Ammonia test?

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Today tried to cycle my tank again but I can’t get a reading from my Salifert ammonia test, how much of a colour change am I looking for? I have just add 40 drops of dr Tim’s ammonia to a 14g tank, took a reading straight away, no colour change, waited 3 hours, still no colour change?

Two weeks ago a started the cycle, added the 40 drops and 8oz of fritz, got a reading of maybe 1.5ppm ammonia on day one, few days later nitrates of the chart so did a full water change after about a week.

managed to totally confuse myself, what’s the best way to check the cycle has started or how best to start the cycle again?

thanks.
 

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Essentially, the cycle starts when your ammonia (and nitrite) is going down and you get a rise in nitrates. Just remember that once your ammonia gets to zero you need to get ammonia into the tank to keep the bacteria alive or get a fish. As for the test kit I am not sure. BRS has some great videos on the cycling.
 

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your tank is already cycled depending on how much surface area you have inside, see this thread as to why (you inputted one day cycling bac two weeks ago if Im understanding)

post pics of your tank so we can see working surface area


getting test kits to agree or work has no bearing on whether your tank is actually cycled, per above.

investigate whether or not fritz and other bottle bac preps are being used to skip cycles altogether. if they are, and you've added it/done. in the thread is an example of an all dry cycle, day one, fully stocked.

a closed cycle is an allowed start date, you can start. change out your wastewater for new water if you've redosed ammonia since the prior water change, and begin however you were going to begin. most importantly, link the new beginnings so we can track
 
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your tank is already cycled depending on how much surface area you have inside, see this thread as to why (you inputted one day cycling bac two weeks ago if Im understanding)

post pics of your tank so we can see working surface area


getting test kits to agree or work has no bearing on whether your tank is actually cycled, per above.

investigate whether or not fritz and other bottle bac preps are being used to skip cycles altogether. if they are, and you've added it/done. in the thread is an example of an all dry cycle, day one, fully stocked.

a closed cycle is an allowed start date, you can start. change out your wastewater for new water if you've redosed ammonia since the prior water change, and begin however you were going to begin. most importantly, link the new beginnings so we can track

I’ve tried reading that thread but it just confuses me unfortunately.

If my tank is cycled why am I still getting a nitrite reading of .5 salifert test.

I have 275g of sopirax in the back too.

So if after looking at the pic you say my tank is cycled, I’ll then do a water change but I’m not ready to add fish for 3/4 weeks, what’s the best way to maintain the tank till then? Add ammonia daily/weekly?

Thanks for the help.

9837FA8F-C49D-466B-B4F5-19ABAF1A1E5D.jpeg
 
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brandon429

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what we're stating in that thread is how in forums everybody's cycle needs more time, or to be allowed to start by what a test kit says, but in real life/at macna conventions all tank are just ready and being used for thousands of people to shop from and make use of.

Fritz is the most costly bac out there, and we show in the thread at the bottom how lesser bacteria than fritz still cycles a tank all in one day. You are two weeks in past using it, so you are at a crossroads:

1. begin with clean up crew like crabs and snails, they wont die since the tank is ready. do a full water change and begin, they will live day to day because the tank is ready.

2. wait until your test kits line up and permit you to start.

Those are two opposing approaches because that's the state the hobby is in regarding cycling, you'll get different answers as to when you are allowed to start reefing depending on who you ask.

100% of people who use fritz can carry a bioload right when you add it, and yours was given an extra few weeks

post pics of your tank for us to see rocks and sand

your bacteria need no feeding before you begin/nobody was feeding them in the bottle and they survived to cycle your tank in one day.

There is a method of cycling that doesn't require test kits, you are using that method. Your tank was ready to handle loading the day you added the most expensive bac out there.
 

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Sounds like you're cycled to me and ready for fish. If you're adding the same amount now as you did before to get 1.5 ppm and no ammonia, you have nitrates..boom!...you're there, congrats. Nitrite isn't toxic to fish in saltwater so don't worry about trace amounts that are probably test errors.

Start slow though...but ammonia add of 1.5 ppm and no readings after 3 hours, you're good for 2-3 fish.
 
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Sounds like you're cycled to me and ready for fish. If you're adding the same amount now as you did before to get 1.5 ppm and no ammonia, you have nitrates..boom!...you're there, congrats. Nitrite isn't toxic to fish in saltwater so don't worry about trace amounts that are probably test errors.

Start slow though...but ammonia add of 1.5 ppm and no readings after 3 hours, you're good for 2-3 fish.

Not 1.5 I have nitrites of 0.5, but nitrates off the chart, I’m unable to get a reading for ammonia even just after adding? I think party because of the salifert test not being very good at the low end for ammonia.
 

