Cycle questions

[GOSKN5]

I'm not knew to the hobby, but have always used live rock to start tanks... this time I used all dry rock and added ammonia..

So 2 weeks ago I added a bottle of Dr Tims one and only and pure ammonia up to 2ppm...

Waited a few days tested and ammonia was at .5ppm... checked nitrites and none...

Tested a week later and ammonia at. .25ppm and nitrites had shown up..

Tested a week later and ammonia still at the same level .25...

I know I still have a ways to go and I'm ok with that, but should I add more ammonia, or just wait until it drops to zero? Or do I need to add any more ammonia anytime at all?

Thanks for the help...

 

[CStrickland]

Are you using an API ammonia test?
It's really common for them to read .25 when it's really zero.

 

[seamonster124]

Your tank should be able to consistently bring ammonia down from 4ppm to zero in 24 hours.
I'd bring it up to 4ppm, test in 24 hours. If not zero wait till it is zero. then bring it upto 4ppm again. Keep doing this till your tank can get rid of the amonia in 24 hours.

That's what Dr. Tim wants you to do. It worked for me although I don't think his bacteria in a bottle actually does anything.

 

[GOSKN5]

Are you using an API ammonia test?
It's really common for them to read .25 when it's really zero.

Yea i am... although I tested RODI water and it gave me a zero reading... but I was also informed that salt water would give a greenish color regardless vs yellow of fresh... gonna spike it tomorrow and see

 

[thegrun]

+1, you almost certainly have zero ammonia, the API ammonia test kits frequently give a false 0.25 reading.

 

[GOSKN5]

I spiked ammonia last night back to 2ppm... Tested at lunch time and it's back down to .25ppm... also nitrites spiked higher than I have seen... and I showed some nitrates for first time...

 

[GOSKN5]

So ammonia can be processed in 24 hours... but nitrites aren't budging... got a nasty response from Dr Tims saying I needed to read and do a water change because the cycle had stalled due to high nitrites... thoughts??

 

[thegrun]

So ammonia can be processed in 24 hours... but nitrites aren't budging... got a nasty response from Dr Tims saying I needed to read and do a water change because the cycle had stalled due to high nitrites... thoughts??

A cycle will slow down considerably if either the ammonia or nitrites go over 8ppm or so. If your nitrites are over 6ppm I would make a 50% water change.

 

[GOSKN5]

I went ahead and did a 20 gallon water change... didn't make a significant drop in nitrites according to the API test... wait it out or do more??

 

[seamonster124]

I went ahead and did a 20 gallon water change... didn't make a significant drop in nitrites according to the API test... wait it out or do more??

Yup Dr Tim is right. Water change effects trites in several days. U should wait it out. I'm confident u r almost there

 

[GOSKN5]

Tank is really cloudy today... any thoughts on that?

 

[GOSKN5]

Here is a pic.. (excuse the reflections)

 

[seamonster124]

Normal IMO. Almost there....

In my case Nitrites never got lowered; they dropped - overnight from off the charts to zero

 

[GOSKN5]

Tank is still very cloudy.. I can actually see the cloudiness moving in the flow.. if that makes sense... thinking a water change might be in order..

 

[Clownfish Chris]

It is probably a bacteria bloom. It will go away probably in a few days.

In my opinion, I would do nothing more at this point other than ghost feed a flake or two every day. The bacteria are there and the cycle has started. Im sure the API kit is off a bit. I think at this point you are safe to assume that 0.25 is 0.00.

This is all assuming you have NO live stock in the tank.

 

[GOSKN5]

Thanks... yea no livestock in tank.. ammonia is zero for sure.. it's cloudiness and nitrites that are bothersome... will give the cloudiness till the weekend to go away I suppose before a wc

 

[GOSKN5]

You think it's normal to be cloudy for over a week? I'm talking really cloudy.. like can't see the powerhead on back glass...

driving me nuts haha... I am a little OCD about clear water and and cleanliness haha

 

[shifty51008]

Are you running any carbon?

If your still seeing nitrites then your still getting ammonia. I would get better test kits to double check your readings

 

[jrr98002]

+1 on the test kits...I don't trust API really at all. I used them on my very first tank back in the day and got all sorts of crazy readings with them. I'm a degreed chemist, so you'd think I could use a simple test kit, but seriously, those things would give me false readings all the time when compared to Salifert or others out there.

 

[GOSKN5]

Are you running any carbon?

If your still seeing nitrites then your still getting ammonia. I would get better test kits to double check your readings

I concur... the API is suspect for sure.. I haven't added ammonia in about 2 weeks... ammonia zero out nitrites still high.. I am ghost feeding every other day or so...

Been running carbon since start in reactor...

+1 on the test kits...I don't trust API really at all. I used them on my very first tank back in the day and got all sorts of crazy readings with them. I'm a degreed chemist, so you'd think I could use a simple test kit, but seriously, those things would give me false readings all the time when compared to Salifert or others out there.