how can Nitrite levels increased ?

**danielcassar** · 10-04-2011, 04:40 AM

Hi all...im bit worried! since my tank has been setup for these last 2 years...
my nitrite (no2) levels were 0 after some weeks of my setup....
but lately they are marking slightly above 0...around 0.02ppm...!!
what can be the cause? any helps!?

**Reefing Madness** · 10-04-2011, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by danielcassar

Hi all...im bit worried! since my tank has been setup for these last 2 years...
my nitrite (no2) levels were 0 after some weeks of my setup....
but lately they are marking slightly above 0...around 0.02ppm...!!
what can be the cause? any helps!?

What are all your readings? Overfeeding and trapped detrius are a normal cause. But in your other thread you show your Trites at 5. Did your Ammonia come up some? Did you introduce a bunch of new fish? Move the tank around, stir it up a bit?

**danielcassar** · 10-04-2011, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Reefing Madness

What are all your readings? Overfeeding and trapped detrius are a normal cause. But in your other thread you show your Trites at 5. Did your Ammonia come up some? Did you introduce a bunch of new fish? Move the tank around, stir it up a bit?

KH = 7dKH
PO4 = 0.03 ppm (installed phosoban yesterday)
pH = 8.4
NO3 = 5ppm
NO2 = 0.02ppm
Calcium = 580ppm
Sg = 1.026
temp 25.7 degrees celcius

only 3 fish were introduced
but as far as i know overfeeding and detritus increase the nitrates (NO3) not the nitrites (NO2)!
my nitrites from 0 came up to 0.02ppm
and my nitrates was always around 2-5 ppm
im worried on the nitrites increase

**chrisfont23** · 10-04-2011, 08:45 PM

Call me crazy, but at that low I wouldn't fret too much. I had a shrimp "pass out" in my tank and then I located his rotting corpse a day later. As a result, my ammonia went up a bit, my nitrites followed (both north of 1 ppm). I just kept with my water changes and nothing extraordinary happened.

**Reefing Madness** · 10-04-2011, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by danielcassar

KH = 7dKH
PO4 = 0.03 ppm (installed phosoban yesterday)
pH = 8.4
NO3 = 5ppm
NO2 = 0.02ppm
Calcium = 580ppm
Sg = 1.026
temp 25.7 degrees celcius

only 3 fish were introduced
but as far as i know overfeeding and detritus increase the nitrates (NO3) not the nitrites (NO2)!
Call me crazy but, when you overfeed, the fish have more waste that creates more AMMONIA. Which by the way, you still have not posted. With added fish at the same time, was your system ready for it?
my nitrites from 0 came up to 0.02ppm
and my nitrates was always around 2-5 ppm
im worried on the nitrites increase

And as Chris has offered, I would not worry about them, your Trates should make quick work of them.

**chrisfont23** · 10-04-2011, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Reefing Madness

And as Chris has offered, I would not worry about them, your Trates should make quick work of them.

Such the case for why dirty tanks - not the ones strewn with garbage, or trates over 100 - are sometimes good

with an outbreak like this. I wonder what the effect of a nitrate-less tank would have on an ammonia spike / nitrite spike and the subsequent response from the inhabitants (corals, inverts etc.) Lee - anyone ever do a study on that? It's funny this comes up as I am actually seeing better results with my coral PE with some detectable nitrate levels (0-5). I am LPS dominant too so I guess I can get away w it. Hmmm...

**danielcassar** · 10-05-2011, 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by Reefing Madness

And as Chris has offered, I would not worry about them, your Trates should make quick work of them.

Originally Posted by chrisfont23

Such the case for why dirty tanks - not the ones strewn with garbage, or trates over 100 - are sometimes good

with an outbreak like this. I wonder what the effect of a nitrate-less tank would have on an ammonia spike / nitrite spike and the subsequent response from the inhabitants (corals, inverts etc.) Lee - anyone ever do a study on that? It's funny this comes up as I am actually seeing better results with my coral PE with some detectable nitrate levels (0-5). I am LPS dominant too so I guess I can get away w it. Hmmm...

@reefing madness....my ammonia is 0. and yeah all fish were quarantined and my tank is 2 years old so the cycle of nitrogen was complete...im blaming on the tap water that i added with all these fluctuating!...so hope that i will recover especially from the diatomes that were produced!

can someone tell me how long does it take to get rid of these algae!!? how long does it take for the phosoban to start working?

thanks

**Reefing Madness** · 10-05-2011, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by danielcassar

@reefing madness....my ammonia is 0. and yeah all fish were quarantined and my tank is 2 years old so the cycle of nitrogen was complete...im blaming on the tap water that i added with all these fluctuating!...so hope that i will recover especially from the diatomes that were produced!

can someone tell me how long does it take to get rid of these algae!!? how long does it take for the phosoban to start working?

thanks

Phosban start working immediately. It should take your Phos readings to 0 quickly if your readings are low. Time frame on Diatoms going away is sketchy, no real answer for that one. But, they go away by themselves. Glad to hear the bloom was just a case of the tap water, now everyone knows why we preach RO/DI

. Do a few more water changes along with watching your Phosban, should only take a couple weeks at most.

**danielcassar** · 10-05-2011, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Reefing Madness

Phosban start working immediately. It should take your Phos readings to 0 quickly if your readings are low. Time frame on Diatoms going away is sketchy, no real answer for that one. But, they go away by themselves. Glad to hear the bloom was just a case of the tap water, now everyone knows why we preach RO/DI

. Do a few more water changes along with watching your Phosban, should only take a couple weeks at most.

thanks reefmadness...infact the PO4 readings are already on 0.03ppm from 0.1ppm....after 2 days of instalment. next time im going to do water changes i will siphon some algea away, since it comes off so easily from rocks. i wish that my tank will come clear as it was before ....wished to attach some pics but it is telling me that i exceeded my attachment limits!!...can someone tell me how can i remove my old posts!?

thanks
daniel

**Reefing Madness** · 10-05-2011, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by danielcassar

thanks reefmadness...infact the PO4 readings are already on 0.03ppm from 0.1ppm....after 2 days of instalment. next time im going to do water changes i will siphon some algea away, since it comes off so easily from rocks. i wish that my tank will come clear as it was before ....wished to attach some pics but it is telling me that i exceeded my attachment limits!!...can someone tell me how can i remove my old posts!?

thanks
daniel

Edit your post then backspace those pics. It will delete them.