Whats the best way to eliminate / reduce Nitrite when all other readings are great ?

[rx330]

My 54g FOWLR tank has very good water quality. Occassionally such as now, the Nitrite goes up a little bit between the .12 - .25 range, which the reading is just a fraction of a shade darker than the light turquoise color of 0 on the Nitrite color test chart.

I use nitrifying bacteria which I find does a decent job, but it doesnt work quick enough as the bacteria needs to colonize first which takes a short while.

I hate putting chemicals like PRIME or AMQUEL PLUS in the tank, which I have both of, but what would you suggest to be the best way to reduce NITRITE levels, aside from PWC's ?

Thanks guys !

 

[thincat]

What are you using as a filter? You should not have to keep adding "bacteria" to your tank if you have enough filtering material. If you have "nitrite", you must have had "ammonia". How much are you feeding, how many and what kind of fish do you have?

 

[melosu58]

Looks like you have a wet dry. You should not have to add anything as far as bacteria. It will reside on surfaces in your tank as well as the media filter in your wet dry. Try cleaning the media filter in SW from your next PWC. TC had some good questions also.

 

[ccCapt]

Nitrite isn't really toxic in a saltwater system, so you don't have to worry about those minimal levels. What that does tell you is there is a problem with your biological filtration. I would stop using that bacteria in a bottle stuff.

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com