Brigthwell Dry Rock Bacteria Starter Kit

[noobtanker]

Hello all,

Please can I have some advise. I used Brightwells dry rock bacteria starter kit on my 425xl. I followed all instructions as given on the kit. Used dry rock, dry sand, all filtration systems are off or taken out etc etc.
My readings have been as follows:

DAYS​	AMONIA ​	NITRITE ​
1	1.5-2.0	not tested
2	1.2	0
3	1.0	0.025
4	1.0	0.05 (added more XLM start)
5	1.0	0.1 ​
6	0.8	0.15
7	0.7	0.2
8	0.5	0.3 (added more XLM start)
9	0.5	0.5
10	0.8	0.75
11	skipped	skipped
12	0.4	1.0
13	0.4	Greater then 1.0 (added more XLM start)
14	0.4	Greater then 1.0
15	0.3	Greater then 1.0
16	0.2	Greater then 1.0
17	0	Greater then 1.0

Fast forward to day 25 and the readings are the same. I've been using the RedSea test kit from the start. The last 7 days I've been using a Salifert Nitrite test kit as the RedSea maxes out at 1.0. The Salifert tests are telling me No2 stagnant for the last week at 1.5.

Temperature and salinity have remained constant at 78 degrees & 1.026.

My question lies in my concern that the kit claimed to cycle a tank in 7 days. I had my doubts but now that I'm almost 4 weeks in I'm worried i should be doing a water change or something else as the cycle may have stalled. I used 3 different xlm start bacteria bottles, bought at different times from different stores as i was concerned from early on that maybe the bacteria had died off.
Would it be worth adding a different brand of bacteria to try help it along? Thoughts on a water change?

Thanks in advance.

 

[blaxsun]

What are your nitrates though?

 

[Just a Wrasse.]

Nitrates?

 

[noobtanker]

Nitrate reading from 3 days ago and again today, is 50. My understanding though, is that if nitrites are present the nitrates will give me false readings? Not 100 percent sure.

 

[blaxsun]

Pretty sure your tank has cycled at this point.

 

[noobtanker]

Thanks for your reply. I am going to do a 25 percent water change tonight. Then add some ammonia to see what happens over the proceeding 24hr period? Would this give me a better indication?

 

[brandon429]

No, its cycled don’t dose more


add a cuc and some zoanthids

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

you don’t have to read twenty pages of proof just post #1 it’ll help. Notice your ammonia drop action compared to the rule there, all set. Nitrite has no bearing in display cycling, thats the new rule

 

[noobtanker]

No, its cycled don’t dose more


add a cuc and some zoanthids

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

you don’t have to read twenty pages of proof just post #1 it’ll help. Notice your ammonia drop action compared to the rule there, all set. Nitrite has no bearing in display cycling, thats the new rule

awesome. Thanks for this.

 

[brandon429]

If you will update with pics of the tank with life in it, we can use the update pics to proof out your cycle and add to patterning which helps others avoid cycle stall stumbles above, it’s only these patterns that reinforce our rather unique proofing thread and set us far far apart from the means and method of dated older cycling approaches.

non digital test kits won’t be the indicator, it’s that your water stays clear even with life + feed in it day by day. Uncycled reefs crash quickly with feed and life in the tank prematurely. Yours will run each day as clear as it is now.


the reason we are changing cycling rules above is to show that all reefs can command an accurate and ethical start date and by focusing on disease prevention preps they’ll be in acknowledgment of today’s true loss risks in newly setup tanks.

if that thread above wasn’t one of several that big, using that many live reef tank examples we can send messages to proof strong outcome patterns, it’d be taking a risk with your tank.

but your tank will be #2314 assessed this year alone, it’s going to fall into spec per pics and all future updates most likely.