Thanks for saying this - I don't know how salifert instructs one to read the ammonia test - but with API - for example - even if its a little 'greenish yellow' - it is still read as '0' ammonia. And even 0.15 does not translate into a toxic level of free ammonia.
Yes, I cound't agree more, I believe the OP is well cycled, I was just reiterating what I've read about fish-less cycling and mechanical media. Thank you for your help here!
I haven't used a Salifert ammonia kit in so long I forgot how they worked, but seeing the OP's picture, you can clearly see it's labeled "< 0.15 ppm", so I think that's as good as zero. Maybe API should label their lowest indicator as "less than" too, might minimize a lot of confusion for a lot of people :)
That is correct. Dr. Tim suggest removing all filter media so the bacteria have a change to attache to the rocks and sand, which is why i removed it. Fritz might not requires it, but removing it won't hurt anything.
I see, I definitely missed that small detail. I will let the bacteria from fritz do its thing for the next 24 hours. Tomorrow, I will raise the ammonia to 1ppm and test Monday in the hopes of getting a reading under .15ppm
www.reef2reef.com
I have bad news for you if you think you will never introduce pests and aiptasia by avoiding live rock.
I am not sure to whom this is directed - I'm assuming me. In that case - I'll repeat what I've said 1000 times - have no disagreement with skip cycles, I've never used an ammonia test while cycling a tank (the only time I owned one was when I was doing the experiments a couple years ago). The only disagreement is how things are sometimes presented - using language that does not make total sense to me, and the idea that just because a bunch of collected threads agree with each other doesn't mean there aren't others that have not 'worked'.And for the real umpire test
Sustained Ammonia spikes are misreads
The reason you think your reef tank can’t control its ammonia is due to false training from old cycling science. That and you don’t own a seneye on the tank in question: if you did, you wouldn’t ever think your ammonia was out of control...
There’s the Red Sea false panic thread. Not one, not one, not any of those tanks even had a symptom much less a bad before pic with anthias happily swimming around cleaner shrimp and probably basket stars if we look hard enough.
But they all sure did have: a positive test reading for ammonia in some way. That thread is the lonely desert of old cycling science in action. Complete fear and hesitation was what we were curbing
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So my initial take above was the nice one
But this one here pushes a little/maybe too much. It’s not to get anyones goose it’s to test how much we believe ourselves as cycle umpires
Because of what you advised here, by default that means you agree with the above thread. = a leap foisted upon thee. Agreed or no? Check it out. From page one, which example do you think was a real fail/impending crash (hint: every reef there met the above two rules that solved this cycle)
It means that with every page you scan above, hoping to find that one proof of the delayed fail cycle (from a fed, years-running, stocked reef tank with no symptoms other than a non-zero ammonia reading) it means you can’t find that example. You’re seeing in every case someone’s reading was a bit high
Someone’s else’s reading a bit low, but not zero, it’s a panic control thread. You agreed prior that Randy said some available ammonia is good, not bad, and now the + test kit lines up with the healthy reef system pics everyone posts alongside the failed Red Sea ammonia test.
Lastly, final leap promise:
It means you also agree that every failed cycle post on the internet is also actually symptomless and some greenish tint on an api reading has caused us to view cycling the wrong way for thirty years. You’re also apologizing for all prior cycle disagreements from prior threads, for which I duly forgive and extend to you, a digital handshake. You’ll never be caught doubting a fed + four week cycle, no matter how many alerts are part of the thread title. Excellent team
It certainly would not harm anything.
The irony is that If according to the person making a confusing mess of what is very simple science, they they are making it simple.
Easy is relative in many ways. LR certainly comes with benefits, but the "cycle" really has little to do with it. It is what comes after that is what helps. Dry rock takes time to mature with the various forms of fauna that come established on live rock.
There is no need to keep dumping ammonia or food into the tank if you already had elevated readings. What you are waiting on is the nitrifiers to catch up. Adding more food does not change this.24 hours has gone by since adding the full bottle of Fritz zyme 9 and a pinch of fish food to the tank. Today the water looks a bit cloudy, which is normal. I have also turned on the skimmer and lowered the temp from 82 to 81 F. I will keep lowering the temp 1 degree per day until reaching 79 degrees.
After adding 4ml of ammonia chloride, I can clearly see the ammonia level in the tank has gone up from less than .15 or 0ppm to what I believe is somewhere between .25 and .5ppm. If the increase of ammonia, I will test if the tank can handle it by tomorrow (Monday).
Today's parameters are as follow:
Salifer:
Ammonia (somewhere between .25 and .5)
Red Sea:
Nitrite .2
Nitrate (somewhere betwwen 2 and 5)
Let me know of any thoughts.
I woke up this morning and the clocks had changed, therefore you do not need to add anymore Fritz or the Dr. Tim’s
