Why is Nitrite so important in a cycled tank?

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West1

West1

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2007
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Just gotmy water going and everything was 0.00, including Nitrite. So im kind of worried because everyone keeps comenting on my Nitrite.
What do I need to look for now that I have my fish in my 300?
 
johnptc;2093196; said:
just go slow check the ammonia and nitrite they should stay at zero..... the nitrates will rise and your water changes will keep them under control
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So its good to keep Nitrites low...at 0.00?

Im wondering if it is the 3M colorquartz that has my params at 0.00?
 
you said you just got the water going - is the tank even cycled yet?
 
jcardona1;2093474; said:
you said you just got the water going - is the tank even cycled yet?
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I started it a lil over 3 weeks ago. the first and end of first week my Params were all Red and amonia was about half way on the A.P.I. chart. by the begining on the 2nd weeek they started going down till everything was at 0.00. I did the cycle with about 5dz 2-3" comets and 3DZ survived till last week when I added my Juruenese Cat and he pretty much at them all. People were Questioning my Params cause I have everything at 0.00 and Nitrite is suppos to be high (I was told...) so I am a lil worried about my params and im monitoring them daily as i just added my Goliath.

I am going to add my RenaX4 that I had on the Goliath Temp tank (already have 50gl full of bioballs and ceramic rings. Ceramic rings and about 1/4 of a hefty bag were from a cycled tank and I used these to start the 300)
 
ammonia and nitrite should be zero when the cycle is complete and should stay there as you slowly add fish allowing the bio filter a chance to grow

nitrate can go up and is controlled through water changes
 
nitrIte should be 0 nitrAte should be 20 or under but the fish can normally handle higher nitrAte. Notice the I and The A, the vowel is the difference between life and death.
 
johnptc;2093674; said:
ammonia and nitrite should be zero when the cycle is complete and should stay there as you slowly add fish allowing the bio filter a chance to grow

nitrate can go up and is controlled through water changes
Click to expand...

nfored;2093681; said:
nitrIte should be 0 nitrAte should be 20 or under but the fish can normally handle higher nitrAte. Notice the I and The A, the vowel is the difference between life and death.
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So nitrIte is worst the nitrAte? I always thought that nitrAte was worst?

Damb, I need to go to fish cycling school:screwy:
So then Im good. My Params went as Red as you can get (nitrate/nitrite) and amonia was also up. They it declined slowly to 0.00
I guess I just second myself cause I was being told my water is not cycled cause I need to have high nitrite and 0.00 nitrate/amonia
unless I missunderstood, but im more than positive this was the order I was told
 
yeah nitrite is worse than nitrate. nitrite should always be 0 as its just as bad as ammonia. fish can withstand much higher levels of nitrates
 
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