Cycling tank help please?

[joecc]

API test kit

Started cycle 12/11/17 with one dose of ace ammonia to 4.0ppm

Yesterday, nitrites finally came down to zero, I didn't specifically test ammonia but ammonia alert badge has been safe/yellow for weeks.

Added ace ammonia to around 2.0 ppm

24 hours later (30 minutes ago) I tested for ammonia and nitrites. Ammonia is between 0 and .25 ppm. Nitrites are pretty high, greater than 2.0 ppm and less than 5.0ppm.

What is my next step? When should I test again? I assume I need to wait until ammonia and nitrites are zero, then add ammonia again to 2.0 ppm and keep doing this until after raising ammonia to 2.0ppm, ammonia and nitrites get to zero in 24 hours, and then I'm cycled, correct? Then do large water change and I can add cuc, correct?

Thanks!

 

[ramseynb]

Pretty much. If you're not running your lights yet (you don't have any algae) you can hold off on the clean up crew. It should also be safe to add a fish and some coral, just don't go crazy. Do you have any nitrate?

 

[joecc]

Thanks. Yes, I have some nitrate

 

[mcgyvr]

Stop adding ammonia.. you don't need it anymore..
Give tank 1 week and call it cycled..
Then do water changed to drop nitrates to acceptable levels and then you can slowly start stocking the tank..
Have you turned the lights on already?
Its a very..very good idea to get those lights on now if they aren't already so that you can start/get through the "ugly stages" of diatoms/algae/cyano that is very normal with a new tank post cycle..
Thats what the CUC is for.. to clean up that mess..

If you plan on corals is a very good idea to wait to add those until the ugly stages have past..

 

[lapin]

+ 1 above
You dont want to be scrubbing and vacuuming algae off rocks with a lot of coral attached.

 

[joecc]

Stop adding ammonia.. you don't need it anymore..
Give tank 1 week and call it cycled..
Then do water changed to drop nitrates to acceptable levels and then you can slowly start stocking the tank..
Have you turned the lights on already?
Its a very..very good idea to get those lights on now if they aren't already so that you can start/get through the "ugly stages" of diatoms/algae/cyano that is very normal with a new tank post cycle..
Thats what the CUC is for.. to clean up that mess..

If you plan on corals is a very good idea to wait to add those until the ugly stages have past..

So no more ammonia, got it. And no more ammonia and nitrite monitoring needed either? Just test to reduce and monitor nitrates?




I dont even have lights yet, starting out as Fish and a few inverts only first

 

[mcgyvr]

So no more ammonia, got it. And no more ammonia and nitrite monitoring needed either? Just test to reduce and monitor nitrates?

I dont even have lights yet, starting out as Fish and a few inverts only first

yep.. you got it..
no more ammonia.. no need to test really.. just give it a week as I said and it will be cycled and ready to do water changes to reduce nitrate to acceptable levels which for fish only is really not something you need to worry about..
Fish are not as bothered by nitrate levels like corals may be..
but its still a good idea to target low nitrate levels to avoid nuisance algae growth..

 

[PeteStarks]

The best advice is to just go slow and keep a log of any changes as you add live stock to your tank. The most common issue you will see is people get the cycle finished and then dump in tons of stuff, only to crash their system. You have a starter population of good bacteria and it's important that you don't overload it with too much too fast and let it grow as needed.