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the pic confirms this tank is cycled based on submersion times, boosters added that work in 1 day, and plenty of surface area in the form of either real live rock or liferock / has pigmentation isn't bone white/ and sand is in place too. you can begin, if you want to keep waiting for tests to agree then you're on that scale where they may agree or may never allow you to start, titration reef tests vary wildly.

you can change all your water and begin in any way you see fit

before adding fish, read the fish disease forum and choose a disease prevention protocol. if you skip that, fish die but not due to lack of cycle.
 
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Not 1.5 I have nitrites of 0.5, but nitrates off the chart, I’m unable to get a reading for ammonia even just after adding?
Yup. No ammonia after adding means either your system is processing it or your test kit has totally failed. With the nitrates increasing, I suspect you're processing the ammonia just fine. Not worried about nitrites at all at .5 ppm...nitrites are much more harmful in freshwater (1 ppm will kill in freshwater)...people think that means same for saltwater. In saltwater chloride is present is sufficient amounts to virtually eliminate nitrite concerns. Especially at .5 ppm.
 

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agreed. only ammonia control matters because as the bioload sits there safely in the quick cycled tank, all the bac generations that handle the other nitrogen species slowly build up, and the reason the system doesnt crash before they build up is because only ammonia control matters, nitrite and nitrate readings do not matter in cycling for reasons stated and no, nitrite cannot stall a cycle though many videos claim so. nobody will ever agree on that part, but if this tank was being moved to a MACNA convention it would be handled as 100% ready.
 

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Now go buy that Firefish, a snail or two, a nice frag of green star polyp* and maybe a xenia* and get to reefing!

* these corals are considered pest like by some - but great beginner corals and I think beautiful.
 
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the pic confirms this tank is cycled based on submersion times, boosters added that work in 1 day, and plenty of surface area in the form of either real live rock or liferock / has pigmentation isn't bone white/ and sand is in place too. you can begin, if you want to keep waiting for tests to agree then you're on that scale where they may agree or may never allow you to start, titration reef tests vary wildly.

you can change all your water and begin in any way you see fit


Thanks so much for the help, I was all ready to buy new tests and start again, I am waiting for my stand to be delivered so not ready to add fish till that arrives, it may be a small tank but it’ll need to be empty when I lift it lol, think I’ll do a water change in the next few days, then another when the stand arrives.

Thanks again.
 
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Now go buy that Firefish, a snail or two, a nice frag of green star polyp* and maybe a xenia* and get to reefing!

* these corals are considered pest like by some - but great beginner corals and I think beautiful.

Has to be 2 clowns and a 3rd, the Firefish is one I’ve been looking at though.
Up to now it’s LPS corals that do it for me, I’ll take a look at the GSP as it does look a good possibility.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.
 

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Thanks so much for the help, I was all ready to buy new tests and start again, I am waiting for my stand to be delivered so not ready to add fish till that arrives, it may be a small tank but it’ll need to be empty when I lift it lol, think I’ll do a water change in the next few days, then another when the stand arrives.

Thanks again.
No need to add 40 drops anymore but I would do 10-20 every few days until you add fish just to keep the bacteria fed and happy..or maybe they'll be sad. Who cares as long as the eat ammonia and poop nitrite.
 
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No need to add 40 drops anymore but I would do 10-20 every few days until you add fish just to keep the bacteria fed and happy..or maybe they'll be sad. Who cares as long as the eat ammonia and poop nitrite.

If I do that I’m guessing I will need to do regular water changes to remove the nitrates? Whilst waiting to stock the tank.
 

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If I do that I’m guessing I will need to do regular water changes to remove the nitrates? Whilst waiting to stock the tank.
You'll get varying opinions. I did WC with no fish because I didn't want to risk algae and it was going to be a while. I think most wait and do one massive WC before they get their fish, that's good too. With 14 gallon it's probably good either way.
 
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You'll get varying opinions. I did WC with no fish because I didn't want to risk algae and it was going to be a while. I think most wait and do one massive WC before they get their fish, that's good too. With 14 gallon it's probably good either way.

Yeah that’s my thinking too, think I’ll do the changes as I have 50l of water made up anyway and it’ll be good practice, though doing water changes to a tank that is sitting on the floor is not very elegant lol
 

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Yeah that’s my thinking too, think I’ll do the changes as I have 50l of water made up anyway and it’ll be good practice, though doing water changes to a tank that is sitting on the floor is not very elegant lol
You know...you're going to have to drain it to put in on stand (well, I highly recommend it, tanks aren't designed to be moved with water - even small ones), so in that case, why not wait. WC at floor level suck.
 
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You know...you're going to have to drain it to put in on stand (well, I highly recommend it, tanks aren't designed to be moved with water - even small ones), so in that case, why not wait. WC at floor level suck.

Yup, I did have a stand but changed my mind so I’ve already had to empty it once to remove it.

Wouldn’t algae be a real issue if I keep adding ammonia for the next month with no water changes?
 
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