Hoe Do You Bring Down Nitrites?

[Hobbit]

? I havin my mom pick up some salt today, so ill mix it up tonight, and do a wc tomorrow.

 

[SkiFletch]

Don't be afraid to go big... 50% or greater if you really want to see an apreciable drop in nitrates.

 

[Matty P]

Yeh 50% would be a good start.

 

[Hobbit]

It's NITRITES, not nitrate. =] Same thing though? Thanks btw

 

[bunjiweb]

Nitrate is the last product in the Nitrogen cycle and is relatively harmless to fish and corals unless it reaches excessive ammounts. Nitrites on the other hand is a harmful biproduct of the 1st bacterial process in the nitrogen cycle, converting it from Ammonia. If you are having a problem with nitrites it often means either your tank is not fully cycled yet, you are stocking it too quick, or something is killing off your nitrite eating bacteria.

What are your other parameteres and tank specs?

If it is nitrites then water changes may help but do little and often, usually works better than doing loads at once. Also check the water you are using. If you aren't using RO water then it is worth checking a full range of parameters in your tap water.

Ben

 

[Hobbit]

well, before i read to do a lot of little ones, i bought 5 gallons worth of salt for my 12 gallon, adn mixed one 2.5 bucketfull saturday afternoon, adn the other around 8:00 pm. The next day (sunday) I went to a church thing, then came back at 9 am, and did a 5 gallon waterchange. Remember my tank is 12 gallons. Everything was fine, and my turbo was more active. The next day (today, Monday) I went downstairs to my room, turned on the aquarium, and found my black and yellow Damsel dead, and my turbo appeared to be dead, it looked folded in half, proped on a rock. So I took a shower, and thought about it, and dedcided to take my turbo out, and save the shell for future hermits. When i went back into my room, the snail had moved about a foot, and was on the side of the tank! It muc=st of been the lights he needed. My hitchhiker feather duster is wwell too. I think you guys were right, and i stocked my damsel too early. I haven't a sw test kit, so no stats, sorry, im saving for one though. All i have a nitrite test solution taht is sw, and fw that came in my fw master kit. I tested my tap water w/ my fw kit, and everything was perfect. IS that what you meant? It's never given me problems before.

 

[Filmoholic]

How long has the tank been running? Mine took a few weeks before the nitrites droped to 0.

 

[Hobbit]

ummm.... Probably 2 weeks. Im sure it's hasn't been up long enough, and i've heard of damsels cycling a tank faster. I feel horrible now. I never really saw it, because it took to hiding under my rocks. Can someone give me water stats, or what they're ideal numbers are, and everything i need to test for? I need to know what test kit to get thanks a lot

 

[Lord_Dante]

I got a basic test kit which had everything that I needed in the one box.

Your basic tests are -

Salinity (Need a hydrometer).
P.H. (Chemical test)
Nitrate (Chemical test)
Nitrite (Chemical test)
Amonnia (Chemical test)

P.H. ideally should be 8.2. Amonia, nitrite and nitrate should all be 0. However my nitrates never get there. Usually they hold at 10.

 

[Hobbit]

ok thanks! I already have a hydrometer, but i dont have the tests. I wasnt sure if i needed calcium, ect.. Now i Do know what. Thanks again!

 

[Hobbit]

Kh
Calcium
Phos


what about these? are they important? Remember i plan on corals, a pistol shrimp, the hermits and snails, a neon goby, and another fish. not sure what

 

[SkiFletch]

If you start getting into sensitive harder corals then kH and Calcium will be necessary. Phosphate really isnt necessary if you ask me.

 

[Hobbit]

can you name a few of those corals that are fairly common so I know what to avoid?

 

[AndyS]

can you name a few of those corals that are fairly common so I know what to avoid?

Some LPS corals, and most if not all SPS, though i wouldnt recomment SPS anyway unless you have a LOT of lighting.

 

[Hobbit]

lps? SPS??