cycle stalled???

[Tabasco1]

It seems as though my cycle process has stalled and I would appreciate and input.

I started cycling live rock on April 29. During the first week I did frequent water changes to keep the amonia at 1ppm until it started processing and then I let it go and watched in the next week as it dropped daily to .25ppm. When it reached .5ppm I started testing for Nitrite. During that same week it dropped from 1ppm to .2pmm.

Both amonia and nitrite were at .25 and .2 respectively on May 6. For the past 10 days there has been no change. Nitrate is at 20ppm. I actually think amonia is below .25pm but that is the last color gradiant before zero. It has been coming out lighter than that for days, but still showing some present.

My question is, should it be taking over a week to 10 days to drop to zero from .25 for amonia and same for Nitrite? Is there something that I can be doing to help? I have done one water change during the 10 days. It tested the same before and after the wc.

Thanks!

 

[IPisces]

Is it possible you haven't built up enough bacteria. You may need a little more fuel for it to live and take hold. Did you use anything like live rock or substrate from someone elses tank, or a piece of raw shrimp to help start the cycle?

 

[Tabasco1]

The rock came straight out of the ocean. So there is quite a bit of life on it. I try to feed it every 3rd day or so to give critters something to live on. I have seen some small brittle stars, at least one mithrax crab, a small urchin, a couple of unidentified crabs that will likely be going in the toilet when I start trapping stuff, a couple snails and 1-2 clear looking shrimp.

The rock has a good bit of colorful sponge on it, that does seem to be receeding a bit and feather dusters.

 

[Tabasco1]

I have it in a big tupperware bin, running an aqua-c ev120 on it and another ph for circulation. It is bare bottom.

 

[JackoChang]

You shouldn't be doing w/c during your cycle, this will stall your cycle. Just let it run. Mine took 2 months to finally have 0 ammonia and nitrites. My nitrates ended up at 25 or something like that. Keep feeding the tank, to build up bacteria.

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[IPisces]

Thats pretty cool. A little urchin and all the shrimp. Sounds like there is sufficient life. I'm sure it will just be a matter of a little more time. I did water changes during my cycle. It will just take longer. With all the critters in there, I would just keep up with the water changes to keep ammonia and nitirtes down and let it settle in on its own time. I think its possible that it could a couple months to finish a cycle. More that a few weeks at least.

 

[Tabasco1]

Thanks for the input.

I was doing water changes originally to keep the amonia under 1ppm since there were critters and I wanted to keep as many as possible. I guess I need to be a bit more patient. It was just concerning that I saw pretty swift changes at first and then nothing for a whlie. Guess I have to be more patient.

Thank you both for the feedback!

 

[grouse]

You shouldn't be doing w/c during your cycle, this will stall your cycle. Just let it run. Mine took 2 months to finally have 0 ammonia and nitrites. My nitrates ended up at 25 or something like that. Keep feeding the tank, to build up bacteria.

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+1

one of keys of a HARD cycle is to provide a food spike for arobic bacteria thus You rear a sutiable coloney on all hard surfaces proportionate to the food sorce
. when suffecient food is not avaliable bacteria colinies only grow to proportions the enviroment can sustain then
when additional food becomes avaliable it is readly consumed and prevents or hinders population growth due to the fact there isnt sufficent excess food to promote rapid reproduction

first run a sample of Your water to the LFS & have it tested for amonia to insure Your test kit is accurate
& if it is

try bumping Your bacteria feedings till Ya get a lil amonia spike 2-3 PPM & that will buld the arobic coloney so thay can keep up with the rate of die off of the rock

on a last note it kinda sounds like Your having a light cycle & that can somes times be desireable when one is trying to set land speed records however often a light cycle can only handle a very limited bioload & is best left to the experanced aquarist

 

[grouse]

on a different note the consern for Your hitchhikers is valid,
if at all possible You can house them in a tote or similar vessel till Your cycle is compleat be sure to provide water circulation a small circ pump or air stone ,reasonable temp controle to keep them above 68 & below 85 & frequent water changes
and You should have little trouble keeping them if You dont over feed

 

[Tabasco1]

Hmm, I am a bit confused. I thought light or "soft" cycles took longer than hard cycles?

Unfortunately I have no lfs. Closest is about 2 hrs. I could order another test kit to verify my first one's readings though.

 

[CJO]

I disagree with not doing water changes. You don't need an ammonia spike to feed either your aerobic or anaerobic bacteria. As long as there is some ammonia, they will grow to use it up. If you have access to Calfo's Book of Coral Propagation, he goes into detail on how to cycle your rock and he recommends doing frequent water changes.

CJ

 

[Tabasco1]

Thanks CJ-I actually have his book. I haven't read that section recently, but I did read it and I think that is what I was basing what I was doing on.

What are your thoughts about no movement in my readings in 10 days? That was what I was curious about. If that is normal or if there is something I need to do to get over this hump.

I will re-read through that section tonight though.

 

[Tabasco1]

I am not super alarmed at my readings, but just want to see some progress.

 

[Troylee]

if the rock came from the ocean you prolly wont have a big cycle to begin with fwiw...... i would say your good to go honestly what you saw imho is just a little die off from the rocks being shipped to you or how ever they came in etc...... i would say your good to go personally....

 

[Tabasco1]

Really??? That would be sweet. I am going to be very slow with stocking. I have a trip planned in a month and no reason to stock heavy if I am going to be gone for a week.

With .25 amonia? I always thought you needed to wait to 0. My plan was to wait to 0 and then start trapping. he he. I know there are some naughty little crabs in there. I have seen a couple. But maybe I should start trapping now?

 

[grouse]

I disagree with not doing water changes. You don't need an ammonia spike to feed either your aerobic or anaerobic bacteria. As long as there is some ammonia, they will grow to use it up. If you have access to Calfo's Book of Coral Propagation, he goes into detail on how to cycle your rock and he recommends doing frequent water changes.

CJ

CJ -- actually Your rite ---- if i had read the OP al lil better i would have noticed we are " CURING Rock " & not cycling a tank
and Yes when curing rock we do want to change water to keep hitchikers alive, skimm it hard & lots of flow to blast it clean & a lil brushing will speed the process if one is carefull not to disturb desireable hitchikers

MY Bad :squigglemouth:

 

[thewackyreefer]

I'd definitely suggest trapping those crabs whenever you see them. Definitely make sure you have all of them out before you add any livestock just in case you have to tear the scape up to get one of them, you don't want to leave any behind. I've been there and it is NOT fun!

 

[Tabasco1]

They are quick little suckers! I'm def gonna have to use traps. It will be a process. I don't think I have anything too bad.

 

[Troylee]

just dose the tank with interceptor it will kill them and not harm anything else...

 

[Tabasco1]

Will it kill all crustaceans? Like pods? And shrimp? There are 1-2 shrimp hitchhikers in there that I was maybe going to keep for the fuge, but probably not haha. But I def. don't want to kill any pods. One of the reason I got the ocean rock.

I do have access to it. My vet is cool like that.

Other than that, I was going to do the pantyhose filled with yumminess trick and then pick through them and decide if they were keepers. Thought about keeping any crabbies for the fuge too, but don't want any chance of them getting up to the display.