Another Fishless Cycle question

[Drewposi]

ok quick update. Day 5 testing

Ammonia - 5-8ppm
Nitrites - 4-5ppm

Tested Nitrates for fun and they are showing 15-20ppm…

I’m about over these api kits. The colors don’t match for crap! Lol

These all seem like bizarre numbers for the 5th day of a cycle…

Do I just let it ride and see what happens?!?

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

You will need a little phosphate for nitrite to nitrate conversion. A little fish food will handle the phosphate.


Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit, Live from Woodstock 1969
"Remember, what the dormouse said, feed your head !

Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[Drewposi]

I need to get a good ph test kit.. I’m using strips but my last two reading were in the upper 6’s.. I know that’s too low. If that’s the cause what the fix? Water change to get the ph up? Won’t a low PH stop the nitrogen cycle to some degree?

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

I need to get a good ph test kit.. I’m using strips but my last two reading were in the upper 6’s.. I know that’s too low. If that’s the cause what the fix? Water change to get the ph up? Won’t a low PH stop the nitrogen cycle to some degree?

PH between 7.5 and 8.0 temp between 25C to 30C. 20-gallon tank add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to keep dKH up and
if CO2 is not too high the PH should rise. The baking soda ( sodium bi-carbonate ) should raise your dKH by 1.1.
Monitor Alk if you can ( test kit ), if not , dose 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda two days max.

This does not work instantly as it takes a little time for the tank to release the CO2 in the sodium bi-carbonate to the surrounding air.

'https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/nitrifying-bacteria'

Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[Drewposi]

I can’t with these colors being so similar.

Ammonia looks darker but it’s pretty spot on at 2.0 (which is better than the 6-8 reading I got this morning.

And the Nitrite I can’t tell. Would say closer to 2.0 but maybe somewhere in the middle of 2-5.

I think I’m over thinking it. Just don’t know if I should dose ammonia again in the morning? Are these too close to 5.0? Any thoughts?

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

I can’t with these colors being so similar.

Ammonia looks darker but it’s pretty spot on at 2.0 (which is better than the 6-8 reading I got this morning.

And the Nitrite I can’t tell. Would say closer to 2.0 but maybe somewhere in the middle of 2-5.

I think I’m over thinking it. Just don’t know if I should dose ammonia again in the morning? Are these too close to 5.0? Any thoughts?

Yes, maybe - enjoy looking at your tank while it is clean and imagine so you can plan your adventure. I would just lower your dose of ammonia and also dose some fish food. Test again about day 10.

You said: "Ya the live stuff. Sorry I didn’t realize they made it dry." Bacteria is breaking down the dead bacteria and organics in the sand causing the ammonia spike.


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[taricha]

think I’m over thinking it. Just don’t know if I should dose ammonia again in the morning? Are these too close to 5.0? Any thoughts?

Those colors for the ammonia and nitrite are both too strong to get a good reading on what their values actually are. Regardless your system has had plenty of ammonia, and is rapidly converting it to nitrite. Which means your system is cycling exactly as you would like it to. I would not bother with adding any more ammonia. Your system is responding well to the ammonia challenge you gave it.

 

[Drewposi]

Those colors for the ammonia and nitrite are both too strong to get a good reading on what their values actually are. Regardless your system has had plenty of ammonia, and is rapidly converting it to nitrite. Which means your system is cycling exactly as you would like it to. I would not bother with adding any more ammonia. Your system is responding well to the ammonia challenge you gave it.

This morning my ammonia dropped to about 1-2 ppm. I did dose a little more (half of what’s called for) so I will not be adding anything else. Thanks for the input! I’ll give it a few days and see how it goes!

 

[Drewposi]

Well day 7 and my Ammonia dropped to .5!!! Nitrites still up somewhere between 2-5ppm but that’s great right!!?!

 

[Garf]

Well day 7 and my Ammonia dropped to .5!!! Nitrites still up somewhere between 2-5ppm but that’s great right!!?!

Yep, most don’t worry about nitrites.

 

[Drewposi]

Yep, most don’t worry about nitrites.

If by day 9 I’m at 0 ammonia can I add a couple clowns? What nitrite range do I need to wait till?

 

[Garf]

If by day 9 I’m at 0 ammonia can I add a couple clowns? What nitrite range do I need to wait till?

Nitrite doesn’t matter, that will come down with time and causes no known issues. What does cause issues is adding poor quality disease ridden livestock. If your not gonna quarantine yourself you should shop around for livestock from a trusted source. Unfortunately knowing a “trusted source” only comes from experience or referrals. I believe you folks call it a “crap shoot”. :)

 

[Drewposi]

Nitrite doesn’t matter, that will come down with time and causes no known issues. What does cause issues is adding poor quality disease ridden livestock. If your not gonna quarantine yourself you should shop around for livestock from a trusted source. Unfortunately knowing a “trusted source” only comes from experience or referrals. I believe you folks call it a “crap shoot”. :)

I currently have 2 pairs of clowns at my LFS in quarantine waiting for me to choose what ones I want!

 

[Garf]

I currently have 2 pairs of clowns at my LFS in quarantine waiting for me to choose what ones I want!

