Corals don't mix with Nitrites right?

[kaserpick]

Now I know this sounds like a dumb question, but my minds drawing a blank. Do you have to wait for the tank to fully cycle before you can put corals in? In other words, you can't have corals with high nitrite levels in the cycle right?
Thanks for the imput!

Thumbs up!
Kaserpick

 

[DocG]

Right!

Actually you should probably wait a little while after the cycle before putting corals in. This of course depends on the coral. Some corals you can put in sooner then others. None before the cycle is done.

 

[Amphiprion]

NOt much of anything mixes well with nitrites.

 

[kaserpick]

awesome, that's what I thought. Thanks for the replies guys.

Thumbs up!
Kaserpick

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, there is little to no evidence that nitrite is toxic to marine organisms at levels below 10 ppm. It is far less toxic in seawater than in freshwater, where folks often draw inaccurate extrapolations from:

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.htm

 

[TWallace]

While my 55g was cycling, I bought a tiny colony of star polyps. Nitrites tested above 10ppm (my test kit only goes up to 10ppm) and remained that way for about a week after I bought the colony. The star polyps opened wide everyday and are still doing great now. I don't know how fragile star polyps are, though (certainly hardier than most SPS).

 

[JRPhd]

Kaser,
For you best chance of success, wait for the tank to completely cycle. I'd also give it a few more months after it cycles b4 corals just to play it safe. Again, you want to have the highest rate of success, particularly in a hobby that continues to have ~50% attrition rate after the first year.
Jon

 

[Nathan]

I agree with JRPhd.

I waited about 4 months before putting in clean up crew and 5 months before corals and fish.

-Nathan

 

[rustybucket145]

I totally disagree with the 4 month 'cycle myth'. I have started several tanks for friends and family adding corals in a day or two after the creation of the tank with everyone of them not only surviving but growing. This all during the stage where everyone says your tank is 'toxic'. I always 'seed' the tank with sand and rock from established tanks. The highest jump in Nitrites that I have ever witnessed using this method was 4ppm. Now I'm not saying that I would load the tank full of exotic Acropora or plate corals but what is the fun of watching a tank full of water for months. Get some mushrooms maybee a leather or two and watch it thrive!! Xenia also seems to do great in new setups.

My theroy: Remember, when you introduce live rock or corals to a tank you are also introducing the 'beneficial' bacteria and organisms living on and in these corals and rocks. I personally think that waiting a month to start introducing these organisms is greatly comprimising the overall 'filtering' capability of your tank. Think of introducing the corals and rocks as 'Jumpstarting' your tanks biological filtering capacity. If you have nothing living in your tank when you create it. What will be living in it 4 months from now?

 

[JRPhd]

Again Kaserpick, A cycled tank is more stable than a new tank, and research has shown that tanks take time to mature. And with maturity there is a marked increase in stability. Regardless of anectodal evidence, if you are willing to wait, you have a better chance of success.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Regardless of anectodal evidence, if you are willing to wait, you have a better chance of success.


I don't want to beat a dead horse, and I can think of other reasons to wait to add organisms, but isn't what you are stating anecdotal evidence that waiting is better, rather than the scientific evidence that nitrite is not toxic?

 

[boris MAC]

Nitrite is not toxic to corals, some corals, not so much to saltwater fishes than to fresh water fishes? It is very intersting point. How come than Nitrates are so dangerous to SPS corals?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't think that nitrate is especially dangerous to SPS corals. Many folks keep or have kept SPS at 5-10 pp nitrate, myself included. Is lower better? Probably. One way it may cause concern is that it may boost zoox populations, helping to brown up some corals.

 

[boris MAC]

Yeah it could be the point, I belive that this new, well not to mention methodes all are based on low nutrition in the point to reduce the nutritien for the zoox, and the corals get only pigment coloration with little zoox on their tissue.
How the Nitrite is dangerous to marine fishes? We know we add salt to fresh water tanks to reduce nitrite poisoning?

 

[JRPhd]

I said "research has shown that tanks take time to mature and with maturity there is a marked increase in stability." Correct me if I'm wrong, but nitrite is only one piece of the complex cycling process. In any case, I am not disputing "the scientific evidence that nitrite is not toxic," just that there is research documenting tanks that are more mature are more stable. Of course one needs to control for poor husbandry.
J

 

[boris MAC]

Suppose you have a good qulitu LR, it means it comes fuly cured and well established with bacetrial population, than we have no spikes neither Amonia neithe Nitrite. Than, how to tell that tank is well matured and ready to house delicate corals or when is ready to house not so delicate corals.

 

[davidryder]

it's allowed to mature before you add livestock because of the nitrogen cycle. fish waste or excess food is converted into ammonia which is broken down by a bacteria into harmful nitrites, and they are further broken down by a different bacteria into almost harmless nitrates. when either bacteria population is low(while cycling) there will be nothing to break down the other into either nitrites or nitrates. then you get a toxic spike of ammonia(first thing you will see) and as the ammonia goes down nitrites go up (the second high reading you will see during the cycle) and then they will both level off. and as you add more livestock, the water goes through another small cycle to adjust the colonies of bacteria neccessary to consume either nitrites or ammonia. this bacteria colonizes on the surface of pourous rock, the substrate, and biological filtration media such as bioballs. their are a number of things you can do to expedite the cycle but the safest thing to do is wait atleast a month. you could atleast eliminate that factor if any problems arise in the beginning phases of they system.