New need help with lowering my nitrite level.

M

Motocrossguy16m

I started a 55 gal about 3 weeks about have live sand and about 28 pounds of live rock I purchased at my lfs. Iv been testing my water periodically and all are good except my nitrite. How do I lower this because If I'm not mistaken it should be at 0 as well.
PH- 8.2
Amonia-0
Nitrate-0
Nitrite- 0.25
 
Should I do a water change I have been reading posts on here that say you shouldn't do water changes in such a new tank that hasn't completly cycled yet. Will it hurt the cycling process doing a water change in a new tank?
 
Greetings moto guy!

The best time to discover the facts about cycling a tank is BEFORE you set it up. I guess that we are all "winging it" to some degree, but "winging it" right "out of the chute" does not normally lead to success in this hobby. I say all of this because I sense that you may not have done much in the way of research, and I want you to succeed!

If you will read up on cycling a tank, I believe that you will find that nitrites is part of that cycling process. It is true that AFTER your tank is cycled you DO NOT want nitrites in your tank, but that is AFTER. This is now, and you will go through a brief period of nitrites, OR, your tank will not have cycled.

WETWEBMEDIA.com is a good place to go and search out information. And you can do searches on this site to find answers to common questions like "cycling a tank", as well. I recommend that you do your own research, and study, because ultimately, you are responsible for the care of any creatures that you house in your system. As much as we all want you to succeed, we may not be there at precisely the moment when you need the next critical bit of information. And even if we are, we may not be able to sort out any dilemmas that you are facing quickly enough to pull you through without loss. Randy Holmes-Farley has lots of articles on reef chemistry that you can find on the net, as well. Read all of them!

Having said all of that, if you are testing positive for nitrites (not you but your tank's water), I suspect that you will shortly go through a period where nitrates will develop, increase, and then wane as your system of rocks and sand build up bacteria that will consume, finally, all of them. That would indicate a completed cycle has occurred.

David
 
Moto guy, if I may ask a few questions, what kind of sump do you have? 28 lbs of LR for a 55 seems a little sparse unless it is kick a$$ LR; a lot of people subscribe to 1# per gallon but that doesn't take into account base rock opposed to tonga rock, etc. Even when your nitrate level drops you will need a good filtering system in place to keep it low as you add livestock. I good sand bed, more live rock, good sump with macro algae and a good protein skimmer will all be recommended to stabolize your tank.
 
No sump hob skimmer 3 power heads one 300w heater one canister filter and will be adding a dual media reactor by the end of the month. Also 28 pounds is just what I started with I have ordered 40 more pounds and it will be here Wednesday, that I will be adding as well.
 
so no protein skimmer? I got a great skimmer from a member on here and I have to clean it daily. It is caked with "crap," That and my macro algae probably make the biggest difference in my nitrate control as I overfeed (in some's estimation) my livestock
 
Do not worry about your nitrite levels at the moment. They will go away on their own and will then you will see a spike in nitrates. It is an important part of the cycling process. Generally, they tend to come down quicker than ammonia or nitrates. No need to do a water change yet. Just keep testing your water. I do agree that is probably not enough lr for your system. Maybe try adding some more fully cured rock to help the process along. Cycling a tank can be a confusing process because each system is different and acts differently than what is normally accepted. Give it time and keep being patient.

Haven
 
@Motocrossguy16m wrote:
I have a HOB protein skimmer and I have only had to dump the cup twice since I set up my system about 18 days ago said:
at this point you won't collect much, it will be more when your tank is cycled and you have some livestock in it
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@Motocrossguy16m wrote:
Thanks a lot said:
true for sure, but there are things you can do in the meantime. Do your rock work/aqua scaping, plan out your livestock, your cleaner crew, decide how you will test and dose your alk/cal. etc. All this should be done now so when you are ready you won't have to waste time. research, research, and more research. I've seen a lot just into the hobby, hurry things along, not know what they are doing and having to restart all over again.
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Pretty much. Just have fun planning what your going to put in your tank while your waiting. Helps the process go a little faster. It's a good time to do some research on what s compatible and what isn't, what kind of corals you want and how to take care of them or if you want to go with a FOWLR. Keep yourself busy and it won't seem to take forever.

Haven
 
To the op's original post... Your tank is cycling and the nitrites are building. I wont go into the whole debate of live sand or live rock here. You can wait a couple of weeks and when the tank cylces the nitrites will goto 0 litterally overnite. You can speed the proccess up by getting some live nitrifying bacteria from you LFS. Make sure its live and kept in the refrigerator. DNA has some for about $20 a bottle. In about 2 days your nitrites will be 0. During this time DO NOT run a skimmer or filter and DO NOT do water changes. When your nitrites test 0 the cycle is complete and you can enjoy your tank. You will of course face a new challenge with nitrates and phosphates. For this you will need to do water changes and consider some form of macro algea or chemical absorbers.
 
@jnmarshall wrote:
To the op's original post... Your tank is cycling and the nitrites are building. I wont go into the whole debate of live sand or live rock here. You can wait a couple of weeks and when the tank cylces the nitrites will goto 0 litterally overnite. You can speed the proccess up by getting some live nitrifying bacteria from you LFS. Make sure its live and kept in the refrigerator. DNA has some for about $20 a bottle. In about 2 days your nitrites will be 0. During this time DO NOT run a skimmer or filter and DO NOT do water changes. When your nitrites test 0 the cycle is complete and you can enjoy your tank. You will of course face a new challenge with nitrates and phosphates. For this you will need to do water changes and consider some form of macro algea or chemical absorbers. said:
I am not familiar with this idea. Cycle = ammonia ---> nitrites ---> nitrates ---> nitrates to 0 is a completed cycle is what I am familiar with.

David
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@DFW wrote:
I am not familiar with this idea. Cycle = ammonia ---> nitrites ---> nitrates ---> nitrates to 0 is a completed cycle is what I am familiar with. David said:
What consumes or breaks down nitrates and phosphates in your cycle?
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with adding the new 40 of live rock
i would just put it in throw a towel of the top
and leave the tank alone for 2 weeks

test after a few weeks and you should be close to ready to stock it slow
real slow like
just sayin
 
@DFW wrote:
[I]@jnmarshall wrote:[/I][quote="To the op's original post... Your tank is cycling and the nitrites are building. I wont go into the whole debate of live sand or live rock here. You can wait a couple of weeks and when the tank cylces the nitrites will goto 0 litterally overnite. You can speed the proccess up by getting some live nitrifying bacteria from you LFS. Make sure its live and kept in the refrigerator. DNA has some for about $20 a bottle. In about 2 days your nitrites will be 0. During this time DO NOT run a skimmer or filter and DO NOT do water changes. When your nitrites test 0 the cycle is complete and you can enjoy your tank. You will of course face a new challenge with nitrates and phosphates. For this you will need to do water changes and consider some form of macro algea or chemical absorbers. said:
I am not familiar with this idea. Cycle = ammonia ---> nitrites ---> nitrates ---> nitrates to 0 is a completed cycle is what I am familiar with.

David"]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/rhf/index.php#5
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