Cycle Finished

[ecas12]

Hey All,

I used Fritz Turbo Start to begin cycling my aquarium 12 days ago and was keeping track of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate while redosing to 2 ppm Ammonia daily. My nitrite and nitrate tests have maxed out, and my tank can handle about 1.5 ppm of Ammonia in 2 days (I have a current reading of .5 ppm two days after dosing to 2 ppm). When do I know if my tank has finished cycling? It seems like from the guide on this website my system (91 gal total) should go to zero ammonia in 24 hours, but it seems like my ammonia consumption has sort of stalled (it hasn't gone below ~.5 ppm after testing every other day with no redosing).

Once my tank is finished cycling and I need to do the massive water change, what nitrate target should I go for?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey All,

I used Fritz Turbo Start to begin cycling my aquarium 12 days ago and was keeping track of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate while redosing to 2 ppm Ammonia daily. My nitrite and nitrate tests have maxed out, and my tank can handle about 1.5 ppm of Ammonia in 2 days (I have a current reading of .5 ppm two days after dosing to 2 ppm). When do I know if my tank has finished cycling? It seems like from the guide on this website my system (91 gal total) should go to zero ammonia in 24 hours, but it seems like my ammonia consumption has sort of stalled (it hasn't gone below ~.5 ppm after testing every other day with no redosing).

Once my tank is finished cycling and I need to do the massive water change, what nitrate target should I go for?

When your ammonia is constant at zero and nitrates 20 or below, you’re finishing cycle as long as no false readings
What test kit are you using?

 

[WWC]

VetteGuy is 100% correct you want to have a good level of consistence. If the numbers read good for a week straight you should be good to go!

 

[ecas12]

When your ammonia is constant at zero and nitrates 20 or below, you’re finishing cycle as long as no false readings
What test kit are you using?

I have been using the Hanna Checker for Ammonia and Nitrate, and Saltwater API for Nitrite. My nitrates have exceeded 75, so once I let the remaining ammonia zero out I am good to go?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have been using the Hanna Checker for Ammonia and Nitrate, and Saltwater API for Nitrite. My nitrates have exceeded 75, so once I let the remaining ammonia zero out I am good to go?

You should be and dont concern yourself with nitrIte Unless sky high like 80-100 or higher

 

[ecas12]

You should be and dont concern yourself with nitrIte Unless sky high like 80-100 or higher

Awesome thank you!

 

[HankstankXXL750]

@vetteguy53081 definitely knows his stuff so I won’t disagree with him. But I recently cycled a tank using prodibio start up and cycled the tank fully in 8 days. That being said I continues to dose to 2 ppm daily until my ammonia read 0. I was using Red Sea test. I dosed again and within <24 hours I was again at 0. I don’t remember my nitrate numbers, but did an almost 100% water change. Close to 200g when my original fill with all sand and rock was about 210g. Once changed I added 4 angels, a harlequin Tuskfish and a red scorpion all under 4”. Had not problems. That being said, if you do a large water change, you should be safe as long as you don’t stock too heavy (just concerned that you are still reading any ammonia, but maybe that is because Hanna reads what would be clear to my eyes on Red Sea).
As I am constantly fighting nitrates in my other systems, I wanted to start with as close to 0 as I could with my water change. I was at 6 ppm nitrate within 2 weeks of adding the fish.
I would feel very comfortable adding fish after a water change, just keep the sea chem alert badge for a while as a safe guard. Mine hasn’t changed from yellow since adding my fish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 definitely knows his stuff so I won’t disagree with him. But I recently cycled a tank using prodibio start up and cycled the tank fully in 8 days. That being said I continues to dose to 2 ppm daily until my ammonia read 0. I was using Red Sea test. I dosed again and within <24 hours I was again at 0. I don’t remember my nitrate numbers, but did an almost 100% water change. Close to 200g when my original fill with all sand and rock was about 210g. Once changed I added 4 angels, a harlequin Tuskfish and a red scorpion all under 4”. Had not problems. That being said, if you do a large water change, you should be safe as long as you don’t stock too heavy (just concerned that you are still reading any ammonia, but maybe that is because Hanna reads what would be clear to my eyes on Red Sea).
As I am constantly fighting nitrates in my other systems, I wanted to start with as close to 0 as I could with my water change. I was at 6 ppm nitrate within 2 weeks of adding the fish.
I would feel very comfortable adding fish after a water change, just keep the sea chem alert badge for a while as a safe guard. Mine hasn’t changed from yellow since adding my fish.

Assure you are not getting false readings. The badge is in water full time and also works for freshwater.
As with test strips using same material, you are to remove them within one minute for accuracy and yet the badge does not.
I have low confidence in badges after a week or two within tank. I just mentioned this to two others who took water to LFS and found their ammonia at .55 and .8 respectively

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Assure you are not getting false readings. The badge is in water full time and also works for freshwater.
As with test strips using same material, you are to remove them within one minute for accuracy and yet the badge does not.
I have low confidence in badges after a week or two within tank. I just mentioned this to two others who took water to LFS and found their ammonia at .55 and .8 respectively

That is a good point. I have been using some of my badges long term in QT set ups. Even letting them dry out during TTM. However they still appear to function. I would not consider them a fail safe, but as a possible warning system. In an established cycled QT/observation tank, I would only look to them if I notice any changes in fish activity. If it has changed colors at all I would check ammonia, otherwise I would be checking other things. In a freshly cycled tank I use new ones in case the filter being established maybe isn’t ready for the load. I recently ordered two Angels and they came in bigger than expected. I attempted to QT them in a 40 breeder that I had taken fish out of a couple days before. The ammonia badge changed the next day, so I shifted fish around to allow me to keep the angels in a 110g multi tank w/sump. I think they are a great tool, but I definitely wouldn’t rely on them alone.