Cycle stalled

[Joeg]

This is the first time I've ever used a product to aid in cycling a tank and I'm confused by where I'm at today. I used Red Sea Reef Mature Pro and things seemed on track at first but now I'm way off the targets. I'm at 5 weeks now and have .2 Ammonia, 1+ Nitrite, and 50+ Nitrate. I've been stalled at these numbers for about a week.

This is the first bare bottom tank I've had so I've tried to provide additional surface area with a box of Marine Pure balls in the sump which should be more than enough for the 70gal volume. There is no livestock in the tank and I have been running my skimmer

I feel like I should do a large water change to bring the nitrate and nitrite down but figured I'd ask for advice first to see if there was another suggested path before I started in that direction.

 

[glb]

I’d try Dr. Tim’s One and Only or Biospira to add additional bacteria. My cycle stalled like yours and after a added a second dose of bacteria, it got back on track. Also, is your ph super low? I think that could stall the cycle, but let’s check with #reefsquad to be sure. Also, how much ammonia are you still adding (if you are)? And what test kits are you using? We’re all here to help!

 

[ScottR]

This is the first time I've ever used a product to aid in cycling a tank and I'm confused by where I'm at today. I used Red Sea Reef Mature Pro and things seemed on track at first but now I'm way off the targets. I'm at 5 weeks now and have .2 Ammonia, 1+ Nitrite, and 50+ Nitrate. I've been stalled at these numbers for about a week.

This is the first bare bottom tank I've had so I've tried to provide additional surface area with a box of Marine Pure balls in the sump which should be more than enough for the 70gal volume. There is no livestock in the tank and I have been running my skimmer

I feel like I should do a large water change to bring the nitrate and nitrite down but figured I'd ask for advice first to see if there was another suggested path before I started in that direction.

What are you using to test? The nitrogen “cycle” is quite easy these days. Bottled bacteria is magic in a bottle.

 

[Cell]

5 weeks? Should be good to go. API ammonia test?

 

[GoVols]

If you're at 50+ on nitrates you should be cycled.

I'd hit it with a water change and retest Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates with good test kits.

 

[Idoc]

30+ days, you're cycled. After 30 days, a tank will cycle without bottled bacteria. I suspect you've been cycled for awhile now... possibly error in testing. If you are using API ammonia test kits, it'll show 0.25 regularly.

I'd perform a 75% water change and move on.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd be wary of concluding the cycle is completed. If nitrite is 1+ ppm, there may actually be no nitrate.

I personally would add more ammonia to be sure it declines.

 

[Joeg]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I should have mentioned that I'm using Red Sea test kits for these readings and I have some Hanna checkers for others. The tests have been consistent and using the same kits for my other tank yields readings that are consistent with that tank's history so I think they are accurate.

The PH has been between 7.9 and 8.2 depending upon whether I've had to run the AC or can open the windows. We finally broke free from weeks of heat so it's been in the 8.2 area for at least a couple of weeks now.

I did have a nice "clearish" film on the glass which I finally scraped this morning but I can't imagine that affected readings in any way.

I've not been adding anything to the tank for over 10 days now so I'm wondering if I've starved some of the bacteria.


@Randy Holmes-Farley - would there be any downside of doing a 50% water change, testing, and then adding ammonia as you suggested?

I guess I'll start making some water tonight for a change and try to make a decision.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley - would there be any downside of doing a 50% water change, testing, and then adding ammonia as you suggested?

I guess I'll start making some water tonight for a change and try to make a decision.

There's no downside, but maybe no upside either.

 

[Reef.]

When was the last time you added ammonia? I would expect that to be 0 now, sounds lik testing error to me or ammonia is coming from somewhere else.
A water change now will just be a waste of salt.
I would retest, then add 2 ammonia and see how long it takes to go to 0, if 24 hours I would say you are cycled then do a water change.

 

[brandon429]

N02 question

Hey guys, Quick question, I have been cycling my tank for 35 days, I started Aug 1st. I am using the red sea reef mature program. I followed the program to the letter. Per the program, by day 10 my N02 level was supposed to be at 0. Currently, it's at 1ppm the highest reading available on the...

www.reef2reef.com

Let's track the outcome there. Similar time frame

 

[Joeg]

So I decide to do a a water change of just under 50% this morning and re-tested this afternoon. It looks like the readings are now.

Nitrate - Guessing 30 based upon the color being closer to 20 than 50 on the chart.
Nitrite - Still reading 1+
Ammonia - Still reading 0.2

Photos below:

So, if the assumption is that the cycle has completed, but I want to verify this before adding any livestock, would I then add some household ammonia (no soaps/surfactants) to bring to bring the reading up between 1.2 and 2.0 to then if that number comes down over the course of a day or two?

I'm still confused as to why the nitrites are high but I'm probably thinking myself into a dizzy circle.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed on ammonia calibration and the nitrate is full confirmation you are ready, we enjoy collecting the verification runs for the ammonia portion.

nitrite may be there, or it could be reading interference we don’t bother to define it, nitrite is neutral in today’s most updated cycle science. nitrate is a helpful verifier. If you had no nitrate I’d still think you are cycled, nitrate has misread issues too but here is loud and clear

if you can drive ammonia only slightly higher then yes in 24 hours should be back to that calibration above, perfect pics there.

 

[Joeg]

Thanks @brandon429. It only took checking 4 different stores for ammonia but I finally got lucky

I've slowly dosed the ammonia up to what I estimate is just under 2.0 by the color and will update the thread in a day or so when there is hopefully an expected result.

 

[flampton]

So here is the deal. The reef mature kit is strange. The starter adds ammonia AND nitrate. Then they want you to dose their carbon. In essence allowing the heterotrophs to rob ammonia from the autotrophs. Very poor design in my opinion.

So OP change as much water as possible and don't add the nopox this time.

 

[brandon429]

Also to add: if you hit as high as 2 it may take two days to clear back down to current level on that kit. The second pic was needing boosted slightly above the first color, the barest change you could visually detect
the 1.2 color would be an ideal level to rise to

did u take any pics of the spiked sample we like to chart those motion sequences

 

[brandon429]

Highly curious here how are we lookin

 

[Joeg]

Well, it's not what I was expecting to see. I tested last night which would have been 24 hours since dosing the ammonia and it was showing a color close to the 1.2 so I wanted another 12 hours and tested a few minutes ago and am not really seeing much difference. It still looks like it's right in the 1.2 range.

As suggested it may take a little longer so I guess I'll wait and test again tomorrow morning or evening and see if it moves any.

To quote Axl Rose "All we need is just a little patience"

I'll update again tomorrow after testing.

 

[brandon429]

can we see the pics, we never got to see the after spike pic to clearly track like in our other example runs

its all so subjective/helps to have multi views

this is always the problem in non digital ammonia reads... but easily overcome too. post current reading lets see if there's room to bump up for test or just wait it out depending on darkness of current reading compared to above. no particular rush, could easily just wait till end of month and it would be ready in any config

but with three clear succession pics we haven't had trouble getting movement in priors

that top pic above has light refraction dividing the reading into three colors, but only from this vantage. that one pic literally shows all the possible readings in one ammonia sample its very hard to use these kits to know about your reef.

submersion timing beats test kit calls

 

[Joeg]

I unfortunately did not take a photo of the reading after dosing ammonia but it was certainly between the 1.2 and 2.0 colors on the Red Sea test kit.

I did take a photo of the test this morning though.