Happy days :)

Edit - keep your lights nice and low. If you get corals you can deal with all the things that entails later. Happy reefin’ :)

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Yep, most don’t worry about nitrites.

Nitrite toxicity affected by species susceptibility, environmental conditions​

'https://www.globalseafood.org/advoc...cies-susceptibility-environmental-conditions/'

"Chloride ions have the same charge and are similar in size to nitrite ions. Because of this similarity, chloride competes with nitrite for adsorption sites on the active carrier mechanism responsible for transporting environmental nitrite across the gill lamellae to the bloodstream. By blocking the uptake of nitrite by the carrier, chloride lessens the amount of nitrite that would pass from water to the bloodstream of aquatic animals at a particular nitrite-nitrogen concentration, thereby lessening the risk of nitrite toxicity."

Edit: You asked what level is safe

"For marine organisms, the ranges in safe concentrations are higher – 0.5 to 15.0 mg/L for invertebrates and 5.0 to 50.0 mg/L for fish."


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

 

[Drewposi]

Nitrite toxicity affected by species susceptibility, environmental conditions​

'https://www.globalseafood.org/advoc...cies-susceptibility-environmental-conditions/'

"Chloride ions have the same charge and are similar in size to nitrite ions. Because of this similarity, chloride competes with nitrite for adsorption sites on the active carrier mechanism responsible for transporting environmental nitrite across the gill lamellae to the bloodstream. By blocking the uptake of nitrite by the carrier, chloride lessens the amount of nitrite that would pass from water to the bloodstream of aquatic animals at a particular nitrite-nitrogen concentration, thereby lessening the risk of nitrite toxicity."

Edit: You asked what level is safe

"For marine organisms, the ranges in safe concentrations are higher – 0.5 to 15.0 mg/L for invertebrates and 5.0 to 50.0 mg/L for fish."


Probably happens !

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

Ammonia gone. Nitrites sitting around 2.0ppm. Tomorrow will be day 9. Safe to add my clowns you think? Tomorrow or Monday?

 

[brandon429]

Look how fantastically reliable the ammonia line from a cycling chart is compared to this cycle = 10 days

 

[Drewposi]

Ok day 13 and I have a pair of clowns in now for the 3rd day now. They started out great. Are we’re all over the place and now they’ve decided to host the overflow to the sump area. Acting a tad lethargic (could just be acclimating) ate great the first two days now today neither ate much at all. One of them does look like it has couple few tiny white ickish looking dots on it. They were in quarantine for almost 4 months at lfs and treated with copper and such. We’re thriving in the store and beautiful for a long time. I noticed they were going to the surface a lot and putting their mouths out of the water. Figured it was an oxygen issue maybe so I put the flow valve up to cause more surface movement.

Ammonia is 0
Nitrite will not drop below 2.0 ppm
And I’m reading some nitrates (strip test) not sure what the real amount is. Test is showing in the 50 range which I find hard to believe.
Temp is 78.2
Salinity 1.25
Ph 8

Why won’t my dang nitrites fall? Could that be stressing out the clowns?

I just did a 5 gallon water change. Will test again in the am. Gonna grab a good nitrate tester tomorrow. Tank is also very clean, no algae yet.
Any advice on what to do to keep them happy. With they be ok with nitrites sitting around 2ppm?

After the water change the clowns left the surface and went back down towards the bottom/middle of the water Column so I guess that’s good. Any advice would be great! Thanks in advanced!

 

[Garf]

Ok day 13 and I have a pair of clowns in now for the 3rd day now. They started out great. Are we’re all over the place and now they’ve decided to host the overflow to the sump area. Acting a tad lethargic (could just be acclimating) ate great the first two days now today neither ate much at all. One of them does look like it has couple few tiny white ickish looking dots on it. They were in quarantine for almost 4 months at lfs and treated with copper and such. We’re thriving in the store and beautiful for a long time. I noticed they were going to the surface a lot and putting their mouths out of the water. Figured it was an oxygen issue maybe so I put the flow valve up to cause more surface movement.

Ammonia is 0
Nitrite will not drop below 2.0 ppm
And I’m reading some nitrates (strip test) not sure what the real amount is. Test is showing in the 50 range which I find hard to believe.
Temp is 78.2
Salinity 1.25
Ph 8

Why won’t my dang nitrites fall? Could that be stressing out the clowns?

I just did a 5 gallon water change. Will test again in the am. Gonna grab a good nitrate tester tomorrow. Tank is also very clean, no algae yet.
Any advice on what to do to keep them happy. With they be ok with nitrites sitting around 2ppm?

After the water change the clowns left the surface and went back down towards the bottom/middle of the water Column so I guess that’s good. Any advice would be great! Thanks in advanced!

Don’t suppose you know what salinity they were being kept in, at the shop?

 

[backbayreef]

I did the same thing on my soon-to-be nem-only 175g+frag tank (check it on my sig). The tank got cycled in around a week. I got SPS sticks and zoas after a week, no issues! Also added 2 clowns and they acclimated fine.

Tank was started with all dry rocks and added 160lbs of CaribSea this week since I’ll need sand for nems. The ugly stage will kick in but if you kill your lights, things will die off. Get your CUC going (urchins would be my fav) and you should be good to go! I honestly believe that you’re over-thinking this. lol

Happy Reefing…