Nitrite not zeroing out?

ReefGeezer · Feb 7, 2022

I hate the nitrite vs. nitrogen cycle completion debate. Here are the truths involved in the debate:
1. Nitrite is not toxic even at moderately high levels @ the pH we maintain our reef tanks;
2. Nitrite causes most nitrate tests to be INVALID and simply confuses the issue; and
3. When ammonia reads 0 it won't kill fish to add them with elevated nitrites but it may be stressful.

Here are some things I've learned (truths to me):
1. I don't like API test kits;
2. Repeated addition of bottled bacteria is a waste of money;
3. If doing old school cycling, I want nitrites to read 0 on a decent kit before I start adding fish;
4. I never test nitrate while nitrite is present; and
5. There is never...ever... a predictable time-line for completion of an old school cycle.

I would suggest you stop adding bottled bacteria, slow feeding back down, get a decent test kits, and wait for nitrite to drop to 0. I am not saying you must, but everything you do to add more ammonia input delays the stabilization of the process. Remember... Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

Mrdbzking · Feb 7, 2022

Getting a lot of mixed advice here, so at this point I'm not sure what to do. I'm just going to do an 80% water change and go from there. I appreciate all of the feedback even if it is of different opinions.

Mrdbzking · Feb 7, 2022

Here are my test results for Ammonia, NO2 and NO3.

I also included a Salifert NO3 test.

Nitrite and nitrate on API appear slightly darker on camera than my POV.

bruno3047 · Feb 7, 2022

mdb_talon said:
The point was it is a bit asinine to say that anyone using test kits other than TPM are flushing their money down the toilet.

If you’re buying a product that doesn’t perform the way it’s supposed to, and could actually give you erroneous and damaging information, then you’re flushing your money down the toilet, at best. At worst, you’re sabotaging your own project by using and relying on that product.

ReefGeezer · Feb 7, 2022

Mrdbzking said:
Here are my test results for Ammonia, NO2 and NO3.

I also included a Salifert NO3 test.

Nitrite and nitrate on API appear slightly darker on camera than my POV.

What can be determined from your pictures is that the ammonia (that we can test for) is 0 and that nitrites are still elevated. Both nitrate tests are invalid due to the elevated nitrite. If your LFS does testing or you have a reef buddy close, a second nitrite test could check the accuracy of your test kit.

mdb_talon · Feb 7, 2022

bruno3047 said:
If you’re buying a product that doesn’t perform the way it’s supposed to, and could actually give you erroneous and damaging information, then you’re flushing your money down the toilet, at best. At worst, you’re sabotaging your own project by using that product.

LOL

mdb_talon · Feb 7, 2022

Mrdbzking said:
Getting a lot of mixed advice here, so at this point I'm not sure what to do. I'm just going to do an 80% water change and go from there. I appreciate all of the feedback even if it is of different opinions.

Haha ya thats the bad thing. We all give free advice it just usually doesnt match

Seriously though dont stress on the nitrites they wont hurt anything. Ammonia 0 and presence of nitrites/nitrates based off your other commentary makes good case for your tank is ready for livestock. The WC is a good idea for sure it will get rid of some of those nitrates(and whether you know precisely what percentage of the nitrate reading is actually nitrate is not really a big concern in my opinion)

bruno3047 · Feb 7, 2022

ReefGeezer said:
What can be determined from your pictures is that the ammonia (that we can test for) is 0 and that nitrites are still elevated. Both nitrate tests are invalid due to the elevated nitrite. If your LFS does testing or you have a reef buddy close, a second nitrite test could check the accuracy of your test kit.

So freaking irritating to me that API does not put a disclaimer in its instructions for its nitrate test kit. I haven’t been on this board much lately and I see a lot of new developments, but “nitrifying bacteria-infused dry manufactured painted rock“ takes the cake.

Mrdbzking · Feb 7, 2022

bruno3047 said:
So freaking irritating to me that API does not put a disclaimer in its instructions for its nitrate test kit. I haven’t been on this board much lately and I see a lot of new developments, but “nitrifying bacteria-infused dry manufactured painted rock“ takes the cake.

Mrdbzking · Feb 7, 2022

mdb_talon said:
Haha ya thats the bad thing. We all give free advice it just usually doesnt match

Seriously though dont stress on the nitrites they wont hurt anything. Ammonia 0 and presence of nitrites/nitrates based off your other commentary makes good case for your tank is ready for livestock. The WC is a good idea for sure it will get rid of some of those nitrates(and whether you know precisely what percentage of the nitrate reading is actually nitrate is not really a big concern in my opinion)

But I'm going to assume adding a couple zoas at this point would still be a bad idea?

