What's More Toxic, Amonia, Nitrite Or Nitrates?

[Jozlyn]

What's more toxic, Amonia, Nitrite or Nitrates? And why? Just curious!

 

[cheesy feet]

What's more toxic, Amonia, Nitrite or Nitrates? And why? Just curious!

In order how you said it in the title Fish can survive low levels of nitrates But with nitrite and ammonia it will stress and kill fish in low levels.As they go through the nitrogen cycle i think they just break down and become less toxic?!

 

[Maxta]

Nitrite is more harmful isnt it, although ammonia does affect the fish also. And nitrates are okay, as long as they dont get too high.

 

[Bignose]

Nitrite is the most acutely toxic, in part because it interferes with the blood oxygen transport. Not unlike how CO interferes with our blood oxygen transport. But, ammonia has to be a very close second. Continuing the analogy, it would be like humans breathing in chlorine -- ammonia is simply a poison. I only ranked it second since not all the ammonia is completely lethal -- there is ionic ammonium that is far less toxic and ammonia that is the poison. Depending on the pH, the shift between the two may be safer. Nevertheless, there is very good research done that shows that fish exposed to both ammonia and nitrite, even at low levels, will suffer greater incidences of disease for the rest of its life. That is, exposure, especially long-term exposure, does permanent damage to a fish's immune system. So, it is really quite immaterial whether ammonia or nitrite is more deadly, they are both to be very strongly avoided by your fish.

 

[Maximumbob]

arguing between with is worse ammonia or nitrite is like arguing is it worse to be stabbed to death or shot dead.. at the end of the day you are still dead ! Avoid both at all costs. Nitrate is least toxic and also happens to be plant food... aint nature brill! You can also get rid of it with regular water changes...

 

[WILDER]

I said nitrite was more toxic on another board years ago and they all said no ammonia is.
Plus ammonia is not as harmful in the acidic range.

 

[rdd1952]

Regardless of which is more toxic, I would say ammonia is a bigger problem and that more fish die of ammonia poisoning than nitrite poisoning. In an uncycled tank, ammonia is present the first day and without water changes could easily be in the 4+ range in 2 or 3 days depending on the stocking level while nitrite may not be present for a week or more (whenever enough bacteria are present to start processing ammonia). By that time, most non-hardy fish are history.

 

[Bignose]

Nitrate is least toxic and also happens to be plant food... aint nature brill!

That's not quite right -- for aquatic plants anyway. Nitrate is great food for most terrestrial plants, but most aquatic plants actually prefer ammonia as a nitrogen source over nitrate. Many of them actually expend energy to convert nitrate back to ammonia for their use. This is why a tank that is heavily planted with healthy, fast-growing plants and seem to instantly cycle. The cycling bacteria don't grow, the plants take up all the ammonia before there is a need for the bacteria.

 

[Jozlyn]

Thanks, you've all confirmed what I thought, I'm having an argument with someone! So far as I'm concerned Amonia and Nitrite should ALWAYS be 0 any higher is unsafe and cycling with fish is just damned cruel, I now have more ammunition to add to my argument!