Cycle questions

[johnysreef]

How’s my cycle doing? Am I doing anything wrong or is there anything else I can do to help it along

Started a new tank 30Gallon on 7th may for my autistic son as we visit aquariums as a way to calm him as he loves looking at the fish.

Dry rock 20lbs
live Carib sea sand 25lb
Bottle of dr Tim’s one and only bacteria 8oz

Following dr Tim’s instructions: 4drops per gallon or 1 drop per litre this worked out to 120 drops

7th May dosed ammonia to 2ppm
8th - 2ppm ammonia 2ppm nitrite
9th - 1ppm ammonia 1ppm nitrite followed instructions and dosed back up to 2ppm ammonia this equalled to 40 drops
10th - 2ppm ammonia 1ppm Nitrite
11th - 2ppm ammonia 1ppm nitrite
12th - 2ppm ammonia 1ppm
Nitrite decided to test nitrate aswell and this was at 5ppm
13th 2ppm ammonia 0.5-0.75 nitrite
14th 2ppm ammonia 0.25 nitrite
15th 2ppm ammonia 0.25 nitrite

15th was told by LFS ammonia doesn’t seem to be processing do a small water change test again to bring the ammonia level down to see if it changes anything so i did a 15 litre water change tested again and got 1ppm ammonia between 0-0.25 nitrite and between 3-5ppm nitrate

All tests done with API saltwater test kits

 

[lieberca]

The denitrifying bacteria take a bit of time to fully colonize, and my experience has always been that a few weeks is necessary for a stable foundation. Given that it's only been about a week, I'd suggest waiting it out. I've also come to rely on placing a small piece of raw shrimp from the grocery store in the new tank to give a source of slow decay to feed the growing bacteria population. Water changes might actually slow down the process, as the higher ammonia/nitrite levels are necessary to feed that bacteria.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

One week is pretty fast, a dry rock cycle typically takes about 3 weeks. I would not do water changes or add more ammonia, I would just wait.

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

#WelcometoR2R

Great comments above already. I would just add, throw away the nitrite kit

Nitrite is non-toxic in marine aquaria, unlike how it is in freshwater. There's no need to measure it or be concerned with it at all.

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

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Good luck!