Endless cycle?

[obarrera]

My tank has been cycling for over 4 months, it’s a 20gallon tank, with around 20lbs of rock(Marco rock), I didn’t use any live sand or live rock, but I’ve had several tanks before and never had this problem, it’s making feel like a noob, I haven’t done a single water change, just top off with freshwater. I’m using the API ammonia test kit that is for freshwater but as far as I know the 2 ammonia bottles work for both fresh and salt?

Should I do a big water change? From my experience a cycle shouldn’t last this long even with no water changes. Ever since I started testing my water, the test water turns very green, and when I test my freshwater tank, it’s yellow, no ammonia at all.

 

[Reefing102]

Yes the test is designed for both fresh and saltwater, but I think they may have different color cards. Did you start with dry rock and sand? Have you added any bottled bacteria?

 

[kharmaguru]

My tank has been cycling for over 4 months, it’s a 20gallon tank, with around 20lbs of rock(Marco rock), I didn’t use any live sand or live rock, but I’ve had several tanks before and never had this problem, it’s making feel like a noob, I haven’t done a single water change, just top off with freshwater. I’m using the API ammonia test kit that is for freshwater but as far as I know the 2 ammonia bottles work for both fresh and salt?

Should I do a big water change? From my experience a cycle shouldn’t last this long even with no water changes. Ever since I started testing my water, the test water turns very green, and when I test my freshwater tank, it’s yellow, no ammonia at all.

I'm thinking test kit error. What ammonia level are you getting? Have you tested nitrite or nitrate?

 

[obarrera]

It only came with one card I think, and it says freshwater on it, I don’t see anything about working with saltwater, but I was about to buy the saltwater version and noticed the ammonia API brand test says it’s both for fresh and salt. But if I go by this card, my ammonia usually reads 4.0ppm sometimes even 8.0ppm. I haven’t tested nitrite or nitrate, I’m heading for work now but will test those as soon as I get a chance tonight. Yes started with dry sand and rock. For bacteria I only added a bit of microbacter7

 

[griss]

Yep, from what I've read, it looks like API supplies a different color card for saltwater. ETA: Found a comparison.

 

[Reefing102]

My guess is you’re actually cycled and it’s a test kit error. If you are able to test nitrate that should show whether or not your nitrogen cycle is processing.

 

[obarrera]

I tested nitrate and this is what shows.
Would this mean my tank is cycled or not? I also bought the seachem ammonia alert, it will arrive tomorrow, not sure if it’s any good. I’ll start buying that amquel plus conditioner, been using the seachem one.

 

[obarrera]

I only added fish food at the start of the tank cycle. I’ll add a bit more. And hopefully that seachem ammonia alert works well, it will arrive today.

Thanks

 

[kharmaguru]

I tested nitrate and this is what shows.
Would this mean my tank is cycled or not? I also bought the seachem ammonia alert, it will arrive tomorrow, not sure if it’s any good. I’ll start buying that amquel plus conditioner, been using the seachem one.

That looks like you don't have any nitrate? Something is not making sense.

If you had 8ppm ammonia that would translate into 21.6ppm nitrite and then 28.8ppm nitrate in a perfect cycle. While 8ppm ammonia is way too high a starting point, some say a stalled cycle is impossible so I'm a bit baffled.

Can you tell us what exactly you did 4 months ago, what water you used and continue to use for top up?

 

[griss]

Yeah, this one is a bit strange. More detail will definitely help to troubleshoot.

 

[obarrera]

I’ll test nitrite when I get home, does anyone know if the seachem ammonia alert is any good? I will be putting that in the tank as well. I use tap water and reef crystals sea salt, same tap water for top off. I use the same water for my freshwater tank too, no ammonia shows in that one.

 

[Reefing102]

My guess if your using dechlorninator in the tap water it’s a false positive. I’d probably add a starter fish like a black Molly (conditioned to saltwater) or maybe a cheaper fish that’s on the fish list

 

[BeanAnimal]

The "cycle" is endless... nitrifying bacteria populations expand and contract based on the available food for them. There is almost no way that your tank has not stabilized after 4 weeks. I would simply ad a fish (not 10) and go from there. Measuring ammonia is somewhat pointless after the first 10-12 days (and even then pointless because you can't really stop the initial population anyway). Throughout the life of your tank, just do things slowly - if you had 20 fish and their food to a 10 year old tank with 2 fish in it, you are likely to have an ammonia spike... slow and steady wins the race.

 

[obarrera]

Reefing102, do you think the dechlorinator can cause it to read a false positive in saltwater and not in freshwater cause I use same water, same dechlorinator in my fresh and saltwater tanks and my freshwater keeps reading 0 ammonia.

I’ll go to my lfs on Friday and buy a fish. It’s what I would always do with my tanks, was just trying to do it without hurting anything but oh well I’ll just buy a fish soon, and the seachem alert isn’t reading any ammonia, it’s been there for over an hour.

 

[Reefing102]

Reefing102, do you think the dechlorinator can cause it to read a false positive in saltwater and not in freshwater cause I use same water, same dechlorinator in my fresh and saltwater tanks and my freshwater keeps reading 0 ammonia.

I’ll go to my lfs on Friday and buy a fish. It’s what I would always do with my tanks, was just trying to do it without hurting anything but oh well I’ll just buy a fish soon, and the seachem alert isn’t reading any ammonia, it’s been there for over an hour.

@wvned may have more information on that as I’m not 100% on the test relationship between dechlorinator and fresh vs saltwater testing

That said, while I’ve never ran the seachem badges, I’ve seen several people use them and haven’t had any bad readings as far as I know. As mentioned, just start slow with adding the fish to allow the bacterial population to increase and not overload the system

 

[griss]

Yep, I hate the color comparison test kits. I prefer titration kits or Hanna checkers. I use Salifert for Alk, Ca, and Mg and a Hanna for PO4. I also use Salifert for Nitrate, unfortunately that is a color comparison test kit. I usually ask Mrs. griss to compare the colors with me to try to get the best estimate on what my Nitrate levels are

 

[obarrera]

I got a pair of clownfish like 6 days ago and they’ve been eating very good, but a small frag of gsp was opening for 2 days then it stopped opening, and the seachem ammonia alert is on on alert at the moment which would be 0.05 ppm. I did a water change yesterday just in case. I’m running a radion xr15 pro 9 hours a day and I know gsp is super easy to keep so kinda worries me the ammonia alert is correct.

Is there any ammonia tester that isn’t affected by dechlorinator? My bad if I asked already but I mean even digital, I wouldn’t mind spending on it as long as there’s something very accurate out there, a digital ammonia meter would be nice.

 

[kharmaguru]

Corals are unaffected by ammonia. They utilize it as a nitrogen source. GSP can close for weeks for any number of reasons - clownfish bugging them, too much light, not enough flow, etc.

 

[brandon429]

It would be easy to fix your cycle, we're missing a tank picture. There's a detail you mentioned in the description that made me want to see a tank pic. I bet its fixed by now anyway but if not, would be curious to see a tank picture

The tank carried bioload even when the testing didn't line up, that factors as well in the seemingly stalled cycle