MAPotter

Again I'm new to this whole fish tank thing, what are safe nitrite and nitate levels for a saltwater tank. It seems like every website I look at has a diffrent answer.

Nereaga

Well Nitrites, once a tank is fully cycled should never be detectable. You always want them at ZERO. Any detection could be harmful for livestock.

Nitrates on the other hand, can have detectable traces in your aquarium. For a fish only setup you want them no higher than 40ppm. For a reef setup you want them lower, at no higher than 20ppm. Fish can tolerate higher levels of Nitrates than invertebrates can. With a reef setup some even suggest lower Nitrates at no higher than 10 ppm. You want the lowest number possible here for Nitrates.

MAPotter

so since I have only had my tank about a week and a half it's ok for my nitrite level to be a little high right now? I have a very low amount of nitrate showing up and have never had any ammonia, does it sound like I'm on the right path?

Nereaga

Yes this sounds normal. It will take anywhere from 6-8 weeks to compete the cycle. Did you have a source of ammonia in your tank to start with?? examples- Live rock or manually adding ammonia?

MAPotter

right now i have 6 damsels, about 11lbs of live rock and live sand for bedding, i also have 2 crabs and 3 snails. The first piece of live rock I put in started to grow the rust colored alage so i got the snials before it got out of control. by the way thank you for the help....
doc

Nereaga

Sure Doc anytime, just trying to help! As for your tank everthing seems normal. The best thing you can have right now is patience, let your tank cycle completely before adding in anymore livestock. Good Luck! Keep us posted on how things go! Brad