Can you add a clownfish with no ammonia and high nitrites?

[Cell]

I used to have freshwater tanks, and i know Nitrite is toxic for that fish. I am just about to cycle my first reeftank (wish me luck lol) i read that Nitrite is not dangerous for marines fish. I know i have my doubts about this, but maybe Nitrite needs to be in a much higher concentration to really damage or kill the fish? I Googled it and this was the answer:

"Is nitrite toxic to marine fish?
For marine organ- isms, the ranges in safe concentrations are higher – 0.5 to 15.0 mg/L for invertebrates and 5.0 to 50.0 mg/L for fish. Nitrite toxicity is not a common problem in brackishwater and seawater systems, but it is relatively common in freshwater."

So when you cycle a marine tank you only check for Ammonia, as i understand it. But i will probably check for both

Nitrite is useful to check the progress of your cycle and if you want an accurate nitrate measurement, nitrite must not be present.

 

[brandon429]

this is the great api conundrum:

set up a poll asking who trusts api to be accurate for low level ammonia reads, the answer will be 10% or less.

at least that's the bet on a virtual poll anyway lol


but if we ask about nitrite, 100% agree to accept all the data and make purchases off it and decide when they can reef off it, the acceptance rate is 100%.

forum posters are finicky lol that doesnt mean anything bad it just means we need to be able to trust something and we do, until shown reasons not to.

 

[40g Nano]

Op said there was a HIGH amount of nitrite
It says not a common problem because it probably means in an established tank, not a cycling one!

 

[40g Nano]

So how much nitrite IS in the tank?

 

[Fish_Sticks]

So I’ve been cycling my tanks now for 2 weeks, it’s 40 gallons. I added Fritz nitrifying bacteria around 1 week ago. At the beginning I had a bit of ammonia and no nitrites. Now I have very low levels of ammonia and high levels of nitrite. I was reading that nitrite is not really harmful to saltwater fish and it’s more ammonia that you need to worry about. Do you think the dangerous part of the cycling process is over and I could add one clownfish. Or would you recommend I wait a bit longer until nitrite levels are also low. Thanks for your help.

No, wait till your tank is cycled, before introducing any fish into the environment.
Not only is it harmful to the fish, but it can mess up the cycling process.

Patience is the most important part of reefkeeping

Set your tank up for success! The wait will be worth it, and there are probably plenty of other things to do in the meantime, like plan your stocking list, consider adding more dry rock, and aquascaping!

It might be worth using all this time to find the right clownfish. There are soooooo many varieties - use this time to research about them and all their variations. Your fish will thank you for it!

 

[Jeffcb]

I cycled my tank with 2 clownfish. They are doing great.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

I cycled my tank with 2 clownfish. They are doing great.

They may be 'doing' great, if they dont have damaged gills from experiencing high levels of ammonia and nitrite, but they were definitely not doing great in the weeks the tank was being cycled.

It's like buying a dog, and then putting him outside while it's 40F cold and raining for a month, and then bringing him inside and saying how happy he is, hoping he doesnt have life long effects from pneumonia and lung disease.

Just trying to throw some perspective out here, but cycling a tank with fish is animal cruelty and shows a lack of understanding of how aquariums function.

Jumping the gun and adding fish before a cycle is complete shows impatience, and a lack of care for what is best for your pets and animals.

 

[Dr. Reef]

Nitrite is useful to check the progress of your cycle and if you want an accurate nitrate measurement, nitrite must not be present.

let me clarify something, most all hobby level nitrate test kits are mostly inaccurate. They all use a reduction method back to nitrites to calculate nitrates and that reduction is inaccurate in cheaper hobby level kits.
So i would not put too much weight on results off the hobby level nitrate kits
Nitirites again are not harmful in saltwater.
In a study, a group of clownfish were exposed to very high levels almost 300-500ppm range and only 25% of the population died. (not sure due to nitrites or just because)

Levels we see during cycling a tank generally between 0-5 or even 10 or 20ppm wont kill a fish

 

[40g Nano]

But it could damage them
You are completely missing the point

 

[Fish_Sticks]

But it could damage them
You are completely missing the point

'Only a quater of the population died'

Ummm...? =o. ???
The other half had ghill damage, the other quater got PTSD and the worst month of its life.

