Nitrite not deadly to fish

Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
3,379
Likes
90
Points
48
Location
Los Angeles
#1
So I remember reading a journal about nitrite not being deadly to marine fish like it is to fresh water fish. But I am can’t find it in the database from school. Anybody familiar with this journal they did on aquarium fish? I am getting impatient with my cycle almost a month and ammonia is 0 but nitrite is still lingering even after adding bacteria twice. Wondering if I should risk it with nitrite present.
I am doing only two shark nose gobies.
I know the cycle is complete to some degree because I have nitrate present. With two shark nose gobies my bio load would be tiny. What do you guys think?

Update: only found article but still can’t find the journal I think it was Michigan university that did it

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php
 

ivan

Member
Featured Reef
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
1,069
Likes
146
Points
28
#3
Well if the ammonia is 0 I think 🤔 your fish will be fine I just did my cycle with fish amonia was at 1.2 at one point and the fish
F3AFC75B-1478-4AD9-86C8-D7AF24162CB8.jpeg
made it through the cycle but some fish are more sensitive to NO2 & No3 I don’t recommend but can be done
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
3,379
Likes
90
Points
48
Location
Los Angeles
#6
Well if the ammonia is 0 I think your fish will be fine I just did my cycle with fish amonia was at 1.2 at one point and the fish View attachment 79928 made it through the cycle but some fish are more sensitive to NO2 & No3 I don’t recommend but can be done
Wow that looks super nice! Makes me want to do a full blown system. My ammonia has been zero for the past three weeks but nitrite stay at .25-1.0 varies.
 

ivan

Member
Featured Reef
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
1,069
Likes
146
Points
28
#8
I will do this to help to speed up the process
1- increase temperature to 84-86 (bacteria reproduce faster in hi temp)
2- lower salinity to 1.018 (hi salinity actually not good for bacteria )
3- add bacteria
4- stop the tuna that’s not for your nitrates since you don’t have any other type of live in there that can compite sucking all those nutrients
5- put a fish 🐠
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
3,379
Likes
90
Points
48
Location
Los Angeles
#9
I will do this to help to speed up the process
1- increase temperature to 84-86 (bacteria reproduce faster in hi temp)
2- lower salinity to 1.018 (hi salinity actually not good for bacteria )
3- add bacteria
4- stop the tuna that’s not for your nitrates since you don’t have any other type of live in there that can compite sucking all those nutrients
5- put a fish
I did all and the salinity worked out petco keeps theirs at 1.020.
 
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
Messages
3,928
Likes
101
Points
48
Location
Los Angeles
#10
So I remember reading a journal about nitrite not being deadly to marine fish like it is to fresh water fish. But I am can’t find it in the database from school. Anybody familiar with this journal they did on aquarium fish? I am getting impatient with my cycle almost a month and ammonia is 0 but nitrite is still lingering even after adding bacteria twice. Wondering if I should risk it with nitrite present.
I am doing only two shark nose gobies.
I know the cycle is complete to some degree because I have nitrate present. With two shark nose gobies my bio load would be tiny. What do you guys think?

Update: only found article but still can’t find the journal I think it was Michigan university that did it

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php
Nitrite is super toxic. It pretty much makes it so the fishes bloodstream doesn’t absorb oxygen then the fish pretty much suffocates. Obviously some fish can handle it but it can be pretty bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
778
Likes
166
Points
28
Location
CA
#11
Nitrite is super toxic. It pretty much makes it so the fishes bloodstream doesn’t absorb oxygen then the fish pretty much suffocates. Obviously some fish can handle it but it can be pretty bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So technically this is true but only at ridiculously high levels. Saltwater fish die at levels above 300 ppm. As opposed to freshwater where any detectable levels can kill fish. The chloride outcompetes the nitrite uptake levels so in saltwater it is pretty difficult to kill a fish with nitrite toxicity. Much like nitrate toxicity is almost unheard of killing fish. It is even common practice to add salt to a freshwater tank that tests detectable levels of nitrite to provide relief for the fish. Its crazy how it can be so toxic for freshwater fish and essentially non toxic to saltwater
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
778
Likes
166
Points
28
Location
CA
#13
Nitrite is super toxic. It pretty much makes it so the fishes bloodstream doesn’t absorb oxygen then the fish pretty much suffocates. Obviously some fish can handle it but it can be pretty bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is dead on how the process works though. Sorry if my post came off as argumentative, I was not trying to be. Im just passionate about the subject because I just learned recently the truth of nitrite in saltwater and felt like I was lied to for all these years lol
 
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
Messages
3,928
Likes
101
Points
48
Location
Los Angeles
#14
This is dead on how the process works though. Sorry if my post came off as argumentative, I was not trying to be. Im just passionate about the subject because I just learned recently the truth of nitrite in saltwater and felt like I was lied to for all these years lol
Ha, never felt that way about your post:) just stating what I’ve learnt about it over the years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Latest posts

Top