pdiehm
Valuable Member
The quarantine cycle is ongoing, just seems like it's stalled. Period.
Over 4 weeks ago (5 in total since initial dose), I got my first nitrite reading. Since then, nitrites have not fallen. At.All. Zero. I would venture, that if anything, according to the red sea test, they have gone up.
On the tank I had an Aquaclear 20, and about a 6" piece of pukani.
Earlier this week, I replaced the AC20 with an AC70 (and kept the pukani in the tank) thinking maybe I didn't have enough surface area for bacteria to colonize. I took the ceramic balls, and the sponge out of the 20, and put them into the 70, along with the ceramic balls, and sponge that came with the 70. Having said that, there's no way the 70 is seeded with bacteria yet to handle the nitrites, so I have to give that time.
I have the 70 on the end of the tank (20G Long) so it's going lengthwise. I have a Koralia powerhead on the other end pointed at the AC70. I have 2 Nano 425 Koralia's on the back wall. The surface is rippling. Temps are 80 or so.
The process:
Dosed 2ppm ammonia
Waited
WHen it dropped to 0, I tested for nitrites (tested way over 1).
Re-dosed ammonia to 2ppm
dropped to zero (2 more times)
Dosed back up to 2 ppm (2 times).
Nitrites still sky high, ammonia zero.
At this point, do I keep waiting (and give the new AC70 a chance to house/develop a bacteria colony)? Should I do a water change of 30-50% to get nitrites down?
Someone told me that I need to keep feeding ammonia to the tank. Another said don't do anything. A 3rd said, add a bacteria source like Dr. Tims.
Sooo, you can see why I'm so confused.
Over 4 weeks ago (5 in total since initial dose), I got my first nitrite reading. Since then, nitrites have not fallen. At.All. Zero. I would venture, that if anything, according to the red sea test, they have gone up.
On the tank I had an Aquaclear 20, and about a 6" piece of pukani.
Earlier this week, I replaced the AC20 with an AC70 (and kept the pukani in the tank) thinking maybe I didn't have enough surface area for bacteria to colonize. I took the ceramic balls, and the sponge out of the 20, and put them into the 70, along with the ceramic balls, and sponge that came with the 70. Having said that, there's no way the 70 is seeded with bacteria yet to handle the nitrites, so I have to give that time.
I have the 70 on the end of the tank (20G Long) so it's going lengthwise. I have a Koralia powerhead on the other end pointed at the AC70. I have 2 Nano 425 Koralia's on the back wall. The surface is rippling. Temps are 80 or so.
The process:
Dosed 2ppm ammonia
Waited
WHen it dropped to 0, I tested for nitrites (tested way over 1).
Re-dosed ammonia to 2ppm
dropped to zero (2 more times)
Dosed back up to 2 ppm (2 times).
Nitrites still sky high, ammonia zero.
At this point, do I keep waiting (and give the new AC70 a chance to house/develop a bacteria colony)? Should I do a water change of 30-50% to get nitrites down?
Someone told me that I need to keep feeding ammonia to the tank. Another said don't do anything. A 3rd said, add a bacteria source like Dr. Tims.
Sooo, you can see why I'm so confused.
