test results

[fresh]

at what level are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate considered lethal?

I know that they are supposed to be at 0 or near 0, but how much is allowed before things go hay-wire?

thanks

fresh.

[robbyville]

You might also want to post this in the reef forum!

Ammonia is toxic at pretty much any level, I can't speak for Nitrite but I can tell you that the amount of Nitrate's that are acceptable depend to a certain extent on livestock. I have never been able to get my nitrates below around 5-10ppm. Toxic levels I am told are above 100. However most corals do not tolerate high Nitrates, whereas fish can endure (If they have to) higher amounts.

HTH,

Rob

Ammonia gets lethal the quickest usually, and the higher your ph is, the more toxic ammonia is...
I would try to maintain ammonia at the lowest levels possible

[BCOrchidGuy]

In a reef nitrites can be more toxic than ammonia as well. Levels of toxicity will depend on your critters, some will be more suseptable than others.

Doug