can't get nitrites down, help please.

[jeffisme]

I took the copper out of my ht at seachem's suggestion. it's been four weeks now, and suddenly my nitrites have zoomed to around 6 and are staying there despite water changes and nite-out. I also hung a bag with purigen in there at the suggestion of my LFS. Seachem suggested Prime. MY LFS said that doesn't really work. Meanwhile, the fish don't appear to be real happy and I'm getting seriously concerned. They need to stay in there another couple of weeks.

I've thought of putting cured live rock in there (a twenty gallon tank) or putting the fish back in the dt. I can't imagine them surviving a long time in the ht.

I have a reef octopus skimmer going in the HT and an eheim ecco canister. could the canister be putting nitrites back in the tank? Did the tank suddenly start to cycle with the carbon filter? Should I just sit tight and wait for the nitrites to go down and feed less in the meantime (and potentially starve the mandarin)?

any expert advise would be sorely appreciated. I'm at wit's end.

jeff

 

[f3honda4me]

Don't worry about it. 6ppm nitrites is nothing. Saltwater fish actually tolerate nitrites just as well as nitrates. So you're fine don't sweat it. In fact most marine fish can handle probably 100ppm nitrite without issue.

It's freshwater fish and corals that can't handle nitrite.

Time will fix it as the bacteria grow to consume the nitrite. So long as you have no ammonia don't do anything to try to "fix" the nitrite.

And don't listen to your lfs. Prime or amquel would work to detoxify the nitrite. But again you don't need to do that. Remove the Purigen. Get your HT back to the basics. The heater, filter etc. No need for a skimmer or Purigen. Remove the copper too if treatment is done.

 

[enjetek]

Honda is absolutely correct. It is an old myth that trites and trates (yes I made that up) will adversely affect saltwater fish. All you you have to worry about is the ammonia.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I agree with both of the above, and your LFS guy should know this stuff. I haven't ever tested my QT for nitrite or nitrate.

 

[jeffisme]

thanks

thanks

the posts were reassuring. I also found a terrific article on reefkeeping.com about nitrites that said essentially the same thing.

 

[jeffisme]

two more hospital tank questions

two more hospital tank questions

permit a few more hospital tank questions:

1) after four weeks of copper treatments, why do I see my clowns continue to flash against objects?

2) I've thought of putting some cured live rock in there (copper now gone) to give the mandarin an extra food source and the goby more places to hide, and to give all the fish some more natural food. good idea? bad idea?

jeff