Nitrite not dropping

[mandzhalas]

I am currently cycling 5ft tank, day 50 today. I have used Marco rock and generously seeded with Fauna Marin Bacto Blend bacteria.
Dosed dr.Tims amonia as per instructions
Amonia came down to 0 by day 10 and nitrite raised to 2ppm by day 13.
Nitrite hasn't dropped for 37 days now. I have done 30% water change two days ago,but nitrite still the same.
Why my cycle takes so long?

 

[ryanjohn1]

I don’t think nitrite matters in salt water aquarium. I could be wrong tho

 

[mandzhalas]

I don’t think nitrite matters in salt water aquarium. I could be wrong tho

I do know that nitrate not as harmful as in freshwater. My biggest worry is tank ability to convert amonia to nitrate. If nitrite is high, that means tank is not efficient converting nitrite to nitrate

 

[ryanjohn1]

Do you have any fish in tank or inverts? And have you checked nitrate levels.

 

[saltypepper]

Like @ryanjohn1 said if you have not checked your nitrate levels the you cannot tell what the cycle is doing.

 

[ryanjohn1]

I have not one time ever checked nitrite levels.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

what is the ammonia level and what is the nitrate level? This is the important info to determine cycle.

 

[Dbichler]

At 50 days op is cycled. Nitrite is no concern. Just continue to go slow and your fine.

 

[brandon429]

Notice the ammonia done by day ten, matching the ammonia drop line on 100% of cycling charts, this cycle was done forty days ago and ammonia is the only one that matters.
you’re now into choosing fish disease protocols


to see what happens if you skip them, see any post in the disease forum

not any degree of testing for the cycle is needed, it’s been done over a month.

being 100% sure of a cycles status while most peers ( not DB ) still want further testing = new cycling science

 

[mandzhalas]

Amonia 0, nitrate 220 highest reading my test can do.
I was under impression that high nitrite reading scews nitrate reading

what is the ammonia level and what is the nitrate level? This is the important info to determine cycle.

 

[brandon429]

it does, and neither of those levels factor into whether or not your cycle is done


because nitrite is neutral in display reef tank cycling, high or low, it's neutral

where you heard from Dr. Tim that it mattered in online videos is a sales process, we're not selling things here so you get the real contextual truth.


nitrite doesn't matter, don't own or run the kit it's purely a distraction.


even if your nitrate was zero your cycle works independently (how many zero nitrate/must dose nitrogen setups can we search out using "zero nitrate" search terms? 3000?) those are all cycled tanks. having high or low nitrate is independent from cycle status. old cycling science linked them, new cycling science unlinked them and subbed in disease preps instead, which are 100% missing from all discussion so far.

the cycle is far past done, you're into stocking choices now and the first things you add bring in disease from a pet store, if that's where you get stocked items from. you'll immediately be into choosing for fallow preps or not as soon as you make your first additions.

be sure and focus all concern, all preps, all study and measure from the disease forum if you want your tank to work out the right way. cycle=long done.

 

[brandon429]

I feel bad about mentioning Dr. Tim as meeting him was a highlight at the '18 Dallas aquashella but the truth is he's put formally-produced videos out on the web stating nitrite importance, and it drives bottle bac sales bigtime. I have a separate 20 page thread tracking the general number of posts a few years back stating they bought 2, 3+ extra bottles of bacteria to cure high nitrite/a claimed stuck cycle

someone is teaching the masses that measuring nitrite and reacting to it is important in reef tank cycling

but we can do a search here on Randy Holmes-Farley and the word nitrite

look how clear, concise, to the point he's been about it's nonfactor in reefing, it can't be any clearer

the sales angle makes it important

the free chemistry angle makes it not important, that's the issue with promoting sales claims about nitrite as it forever puts believability, credibility in doubt for me personally

can nitrite itself stall a cycle? heck yes.

it's why beef jerky is packed with sodium nitrite, see the label, it's a legit antibiotic.

so why do we state in free chemistry nonsales angle reefing that nitrite is neutral, don't own the kit? context is why

no possible way we cycle tanks will drive nitrite high enough to matter. context was left out of the sales angle, which is why it smells like ripoff sales info to me. even if nitrite is 'high' for the test kits we use, it's well below the tolerance level for bacteria insulated by bioslicks. that part was conveniently left out.

In freshwater, nitrite is the killer and ammonia is the neutral
in reefing, ammonia is the killer and nitrite is neutral, they're reversed, we don't get told that. the cycling info we've traded for 30 years is a mix of freshwater / marine rules but it doesn't work that way irl

there are different timeframes in effect for the two systems because we must manage opposing params depending on salt / chloride concentration in the system.

not one time in the history of this website did nitrite affect any organism in reefing, same for every other website, in the history of all reefing and nobody can post a link showing it did. salesmen will never be that direct in information relay.

in aquaculture facilities, which aren't reef tanks (they're high bioload crammed barely covered surface area settings) nitrite can indeed be an issue

the context was always twisted regarding nitrite's impacts to us in reefing. I think salesmen did that, or perpetuate it at least.

 

[taricha]

Some bacteria products process ammonia well, but leave nitrite around for a really long time. month+
Not all products with good ammonia oxidizers also have strong nitrite oxidizer populations.

 

[F4u-SuperCorsair]

Never seen a cycled tank have nitrites. I will never put fish in a tank with nitrites. Did you test if your tester is reading right?

 

[Dbichler]

Never seen a cycled tank have nitrites. I will never put fish in a tank with nitrites. Did you test if your tester is reading right?

That’s for freshwater, saltwater nitrites have no effect.

 

[TheDuude]

I had a similar situation when starting my last dry rock and bottled bacteria tank. I started stocking as normal once I saw ammonia was being processed. My clowns went in first, no issues at all. The nitrites fell off after a couple weeks and nitrate readings came down over a couple months... Now I have to dose No3

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I will never put fish in a tank with nitrites.

Why not?

 

[JimleNguyen]

I’m day 9 in my fishless cycle with dr Tim’s. Ammonia finally dropped to 0 today. I’m going to confirm tomorrow that it’s still at 0, do an 20% water change, and going to drop 5 cardinals in from my 5 year old tank. Nitrites and nitrates levels are through the roof. 2ppm nitrites and 50ppm nitrates.
Wish them luck

 

[brandon429]

They need luck from skipping disease preps and that you've read updated acclimation procedure from the disease forum, not for cycling needs

People do that many fish on day one, no wait using dr tims bottle bac. Giving the nine days + matching a cycling charts ammonia line drop date plus your stated ammonia levels there's no cycle risk