Ammonia Levels During Cycling

[Jobu183]

My ammonia consistently reads very low (about < = .25 ppm), but not 0. Started my tank about three weeks ago and used Bio-Spira to do a fish in cycle.

Question is: since I used Bio-Spira and added 2 clownfish, I've had this same ammonia reading pretty consistently since I started the tank.

Would you consider my cycle done and its safe to add snails / shrimp? Or if not, do you have any recommendations on what I can do to get my ammonia levels to drop that last little bit?

I'd be more comfortable if my ammonia levels started high and were steadily decreasing, but not seeing any movement in their levels is my concern.

Thanks!

 

[brandon429]

yes its done, that's why 5 year old reef tanks run that same ammonia in most cases.

 

[brandon429]

Bio-spira works great

I just started a new tank a little over a week ago. I started with all dry rock and new sand. I added a bottle of Bio-Spira and put fish and coral the same day. Never saw any ammonia and fish and coral seem healthy.

www.reef2reef.com

here is the exact arc your reef is about to take.

that's not just two fish on day one, that's a full reef into dry start rocks on day one

see how it all did fine, until the end of the year till disease hit? gotta do fallow and quarantine to fix that part. the ammonia control was not an issue, ever, for you or for him.

*we didn't test ammonia there because it's not needed, but you can bet the boots he'd have tested .25 if api was wielded.

 

[brandon429]

can you please post a clear tank picture of your setup.

the water clarity, position of animals, general ratios of water/rock/sand and bioload factored against your known # of days already running is how we will proof your cycle, it won't be helpful to know any readings from a non digital test kit. using cheap test kits to discern a cycle is the old way, we're in process of using the new way on your setup


the tank picture will proof your cycle far better than any non digital test kit.

 

[brandon429]

*your cycle was not one of peaks and troughs like the cycles you read about from ten years ago

your tester won't catch those peaks and troughs correctly even if you did a spiked-ammonia cycle from yesteryear


your cycle was this: a tank with no filtration bacteria got some darn good ones dumped in

fish added and the feed the command and the waste they produce lends needed carbon and nitrogen to the system, and bacteria in suspension handled the processing needs even before they could implant onto surfaces. they implanted onto surfaces in 6 or so days per Dr. Reefs 100 page study on implantation rates.