

[kbkathri]

I used raw shrimp initially. At that time I hadn't received my Marco Rock yet. When the 75 pounds of Marco Rock arrived I took the shrimp out and put the rock in. That was about a week ago and I hadn't added anything else till last night. I changed 20% of the water, then added ammonia to bring the level back up to between 2 and 4 ppm. The nitrite is still over the 5 ppm.

 

[kbkathri]

It has now been 7 days with the high nitrite reading. I can put a little ammonia in the tank, and within about 18 hours it will be down to 0, but my nitrites just aren't going away. I tested the PH yesterday and it was down around 7.8. I tested the nitrite and it was a good K-state purple, which I guess is well over 5 ppm, so I did about a 75 percent water change hoping to raise the PH and get the nitrite to something I can read, retested, and it is still K-state purple but the PH is up to around 8.2.

Am I just too impatient, or have I lost all the good Nitrobacter bacteria from my tank? Any suggestions?

 

[cmor1701d]

Yes, you are just too impatient. Marco rocks are known for lots of dead material that will spike a tank. Just let it sit. The nitirites will come down and the nitrates will spike. It's the circle of life (in the Nitrogen cycle sense anyway).

You do not need to add any bacteria for this to happen. They will get there and grow.

DO NOT DO ANY WATER CHANGES! That actually will prolong the cycle time.

DO NOT TEST pH, Alk or anything but Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

When the nitrite finally falls to 0 and the nitrate is showing then you can do a 50% water change and start testing pH and Alk, etc.

How old is your nitrite kit?
You may want to take a water sample to the lfs to have them check it too.

 

[kbkathri]

Ok. Same thing my wife has been telling me, I am too impatient.

My test kit according to the lot number is a year old. The lfs used a test strip and got the same results. I also have test strips, so I was fairly confident of the results.

Thanks for the quick response.

 

[kbkathri]

Nitrites are finally on the way down. Yesterday showed 1ppm and this morning was about 0.5ppm. I am hoping tonight it will be 0. It is beginning to look like we can take a trip to Wichita on Friday afternoon and get a couple of fish. Woohoo. I am wanting to start with a couple of clown fish, let that go a couple of weeks before I put anything else in there.

From looking around, all clown fish are not created equal (not the same). I am not sure what the fish store is going to have, I would like to get Ocellaris Clownfish if they have them. If not, are there other types I wouldn't regret getting as far as Non-aggressive and easy for first time SW fish?

Thanks for all the help and being patient with me, even though I am so impatient.

 

[ryshark]

Nitrites are finally on the way down. Yesterday showed 1ppm and this morning was about 0.5ppm. I am hoping tonight it will be 0. It is beginning to look like we can take a trip to Wichita on Friday afternoon and get a couple of fish. Woohoo. I am wanting to start with a couple of clown fish, let that go a couple of weeks before I put anything else in there.

From looking around, all clown fish are not created equal (not the same). I am not sure what the fish store is going to have, I would like to get Ocellaris Clownfish if they have them. If not, are there other types I wouldn't regret getting as far as Non-aggressive and easy for first time SW fish?

Thanks for all the help and being patient with me, even though I am so impatient.

The A. Percula clownfish look very similar to the Ocellaris

 

[paula]

To me it sounds like the nitogen cycle hasnt completed yet, Basically during the cycling process, ammonia levels will go up and then suddenly plummet as the nitrite-forming bacteria take hold. Because nitrate-forming bacteria don't even begin to appear until nitrite is present in significant quantities, nitrite levels skyrocket (as the built-up ammonia is converted), continuing to rise as the continually-produced ammonia is converted to nitrite. Once the nitrate-forming bacteria take hold, nitrite levels fall, nitrate levels rise, and the tank is fully cycled!