Nitrogen cycle

[azcrazy]

I started my tank few weeks , used sea water from store and some ro/salt mix to top it off (100g store and 100g salt mixed) also added some bactiria and some fish.
Yesterday i decided to test tank to see where it was at and my results are ok?

PH 8.2
ammonia 0
nitrite .25
nitrate 0

Since i have no corals i didnt test fro calcuim and the rest trace elements.

If im not mistaken the cycle hasnt started, till the nitrites become nitrates,right?

I used the master kit test from petco

 

[Taahirs]

Well, you're going to have to spike ammonia first which will then get converted to nitrites then to nitrate.

Easiest way to spike ammonia is to buy pure ammonia and dose to 2ppm any let the cycle start.

 

[azcrazy]

wouldnt that kill the fish?
what i forgot to mention is that my refiguim was running before my main display was even filled, does that has anything to do with it and I also run biopallets, gfo and carbon reactors

 

[Taahirs]

Nitrogen cycle

You have fish already??!!

 

[azcrazy]

yes to provide the ammonia

 

[lespaul339]

Your tank needs to cycle before you can safely add any fish.

 

[Monte26]

Ok, so a few concerns here. First, a fish less cycle is the way to go. Second, once your ammonia has completely turned into nitrates, your cycle is "done." I would read up on how to cycle an aquarium properly (not trying to sound condescending). Third, top off your tank with freshwater not saltwater because the salt does not evaporate, so you'll end up raising salinity if you use saltwater.

 

[Bent]

cycling with fish is a method from 1980 and generally frowned upon in the community anymore. So put your flame suit on.

I would return the fish to the place you bought them.

The NH3 can be provided by the decomposition of organic material, so anything decomposing in the tank will provide it, the fish are not necessary. I used two shrimp from the grocery store to cycle mine. Some people ghost feed with pellet or flake every day to kick the cycle in.

good luck.

 

[azcrazy]

I was told you could of use raw shrimp to start the cycle or few fish to provide the ammonia

 

[Monte26]

I was told you could of use raw shrimp to start the cycle or few fish to provide the ammonia

You can do it with fish, but it's considered inhuman I guess you could say.

 

[Taahirs]

Nitrogen cycle

The whole point of cycling a tank is to make it safe for fish. By putting fish in from the start does exactly the opposite.

I would take that/those fish back to where you got it and do more research

 

[azcrazy]

Ok, so a few concerns here. First, a fish less cycle is the way to go. Second, once your ammonia has completely turned into nitrates, your cycle is "done." I would read up on how to cycle an aquarium properly (not trying to sound condescending). Third, top off your tank with freshwater not saltwater because the salt does not evaporate, so you'll end up raising salinity if you use saltwater.

when i said top off i meant finish filling it, you will not top off 100 gallons

 

[Monte26]

when i said top off i meant finish filling it, you will not top off 100 gallons

Ok, I guess I misunderstood your op, sorry. Check out the "how to" sticky on the forum. There is a ton of good info there!

 

[azcrazy]

The whole point of cycling a tank is to make it safe for fish. By putting fish in from the start does exactly the opposite.

I would take that/those fish back to where you got it and do more research

OK i do that

I go back to my first Q when my nitrites become nitrates cycle is done right?
cause ammonia turned to nitrites, right?

 

[Monte26]

OK i do that

I go back to my first Q when my nitrites become nitrates cycle is done right?

Hard to know without knowing what ammonia levels were originally, but in theory yes, your cycle should be done when ammonia and nitrite are zero and nitrates are present

 

[Happyschneider]

How big is the tank (100G or 200G)?
What is the salinity?
How many fish are in there?
What kind of fish are in there?
Can you take them back to the store?
Have you read the stickys?

In your refugium, what is in there? Any life rock that could already be filtering or "only" algae? Does it have light? Do you have any life rock in the display?

As a complete beginner myself, I would like to tell you, forget everything the LFS has told you. Read up on the sticky here in the beginner forum and let the tank cycle without animals! Add either a raw shrimp or pure ammonia (make sure it is pure and does not form bubbles when shaked). Then wait. USe the time you wait to familiarise yourselve with good water tests and read everything you can find! Take it slow and enjoy the ride. Don't lose confidence over the current situation. People here are super helpful and want to help you to have success.

Something you could try to really jump start the cycle is also add bacteria in addition. Worked with me.

 

[azcrazy]

You can do it with fish, but it's considered inhuman I guess you could say.

Yea i see the problem of that method :thumbsup:

 

[Happyschneider]

The nitrogen cycle is as you said, ammonia turns into nitrite turns into nitrate turns into nitrogen gas (if you have enough anaerobe bacteria that will do the last step).

From my reading I understand that people generally recommend that the cycle is finished if the tank can turn 2 ppm ammonia into nitrate within 24 hrs (no nitrite peak observable). However, you cannot make that test as you stated correctly that might be a little bit dangerous for your fish.

 

[azcrazy]

How big is the tank (100G or 200G)?
What is the salinity?
How many fish are in there?
What kind of fish are in there?
Can you take them back to the store?
Have you read the stickys?

In your refugium, what is in there? Any life rock that could already be filtering or "only" algae? Does it have light? Do you have any life rock in the display?

As a complete beginner I would like to tell you, forget everything the LFS has told you. Read up on the sticky here in the beginner forum and let the tank cycle without animals! Add either a raw shrimp or pure ammonia (make sure it is pure and does not form bubbles when shaked). Then wait. USe the time you wait to familiarise yourselve with good water tests and read everything you can find! Take it slow and enjoy the ride. Don't lose confidence over the current situation. People here are super helpful and want to help you to have success.

Something you could try to really jump start the cycle is also add bacteria in addition. Worked with me.

salinity is 1.025
tanks is 180g main tank 55g sump/refuguim
3 damsel
150lbs dry rock,30 lbs lice rock to seed main display
sump/refugim has 30lbs live rock and macro alegie,and skimmer

taking back to lfs i realy dont know

Also added the bacteria as suggested iin stickies when i was filling the main display

 

[CStrickland]

cycle is just that you are giving food (ammonia / dead meat that produces ammonia) to your biological filtration (bacteria) so that their population grows until there is enough of them to eat the ammonia that your pet fish will produce. If you add a fish before there is enough bacteria, they are swimming around in their own poop and pee which burns them. If you wait until there are enough bacteria to eat the poop n pee of one fish, then if you add one fish, it will not get poisoned because the biofilter can keep up with it.

So it's kinda wrong to think of the cycle as like "a thing that is finished" b/c it's not like once your tank can clear 2ppm ammonia in 24 hours you can fill it with fish. But that's as good a number as any to pick for your goal I guess.

Also, damsels can be grouches, they might kill any more peaceful fish you try to add.

If you think about it, this whole scenario works out pretty well for stores that sell people fish for cycling tanks. They get to sell a whole lot of them if they get poisoned (it's not like they always die right away, they can be sickly and weak for a while so your buying special food and medicine when they catch other diseases) or if the damsel survives to murder new fish. hmmm....