Cycling Question....Confused

Z

Zoregon

New member
Finished first week of cycling on 180g. Have 50lbs LR and 60lbs live sand. The rest is dry rock and sand.

Using the Red Sea tests and have a question.

My Ammonia and Nitrites are both literally 'off the charts' as they are darker than the highest colours on the tests. My Nitrates are minimal.

Ammonia - 2.0+ (dark blue/green)
Nitrite - 1.0 +(turned very dark pink almost immediately)
Nitrate - 2.0 (very light pink)
PH - 8.2
Water temp - 77.9

I'm just a little confused as I was expecting an ammonia spike and then a nitrite spike whereas they are both very very high.

Should I ghost feed a small amount as well or just keep on keepin on?
 
Your tank is in the process of cycling and it can take some time. Everyone, me included, wants to add that first fish and get started. It can take a few weeks.

Rule number one for reefing: Go slow!
Rule number two: Go slower than what you think rule one means.

Nothing good happens in reefing if you go too fast. Ever.
 
Since you used 50 lb's of LR it is possible that you would show ammonia and nitrites. Just wait for both to be gone. I would not bother checking nitrates until the nitrites are gone. It is possible that the nitrate test will give a false reading with the nitrites present. good luck just my 2 cents.
 
Sounds like you had a fair amount of die-off/ organic waste that is too much for the existing bacterial population to process. It is trying however, hence the ammonia and nitrite. Was the LR shipped from somewhere?


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So this is normal? Do nothing just test every few days to see where I'm at?

I understand this takes 4-6 weeks. Just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Yes the rock was cured and shipped via overnight courier. I rinsed in Rodi and put in tank.
 
Last edited:
Yep, just test everyweek. I recommend you to trace a graphic with the data of the tests' results. Is more visual like that.

Then just wait to have good values on ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate... and that's all the secret. Just patiente and monitoring your system.
 
I'd test every 2 or 3 days. Eventually the ammonia level will go down and then the nirite will as the nitrate goes up.
 
Zoregon said:
So this is normal? Do nothing just test every few days to see where I'm at?

I understand this takes 4-6 weeks. Just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Yes the rock was cured and shipped via overnight courier. I rinsed in Rodi and put in tank.
Click to expand...

you arent suppose to rinse your live rock in freshwater rodi. you basically killed off all the live bacteria.

if you get cured live rock and arent feeding your tank you really shouldnt see a spike in ammonia and nitrite.
 
i have cycled many tanks. it doesnt have to be hard or a chemistry experiment.

i buy cured live rock add to tank. add clean up crew in next few days. then add a few corals every few days or so and i dont feed my tank or add fish for 3 months. but yes i do add corals lps and even monti caps in first 3 months. i dont see the point in ghost feeding or adding pure ammonia. why would i want to build up nirtaues in my tank, yes water changes can get them out, but i dont want them in at all.
i wait 3 months before i add fish, only because fish and feeding fish are going to produce the most waste and cause the tank to be unstable the fastest. i never test for nitrite or ammonia. dont see the point. it has worked for me and i never had a tank have cryno outbreak or GHA or anything. not saying this is the only way. just find it easy. i hate testing and only think i test for is alk,cal and mag.
 
I rinsed the rock in Saltwater Rodi. Just a bit to get the worst off.

So you're saying that I should start adding my clean up crew? With my levels so high won't they die?
 
If you used cured live rock. Why are your levels so high after a week Did you add anything else

Are you sure the rock was cured. Where you buy it from. I normally just go to lfs and buy some good live rock.


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Zoregon said:
I rinsed the rock in Saltwater Rodi. Just a bit to get the worst off.

So you're saying that I should start adding my clean up crew? With my levels so high won't they die?
Click to expand...
:fish1: Do not add anything to your tank with your readings that high, wait for all your parameters to become normal. With you using cured rock, all your readings should be normal, or slightly elevated, so something must be wrong, with your readings being so high. Continue to test your system until your readings become normal, do a water change or two, then you can add a small clean up crew, and maybe a hardy coral or two, then wait a few months before you start adding fish. Go slow, enjoy all the life on your live rock. One more thing go slow, nothing good happens in this hobby when you are in a hurry. :fish1:
 
Green Chromis said:
:fish1: Do not add anything to your tank with your readings that high, wait for all your parameters to become normal. With you using cured rock, all your readings should be normal, or slightly elevated, so something must be wrong, with your readings being so high. Continue to test your system until your readings become normal, do a water change or two, then you can add a small clean up crew, and maybe a hardy coral or two, then wait a few months before you start adding fish. Go slow, enjoy all the life on your live rock. One more thing go slow, nothing good happens in this hobby when you are in a hurry. :fish1:
Click to expand...



I agree. Don't add anything until your levels come down. Maybe the rock you have still has a lot of die off on it. But I would just wait a week and test of levels are done do as me and chromis says


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Thank you. I suspect the rock was not as cured as it should have been. Some of it looks 'rusty' which is weird but it does have some nice coralline on it.

I did test today and ammonia has gone down, nitrite and nitrate are both significantly higher.

Will just leave her to sit for awhile and see where I'm at. No rush to add livestock, still trying to decide on lights.......currently using an old 48" coralife just so I can have something on in the interim.
 
i just wouldnt add fish until the coral and coralline algae starts growing. i like to give the tank time to fully cycle in before i add fish (aka phosphate machines)
 
I read that there's a test for individuals who have never had a SW system before. I helps prevent the loss of life in reef systems. Can you point me towards this?
 
So I was at ammonia 0, nitrite 0 & Nitrate 20.

Was considering doing my w/c and possibly adding some form of life but it didn't feel right. So I 'ghost fed' a small amount of brine shrimp for two days.

Now I'm at ammonia .2, nitrite .05 & Nitrate 20. Does this mean I am not cycled? I don't want to put anything in this tank until I'm sure.
 
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