ReefGeezer · Feb 7, 2022

bruno3047 said:
So freaking irritating to me that API does not put a disclaimer in its instructions for its nitrate test kit.

I don't think any of them do. It is not the brand, it is the chemical process many of the nitrate kits use. Salifert's test is affected the same way. Like I said, I don't care for API's kits, but it would be wrong to paint it as bad due to how the nitrate test responds to nitrite. The assumption that there would be no nitrite to eschew the test was generally valid until people started quibbling about the week or so it takes for nitrite to go away in the cycle.

ReefGeezer · Feb 7, 2022

Mrdbzking said:
But I'm going to assume adding a couple zoas at this point would still be a bad idea?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url...ved=0CAgQjRxqFwoTCOCRuZjG7vUCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Mrdbzking · Feb 7, 2022

ReefGeezer said:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https://tenor.com/search/sheldon-sarcasm-gifs&psig=AOvVaw02lHiodh8OtHZVj269h1eu&ust=1644356175747000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAgQjRxqFwoTCOCRuZjG7vUCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Unfortunately I can't see what that is

bruno3047 · Feb 7, 2022

ReefGeezer said:
I don't think any of them do. It is not the brand, it is the chemical process many of the nitrate kits use. Salifert's test is affected the same way. Like I said, I don't care for API's kits, but it would be wrong to paint it as bad due to how the nitrate test responds to nitrite. The assumption that there would be no nitrite to eschew the test was generally valid until people started quibbling about the week or so it takes for nitrite to go away in the cycle.

Aquarium pharmaceuticals industries is owned by Mars, the chocolate candy bar company. You would think they would want to maintain their integrity by just putting a little blurb in fine print “nitrate test results could be materially affected by the presence of nitrite”. Now, the user is at least aware that there is a caveat.

mdb_talon · Feb 7, 2022

Mrdbzking said:
But I'm going to assume adding a couple zoas at this point would still be a bad idea?

You are more than fine to add some zoas and fish. Start slow dont add a dozen fish at once, but your tank has been cycling for a month and that is more than enough time to add your first fish. Some nitrites in there (at the level we see in aquariums) are not going to hurt them in saltwater.

ReefGeezer · Feb 7, 2022

Mrdbzking said:
Unfortunately I can't see what that is

Sorry... my forum skills are limited. Kinda lost it's sting now.

Mrdbzking · Feb 7, 2022

It

ReefGeezer said:
Sorry... my forum skills are limited. Kinda lost it's sting now.

Tis' alright my friend

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 7, 2022

ReefGeezer said:
I don't think any of them do. It is not the brand, it is the chemical process many of the nitrate kits use. Salifert's test is affected the same way.

Yes, Habib Sekha, owner of Salifert told us that many years ago. Prior to his explaining it, I had no idea they only converted a small fraction of the nitrate to nitrite for testing. I assumed they converted all of it, so interference would be 1:1, not 100:1.

bruno3047 · Feb 7, 2022

ReefGeezer said:
I don't think any of them do. It is not the brand, it is the chemical process many of the nitrate kits use. Salifert's test is affected the same way. Like I said, I don't care for API's kits, but it would be wrong to paint it as bad due to how the nitrate test responds to nitrite. The assumption that there would be no nitrite to eschew the test was generally valid until people started quibbling about the week or so it takes for nitrite to go away in the cycle.

Aquarium pharmaceuticals industries is owned by Mars, the chocolate candy bar company. You would think they would want to maintain their integrity by just putting a little blurb in fine print “nitrate test results could be materially affected by the presence of nitrite”. Now, the user is at least aware that there is a caveat

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Yes, Habib Sekha, owner of Salifert told us that many years ago. Prior to his explaining it, I had no idea they only converted a small fraction of the nitrate to nitrite for testing. I assumed they converted all of it, so interference would be 1:1, not 100:

bruno3047 · Feb 7, 2022

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Yes, Habib Sekha, owner of Salifert told us that many years ago. Prior to his explaining it, I had no idea they only converted a small fraction of the nitrate to nitrite for testing. I assumed they converted all of it, so interference would be 1:1, not 100:1.

Isn’t Salifert owned by Coralvue or is Coralvue the US distributor?