 

[Jeffcb]

They may be 'doing' great, if they dont have damaged gills from experiencing high levels of ammonia and nitrite, but they were definitely not doing great in the weeks the tank was being cycled.

It's like buying a dog, and then putting him outside while it's 40F cold and raining for a month, and then bringing him inside and saying how happy he is, hoping he doesnt have life long effects from pneumonia and lung disease.

Just trying to throw some perspective out here, but cycling a tank with fish is animal cruelty and shows a lack of understanding of how aquariums function.

Jumping the gun and adding fish before a cycle is complete shows impatience, and a lack of care for what is best for your pets and animals.

no . you are wrong.

 

[40g Nano]

What is 1 or 2 more weeks going to hurt?
NO BODY
Exactly
There is no point in stressing out a fish.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

no . you are wrong.

This man just denounced science...?

Do you have anything to add to a discussion about this, or are we just spreading misinformation around for the new people to read and fall victim to, because people thought it was a good idea to cycle tanks with live fish in the 1960s?

Anyone with 10% understanding of the nitrogen cycle knows, for a fact, that fish are not necessary to cycle an aquarium, and that adding fish during this process is inhumane and neglectful.

Just throw food in the tank for a month and it cycles... adding fish shows impatiance, neglect, inexperience, carelessness, and ignorance of the nitrogen cycle - and in some cases, failure to accept research and advancements in reefkeeping understanding versus what their LFS told them to do over 50 years ago.

Sorry, but cycling with fish does not make you an OG oldschool reefer, it makes you a BAD caretaker.

 

[40g Nano]

Thank you

 

[Rp8]

JUST TAKE IT SLOW...Take a step back, re-evaluate what your goals are. Pretty tank now or extravagant tank later. Patience is key. If your asking you are already thinking it. They shouldn't be just livestock. You created this environment, make it the best before just dumping test subjects in.

Lets not argue about different approaches or points of view. Let the OP decide on what he/she thinks. We have all made bad choices, and we have all not listened and it worked out fine. R2R is a forum of wealth of Knowledge, not a debate to win a decision. Enough of that going on already...

 

[Rp8]

page 2 the OP politely excused him/herself from the conversation...

 

[Fish_Sticks]

JUST TAKE IT SLOW...Take a step back, re-evaluate what your goals are. Pretty tank now or extravagant tank later. Patience is key. If your asking you are already thinking it. They shouldn't be just livestock. You created this environment, make it the best before just dumping test subjects in.

Lets not argue about different approaches or points of view. Let the OP decide on what he/she thinks. We have all made bad choices, and we have all not listened and it worked out fine. R2R is a forum of wealth of Knowledge, not a debate to win a decision. Enough of that going on already...

page 2 the OP politely excused him/herself from the conversation...

That's fine, but countless people will read this thread, looking for advice, for years to come.

Everything sold in the LFS came out of a reef, unless it was specifically sold and labeled as a captive breed. It's not a matter of opinion, it's an obligation to do things responsibly.

We are catching and removing fish out of the natural reefs and oceans, and better be giving them the respect they deserve.

 

[Rp8]

Rgr that. But not sure what the end goal is here. To help the OP, or make a point. I just saw a lot of back and forth. If I was the OP I would have signed off by now, which that seems to have happened. What we Better or Better not do isn't our decision. We give our opinions and past experiences, or technical advice. This is a FORUM. Ya'll are arguing. Seriously, I just quoted [U]@Fish_Sticks[/U]. I hope it works out...

 

[Rp8]

I'm out. have a good night guys/gals

 

[brandon429]

A problem for people trying to down fish in cycles is that they claim constant harm to sensitive fish who aren't acting harmed.


If they say the fish is harmed, then they are. No symptom required lol