Nigh Nitrites?

[dwfain]

I have 3 mixed reef tanks with fish. 2 75 gallon and a 120 gallon. Tanks have been up and running between 1 and 3 years. The standard readings on my Apex Trident are all within range--Alk 9.52, Ca 514, Mg 1335, ORP 422, pH 8.02, Salt 35.8 and temp at 78. I ordered the Hannah Checker Nitrite ULR and tested for the first time today. The readings are 32, 44, and 71. First, do I need to multiply those numbers by 3.29 or not. Secondly are these numbers I need to worry about?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have 3 mixed reef tanks with fish. 2 75 gallon and a 120 gallon. Tanks have been up and running between 1 and 3 years. The standard readings on my Apex Trident are all within range--Alk 9.52, Ca 514, Mg 1335, ORP 422, pH 8.02, Salt 35.8 and temp at 78. I ordered the Hannah Checker Nitrite ULR and tested for the first time today. The readings are 32, 44, and 71. First, do I need to multiply those numbers by 3.29 or not. Secondly are these numbers I need to worry about?

If they’re ppt - they’re high

 

[Lividfanatica]

Do you have the HI781 (low range)? If so... it is only 0 to 5 ppm so I'm not sure how you are getting such high numbers. The HI782 (high range) will go up to 75PPM NO3.

Depending on who you ask 70+ PPM of NO3 is quite high, but some have been successful with numbers in that range. Personally - I try to keep NO3 down around 20PPM or less.

 

[jda]

It totally depends. Not helpful, right? Some coral will not blink twice at those nitrate numbers - the Richard Ross reef had plenty of coral that did not care at numbers even higher than this. However, some corals will care and can suffer, stop growing and even die. Some inverts will not care whereas same will - I use urchins as part of my clean up crew and they don't seem to care for higher nitrate levels at all. You are probably growth limiting cyano, dinos and diatoms with nitrate that high, which most people like - they could reappear if you lower things, but they don't have to.

You can almost bet that your phosphate is high too, but the realtionship will be similar where some corals will not care at all and some will.

All in all, there are pros and cons. You need to figure out if you are happy, where you want to go and if you are willing to do the things to lower them. If there is some prize coral that you struggle with currently, then lowering the nitrate is probably a good idea, but it also might not be worth it.

I think that it is genius and really smart when people are happy where they are and do not want to spend the time, money and aggravation to lower these things. However, I would not let them get too much higher, either.

 

[Dburr1014]

I have 3 mixed reef tanks with fish. 2 75 gallon and a 120 gallon. Tanks have been up and running between 1 and 3 years. The standard readings on my Apex Trident are all within range--Alk 9.52, Ca 514, Mg 1335, ORP 422, pH 8.02, Salt 35.8 and temp at 78. I ordered the Hannah Checker Nitrite ULR and tested for the first time today. The readings are 32, 44, and 71. First, do I need to multiply those numbers by 3.29 or not. Secondly are these numbers I need to worry about?

Nitrate or nitrite?
You wrote nitrite. Just want to clarify.
Definatly worry if it's nitrite that high.

 

[Lividfanatica]

Nitrate or nitrite?
You wrote nitrite. Just want to clarify.
Definatly worry if it's nitrite that high.

Oh good catch... I read Nitrate (my bad). The Hannah ULM nitrite is in PPB which would make more sense!

 

[dwfain]

If they’re ppt - they’re high

It is ppb according to the box.

 

[dwfain]

Nitrate or nitrite?
You wrote nitrite. Just want to clarify.
Definatly worry if it's nitrite that high.

Definitely Nitrite but it is in ppb.

 

[dwfain]

Specifically it is measuring the nitrogen-nitrite concentration in ppb if that helps. To convert to nitrite ion concentration NO2 it says you have to multiply by 3.29.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It is ppb according to the box.

Yes, then do calculation

 

[dwfain]

Do you have the HI781 (low range)? If so... it is only 0 to 5 ppm so I'm not sure how you are getting such high numbers. The HI782 (high range) will go up to 75PPM NO3.

Depending on who you ask 70+ PPM of NO3 is quite high, but some have been successful with numbers in that range. Personally - I try to keep NO3 down around 20PPM or less.

I have the HI764 ULR.

 

[Lividfanatica]

I have the HI764 ULR.

Thanks - I caught up on the thread and realized I read your original post completely wrong. Please disregard my comments.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Secondly are these numbers I need to worry about?

No. Nitrite at 1 ppm is not toxic.