long nitrite cycle?

cycling,
For some reason, my nitrites do not want to lower? I have had 0 amn for a few weeks now, but I have a 1ppm nitrites. It does look to be lowering, but is still higher then what I expected... is this normal? I thought they would have died off with 0 amn.

 

perhaps bad test kit?

 

It is new, API and cross tested it with a really old one. They had similair readings. This go around they had different readings.

Maybe I should test some other water

Just strange...


thanks

 

agree. Just let it sit and wait :-/ sucks youve gotta wit longer, but resist the temptaition

 

That is my feeling... upon reflection I remember the test kit showing a low level in the begingin so, I am sure its fine. I have made a bunch of newb mistakes and think that is why(don't ask I figured I would ask bc sometime you smart guys know exactly whats going on.

thanks for the time

 

My freshwater planted tank is stuck in the nitrite cycle right now also... don't fret too much. I've learned the cycle is definately never exact.

 

Have you detected nitrates in your testing?

 

It takes my systems 3 months to cycle through to the point I'd put anything in the tank other then the single Little Damsel fish. How long has the tank been cycling and what method of cycling are you using on this tank ? Live rock instant ? or a dead portion of decaying meat or a single fish ? Also did you have anything in their that is organic ? Like driftwood ? Ir some type of pottery like a clay pot ? I have seen it being tried before..

 

This is my first tank, and I have done some silly things. which is what I gather is my problem, but I really just thought it was strange to have nitrites so high when my amn has been 0 for a while. No organic....well, actually there is a sort of small stick like thing fused in one of my rocks.

29g tank diary...

So I started my tank with just water from the beach... we have great water.

Then a week later I added sand. about 40 lbs.

a week later I added a damsel and some rock...not much 15 lbs. Had lots of crabs and snails. left them in?

Had a lot of red algae. Power heads arrived and flow has helped a lot.


Instead of spearing a lion fish, I sympathetically caught him...he is cute, and threw him in about a month and 1/2 ago. At that time I did a 5% water change... no idea why ?:|

I assume my issue is simply because of my stupidity and rookie mistakes. Haven't killed anything, and tank mates seem happy.

My params seem ok, nitrites and nitrates are fairly high... salinity may be a touch too high

thanks

 

the lion will appreciate' that you've lfet him a nice little damsel to eat'

( lion fish will eat any thing they can get their mouth around )
they are "preditors"

and you shoudd have added live rock "first" and only ... then let it cycle
and should have had power heads 'in place" already for flow

"calm down" we can all ' relate to you wanting to move quickly '
BUT your going all WILLY-NILLY about it'

1,st ( choose tank ) > you already have although i dont suggest it being so small for a beginer
2, gather all basic eqipment , such as a skimmer, power heads, filtration devices , the proper ligthing ( proper lighting and spectrum is required for a reef tank )
3, gather all your test equipment , calcium, PH , alk , mag, etc.
4, get all those little gadgets running properly with water in the tank
5, stop adding water from the ocean ( it has all those algea spores, etc.
that can give you a HUGE algea bloom in a closed system like your tank .
6 add a commercial grade "sea salt" mix ( you'll need it any way) ya cant be tracking to the beach every other day for sea water.
7, BUY a good "refractionmeter" > gives you the specific gravity of salt water
8, add your live rock' ( uncured is generaly all thats availible in a LFS ) unless you find a tare down 'with some nice stuff already seasond/curred out with lots of coraline growth on it . and think of adding a sand bed to it .
9, BEGIN testing water paramiters ( and i strongly suggest you keep a log )
10, then wait till tank paramiters have settled , then think of lion's / damsel's
( by the way their not comapatible in a reef ) "your damsels / small fish will soon disappear .