Ammonia spike during cycling

Specific Ocean

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I’m on my 4th day of cycling using Dr Tim’s One and Only and had an ammonia spike. I think I added too much ammonium chloride yesterday. I started with 100 drops (day 1) but misread the instructions and doubled it yesterday (day 4).

Day 2 was tests were at 1.2 and at Day 4, it’s greater than 2. My chart doesn’t go passed 2 :/

my question to y’all is..

1. Do I do a water change? If so, what percent?

2. Do I add more One and Only?

3. Or do I just test daily to see if it drops back down?

Thanks for the help!
 

schuby

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When I cycled my new 150gal tank 2 years ago, these were the steps I followed from Dr Tim's video:
  1. Add 2ppm of ammonia
  2. After adding ammonia, add appropriate sized bottle of One and Only (entire bottle)
  3. Test ammonia each day.
  4. When ammonia gets to zero, add 2ppm more ammonia
  5. When ammonia gets to zero again, tank is ready for fish
I also waited until Nitrite went to zero. The bacteria that converts Nitrite to Nitrate grows slower than the Ammonia-to-Nitrite bacteria.

For your situation, I would keep testing daily for a week to see if ammonia starts to drop. If not, then do a 20% or so water change to give it a little boost. I wouldn't keep dosing ammonia until it hits zero.
 

brandon429

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wanting to make sure this is dry rock you're cycling vs live rock which is already cycled

we're running about 70%/30% split nowadays in cycling posts, worthy to verify. the two systems get polar opposite cycling treatment/handy to know
 
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Specific Ocean

Specific Ocean

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When I cycled my new 150gal tank 2 years ago, these were the steps I followed from Dr Tim's video:
  1. Add 2ppm of ammonia
  2. After adding ammonia, add appropriate sized bottle of One and Only (entire bottle)
  3. Test ammonia each day.
  4. When ammonia gets to zero, add 2ppm more ammonia
  5. When ammonia gets to zero again, tank is ready for fish
I also waited until Nitrite went to zero. The bacteria that converts Nitrite to Nitrate grows slower than the Ammonia-to-Nitrite bacteria.

For your situation, I would keep testing daily for a week to see if ammonia starts to drop. If not, then do a 20% or so water change to give it a little boost. I wouldn't keep dosing ammonia until it hits zero.

Thanks. Will take this into consideration
 
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Specific Ocean

Specific Ocean

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wanting to make sure this is dry rock you're cycling vs live rock which is already cycled

we're running about 70%/30% split nowadays in cycling posts, worthy to verify. the two systems get polar opposite cycling treatment/handy to know

dry rock and live sand
 

vetteguy53081

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Part of cycling will be chemical changes and spikes.
You may safely add 1-1.5 ml of liquid bacteria which will help with seeding and allowing ammonia to0 do its thing but nt allow it to elevate to dangerous levels.
With your readings. . . what test kit(s) are you using ?
 
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Specific Ocean

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Part of cycling will be chemical changes and spikes.
You may safely add 1-1.5 ml of liquid bacteria which will help with seeding and allowing ammonia to0 do its thing but nt allow it to elevate to dangerous levels.
With your readings. . . what test kit(s) are you using ?

Thanks. Makes sense

I’m using the Red Sea Marine Care Test Kit
 
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Specific Ocean

Specific Ocean

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Did a 10% water change and getting a reading that's not on the charts (pictured below). I clean my glass vials with RO/DI water before and after each test.

I'll test again tomorrow and try another water change. I bought another bottle of One and Only just in case I have to add more bacteria.

Not in a rush to cycle my tank but I want to make sure things are running as they should be. IMG_7123.jpg IMG_7124.jpg
 

Clownfish_Boy

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Did a 10% water change and getting a reading that's not on the charts (pictured below). I clean my glass vials with RO/DI water before and after each test.

I'll test again tomorrow and try another water change. I bought another bottle of One and Only just in case I have to add more bacteria.

Not in a rush to cycle my tank but I want to make sure things are running as they should be. IMG_7123.jpg IMG_7124.jpg
Did I read that you added ammonia ? No wonder your test is reading so high. Now you will just have to wait till the bacteria colonies mature and catch up.....
 

blasterman

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Stop fiddling with the tank and leave it alone. Bacteria will catch up eventually and they dont move faster if you are testing more.

Cycling isn't a delicate process that requires instructions or manual intervention. Its inevitable decomposition and the same process that occurs under a garbage can lid. Bacteria will grow to meet the ammonia load. It will just take a couple days longer. Net result is you will end up with a whole bunch of nitrate. When ammonia bottoms then do a big water change to get rid of the nitrate.
 

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Just shake and dump the whole bottle of bacteria in (remove filter socks and carbon if you have any filter media in for 2 days other than biomedia like ceramic rings or if the tank has a biosponge). Once the ammonia and nitrite are gone, you are fine. If you want to speed it up a little, you can raise the temp up to 82 or so and have the salinity slightly lower (maybe 1.019 or 1.018 or so)
 

brandon429

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relevance:
regardless of levels attained or reported (approximated) any reef of such size that can just change out the wastewater and leave a functioning filter behind will be cycled on the date the bottle bac says it will


*all old school cycling is waiting for the mix to clear the wastewater but that doesn’t lay down more, or better bacteria than simply stewing any random mix you want for the dates on the bottle and then changing out the water, still cycled

that trick is so handy, we unstick literally all stuck cycles using it.

we found out cycling isn’t about using bacteria to clear the wastewater. You can, but not required. The exact same biofilter is revealed under 8 ppm levels if we just kick out the wastewater on the known date of readiness shown by two independent sources: 1. The ammonia line of a cycling chart and 2. The bottle bac directions, each company knows it’s depositional time already.


name for me a better system (and link it, don’t forget) that accounts for today’s crazy ammonia tests in the hobby, everyone agrees those are usually off base, rarely on base.
 
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