Cycle question

[oreocookie]

Hi guys,

I’ll start this by saying I know I have to be patient with the cycle, but I do want to make sure I’m not wasting my time. I filled my 12 gallon tank last Sunday, and added in the ammonia and bacteria included with my Reef Casa kit. I tested the next day to get a baseline of where things were at. Ammonia was 1.5, maybe slightly higher, and nitrite was what looked like 0.1. Testing every day or second day since, including just a few minutes ago, I’m getting the same results, 1.5 and 0.1 I have not bothered testing nitrates figuring I would start only when ammonia or nitrite started to show a change. I’m using Salifert tests. Salinity after the most recent test was 1.026-1.0265 (but I also did a top off right after the reading).

I would have expected to see some change by now, but nothing. Should I keep waiting or is it time to head to the LFS for a bottle of bacteria and maybe some more ammonia? I started with dry rock and sand.

Thanks!

 

[Uncle99]

Check nitrates, if you have, you’re ready.
You can add additional bacteria anytime, but you’re done.
Let the fish take your system to the next level.
Many ammonia, nitrite testing are not very defining.

 

[Fish Fan]

What bacteria product did they include with your kit?

One week without much change isn't unusual. With most bottled bacteria products, a cycle takes about 3 to even 4 weeks. I would just give it some more time

 

[oreocookie]

What bacteria product did they include with your kit?

One week without much change isn't unusual. With most bottled bacteria products, a cycle takes about 3 to even 4 weeks. I would just give it some more time

The bacteria provided was their own branded Life bacteria.

 

[bushdoc]

I would NOT introduce fish yet and I don't think you are done.
Many bacteria cultures are sold dormant, so it might take longer for them to multiply and if they are sold life they are vulnerable to shipping and handling.
I would go either for some reputable bacteria source or some detritus, sand, rubble from LFS or hobbyist

 

[Fish Fan]

The bacteria provided was their own branded Life bacteria.

I'm not familiar with their brand of bacteria, but I would still suggest giving it some more time to work. If noting changes in a few days to a week, then it's possible the bottle of bacteria is a dud.

 

[oreocookie]

I would NOT introduce fish yet and I don't think you are done.
Many bacteria cultures are sold dormant, so it might take longer for them to multiply and if they are sold life they are vulnerable to shipping and handling.
I would go either for some reputable bacteria source or some detritus, sand, rubble from LFS or hobbyist

I had no expectations of adding any fish until at least about a month in, and that has not changed.

I'm not familiar with their brand of bacteria, but I would still suggest giving it some more time to work. If noting changes in a few days to a week, then it's possible the bottle of bacteria is a dud.

I’ll give it a few more days, and if there’s still no change by the time I need to get my bucket of RODI refilled next weekend, I’ll pick up a bottle of more known bacteria at the same time.

 

[Fish Fan]

I’ll give it a few more days, and if there’s still no change by the time I need to get my bucket of RODI refilled next weekend, I’ll pick up a bottle of more known bacteria at the same time.

Good plan. Also consider grabbing a small chunk of some real, wet live rock from your fish store, that will bring the beneficial bacteria in as well.

 

[oreocookie]

Update: It’s now been exactly 2 weeks since I put in the initial bacteria and ammonia, and I can now see that the cycle is definitely underway. Ammonia is at 0.5, nitrites just a little shy of 2, and nitrates somewhere between 10 and 25. Is the nitrite level high enough to be skewing the nitrate test?

I started noticing some movement on the test results early this week, so have not added extra bacteria or ammonia. The water is looking a little cloudy/blurry, which I’ve read is likely the bacteria blooming. Should I expect that to clear up on its own or will I need to do something about it at some point?

 

[Fish Fan]

Update: It’s now been exactly 2 weeks since I put in the initial bacteria and ammonia, and I can now see that the cycle is definitely underway. Ammonia is at 0.5, nitrites just a little shy of 2, and nitrates somewhere between 10 and 25. Is the nitrite level high enough to be skewing the nitrate test?

I started noticing some movement on the test results early this week, so have not added extra bacteria or ammonia. The water is looking a little cloudy/blurry, which I’ve read is likely the bacteria blooming. Should I expect that to clear up on its own or will I need to do something about it at some point?

Good to hear that you're making progress!

Yes, any nitrite will skew the nitrate tests, so you really can't know the true nitrate concentration until you're nitrite goes to zero.

I think the cloudiness will clear up on it's own soon enough