Nitrates Or Nitrites?

[fishlover500]

I know that ammonia gets turned into nitrates? or nitrites?

What does the other one do?

 

[Tonoius]

In a nutshell:

Fish waste --> ammonia --> nitrite --> nitrate

Nitrite is a less toxic chemical compared to ammonia
Nitrate is only harmful at high levels and is used as plant fertilizers.

For more info, check http/fish.orbust.net/cycling.html

 

[minxfishy]

Yep fish waste converts to ammonia, which in turn converts to nitrIte and then onto nitrAte.

Both ammonia and Nitrite are harmful to fish, so always best to have 0 levels for both, Nitrate is tolerated well as long as it doesnt reach extreme levels and we are talking 100+ here, so with regular water changes, its easy enough to keep it a good levels.

 

[waterdrop]

Fish respiration, fish waste, excess fish food and plant debris all are converted into ammonia by heterotrophic bacteria that is in the water. Ammonia, even in amounts too small for test kits to measure will leave permanent gill burn damage.

A cycled biofilter of sufficient size will remove ammonia from a tanks water very rapidly and constantly.

The ammonia oxidizing bacteria in a biofilter will convert ammonia into nitrite (NO2.) Nitrite, even in amounts too small for test kits to measure will begin to suffocate fish because the NO2 attaches to fish blood hemoglobin molecules in place of oxygen.

A cycled biofilter of sufficient size will remove nitrite from a tanks water very rapidly and constantly.

The nitrite oxidizing bacteria in a biofilter will convert nitrite (NO2) into nitrate (NO3.) Nitrate, as stated above, is not so immediately toxic to fish. It is normally removed from the tank via water changes.

Plants can absorb both ammonia and nitrate (NO3), but normally not enough to balance a fish load except in highly planted tanks with very light fish stocking.

Hope this helps a bit ~~waterdrop~~

 

[fishlover500]

Thanks guys.