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#1
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480g and Nitrites
For those who don't know, I transferred all my live stock from my 125g to my new 480g about 2 weeks ago.
The new tank has a 350kg DSB, about 528g total water volume, a refugium with cheato on reverse photo period, big Deltec AP902 skimmer. It has been running for 3 weeks now. 40kg of the LR in the tank was moved directly from the 125g to the new tank. The other 40kg was cured at my place for about 2 months - the Nitrites went up (showing cycling) and then down about 6 weeks in to the curing. So it had been at 0 for 2 weeks before I placed it in the big tank. My livestock are: 1 medium size Volitans Lionfish, one small snowflake, one small zebra, a Comet, a Bird Wrasse and a small Twinspot Coris. I have two anemone crabs, two urchins and a Chocolate Chip starfish. My question is why do I measure 0.1mg/L Nitrite in this tank (Ammonia is 0)? Nitrate is 10mg/L. It had been like this for 1 week now. In my previous 125g I had four biological filtration mechanisms - an overflow box filled with biolballs (thus wet/dry trickle filter), DSB, 40kg LR and a Fluidised Sand Bed filter. The bioballs were discarded for obvious reasons, the DSB could not be taken over thus only the LR made it over with the existing bacterial colonies. The fluidised sand bed filter was also not taken over. In my old tank I had 0 Nitrites, but about 300mg/L Nitrates. My postulation is that the little amount of bioballs and the FSB reactor in the old tank and maybe the DSB contained most of the nitrification bacteria. That the amount of nitrification bacteria in the LR were much less that these three combined. So when I only moved over the LR, it did not have enough bacteria to handle these fish. Furthermore, I believe the FSB was so good at what it did that I had 0 Nitrites but the anaerobic bacteria in the LR could not keep up with the nitrates hence my huge nitrate reading... So my questions are: 1) Are my postulations above correct? 2) If yes, would the DSB and 80kg of LR be able to eventually catch up and handle the Nitrite load? 3) Am I correct in saying if (2) above is true, then I should not have a nitrate issue anymore since the slower nitrification will allow mineralisation to complete in tandem? |
#2
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I believe, from what you wrote, that your tank is still developing its biological filtration and once it does you will have no nitrites and no nitrates if regular husbandry practices are performed.
This may take 2 or 3 more months so have some patience. |
#3
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I get oftem 0.1ppm NO2 (trace) with Hagen test kit.
I suspect test kit error
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2 ocelaris 1-1.5", 1 bandaii cardinal, 1 yellow watchman goby 1 pep. shrimp, 10 nas, 1 astrea , 1 cerrith snails Some softys PH 8.1, Alk 11, NH3/4, NO2, NO3 0, Temp 77-79F, SG 1.025 |
#4
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Ok. Fortunately all the fish in there are very hardy and I can clearly see they are much more comfortable with Nitrite of 0.1 and Nitrate of 10mg/L than the NO2- = 0, NO3- = 300mg/L they used to live in...
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#5
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Quote:
Hope you never have to do a large water change on the new tank-- How big is your refugium??
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Bill "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve immortality by not dying"-- Woody Allen |
#6
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Yeah well...
Refugium is one of the two sumps - each sump is 300l. So there is room for lots of LR and chaeto. |
#7
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Personally I do not believe any hobbyist Nitrite test of whatever brand to be accurate in the 0.1 range. If your fishes are doing fine, then just stop worrying.
Good luck with your tank. Jens |
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