what level of nitrite is to high?

Question

i have a 5 gal marine aquarium and 1 clown (percula) i also have a small to medium piece of live rock covered in coral and stuff also there is a 5-6 cm crab in there as well, what level of nitrite is too high? thanks for answers

yea sorry all i forgot tyo mention that i meant what level of nitrite is too high for the crab!? i thought it was 0 but i was just worried because it got to 0.25 and i thought it might harm my inhabitants ! its ok now back to 0

i know its hard but thats the fun! my tank is back to normal, i was just worried about the crab cause i didnt know if they were as suseptable to nitrite as fish are, nothing else was high, just nitrite but it is gone now , i add cycle on a regular basis(bottle of dormant bacteria) its got all nitrifying bacteria and nitrosomonas bacteria it helps to keep everything in check! (its great stuff)

Answer 1

Ideally none, but a newly established will have have spikes. Also adding more fish will often cause slight spikes. This more true of small tanks as they lack the safety buffer of a big tank. I'd not worry as long as it doesn't spike above 1. Of course keep in mind a healthy tank has none. So I'd be concerned if the tank hasn't had changes made in the past week or 2.


PS- A 5 gallon marine tank is going to be a pain to keep in balance.

Answer 2

Yep, in an established aquarium nitrites should be zero. Now, there is also something called nitrATE in aquariums that is commonly tested for. It is ideal to have nitrates undetectable but hard to accomplish. Reefkeepers strive toward this and come closer than most. Nitrates should be low, hopefully below 10 ppm, but for a fish only tank can be higher as nitrates are not espcially toxic to fish.

Answer 3

I second that any level above 0 is too high in any aquarium.

Answer 4

Ammonia and nitrites should always be zero in a tank.

Answer 5

Anything above zero