Cycling an Aquarium

[TK_KW]

@Lasse @Brew12,

So it has now been over 12 days since I put in place my action plan. I have,

-turned skimmer on, it's working well to pull out skimmate
-vacuumed substrate once. Was about 30g water change to top up
-change filter socks every 3 days or so
-put a layer of filter floss before bubble trap, I also change it every 3 days.
-reduced my lights intensity by 50 percent.
-i have not ghost feed, and have never added ammonia to this system at all.

So after my post on apr 22. My Nitrite continued to climb, as high as 39 (three days after stirred up substrate) at that time Phosphate 1.93

Since that spike, it has slowly gone down. But last five days it has stalled in the 20s (26-20). Today Nitrite is 26, Phosphate at 1.70.

I also have, good colouration on rocks, and what looks like green algea starting.

At this point what do you guys suggest? Wait it out, large water change, add a all in 1 dr Tim's?

Thanks?

 

[Lasse]

@Lasse @Brew12,

So it has now been over 12 days since I put in place my action plan. I have,

-turned skimmer on, it's working well to pull out skimmate
-vacuumed substrate once. Was about 30g water change to top up
-change filter socks every 3 days or so
-put a layer of filter floss before bubble trap, I also change it every 3 days.
-reduced my lights intensity by 50 percent.
-i have not ghost feed, and have never added ammonia to this system at all.

So after my post on apr 22. My Nitrite continued to climb, as high as 39 (three days after stirred up substrate) at that time Phosphate 1.93

Since that spike, it has slowly gone down. But last five days it has stalled in the 20s (26-20). Today Nitrite is 26, Phosphate at 1.70.

I also have, good colouration on rocks, and what looks like green algea starting.

At this point what do you guys suggest? Wait it out, large water change, add a all in 1 dr Tim's?

Thanks?

When you say 26 as nitrite - what equipment do you use in order to measure that? Can you attach a photo od your equipment? If it is 26 ppm nitrite (NO2) or not nitrate (NO3) - I have never ever seen values so high - in 50 years.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[TK_KW]

When you say 26 as nitrite - what equipment do you use in order to measure that? Can you attach a photo od your equipment? If it is 26 ppm nitrite (NO2) or not nitrate (NO3) - I have never ever seen values so high - in 50 years.

Sincerely Lasse

Im using the Hanna Checker ulr Nitrite. Its in PPB. so its 26PPB. Or am i nutz, and considering its in PPB its essentially considered zero

Every other Hanna Checker is PPM that i have. So my PhosPhate is still 1.70 PPM

 

[Lasse]

It gives the result in ppb NO2-N. In order to get it in ppm NO2 - you have to first multiply with 3.29 and after that divide with 1000. Your result is 0.085 ppm NO2. It is not 0 but close enough. IMO. In order to bring down your PO4 you can use GFO. And/or rise the light slowly and be sure that your CUC vill eat the produced algae. But the nitrogen cycle is done. You can slowly add fish. But take it slow.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[TK_KW]

It gives the result in ppb NO2-N. In order to get it in ppm NO2 - you have to first multiply with 3.29 and after that divide with 1000. Your result is 0.085 ppm NO2. It is not 0 but close enough. IMO. In order to bring down your PO4 you can use GFO. And/or rise the light slowly and be sure that your CUC vill eat the produced algae. But the nitrogen cycle is done. You can slowly add fish. But take it slow.

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks for all your help @Lasse

 

[Lasse]

Thanks for all your help @Lasse

Your welcome

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Trone Traore]

Nice share & nice ideas. Thanks so much.

 

[reyc]

Hello all, I received my test kits and my ammonia level is at .0.50 a little green maybe 0.25. Everything else tested at 0ppm so i think i am good... i added 5gallon water mixed with salt to the tank due to evaporated water... but i think i need to do a water change? For 5gallons by taking 5gl out and putting 5 gl of good water back in to lower the ammonia to 0ppm? Or i read the cycle biological material filter takes care of this for the tank. So ammonia in a new tank is ok until the biological filter establishes? Is what i read on the test kit for ammonia. Thoughts?

 

[pmarsh]

Hello all, I received my test kits and my ammonia level is at .0.50 a little green maybe 0.25. Everything else tested at 0ppm so i think i am good... i added 5gallon water mixed with salt to the tank due to evaporated water... but i think i need to do a water change? For 5gallons by taking 5gl out and putting 5 gl of good water back in to lower the ammonia to 0ppm? Or i read the cycle biological material filter takes care of this for the tank. So ammonia in a new tank is ok until the biological filter establishes? Is what i read on the test kit for ammonia. Thoughts?

For evaporated water replace only with fresh water. Salt does not evaporate so if you replace with salt water your salinity will continue to increase which you do not want.

 

[reyc]

For evaporated water replace only with fresh water. Salt does not evaporate so if you replace with salt water your salinity will continue to increase which you do not want.

Yes my bad i did only rodi water with no salt

 

[Brew12]

Hello all, I received my test kits and my ammonia level is at .0.50 a little green maybe 0.25. Everything else tested at 0ppm so i think i am good... i added 5gallon water mixed with salt to the tank due to evaporated water... but i think i need to do a water change? For 5gallons by taking 5gl out and putting 5 gl of good water back in to lower the ammonia to 0ppm? Or i read the cycle biological material filter takes care of this for the tank. So ammonia in a new tank is ok until the biological filter establishes? Is what i read on the test kit for ammonia. Thoughts?

Yes, you want the ammonia in there until the bio filter is established. You should eventually see nitrate increasing to let you know that the process is working.

 

[reyc]

Yes, you want the ammonia in there until the bio filter is established. You should eventually see nitrate increasing to let you know that the process is working.

Ok cool should i use more live bacteria? Or no?

 

[reyc]

Ok cool should i use more live bacteria? Or no?

It did say too much would not hurt it.. on the bottle

 

[Brew12]

Ok cool should i use more live bacteria? Or no?

It did say too much would not hurt it.. on the bottle

More won't hurt, within reason but you will still need to give it time. What is your ammonia source?

 

[reyc]

Reef test kits i think api let me get a pic here

 

[reyc]

Should the ammonia take care of it self? No water change needed?

 

[Brew12]

Should the ammonia take care of it self? No water change needed?

The entire reason for cycling a tank is so that the ammonia will be processed naturally and not through water changes. Removing the ammonia now would be depriving the needed bacteria of the food they use to reproduce. This can make the tank harmful to fish.

 

[reyc]

The entire reason for cycling a tank is so that the ammonia will be processed naturally and not through water changes. Removing the ammonia now would be depriving the needed bacteria of the food they use to reproduce. This can make the tank harmful to fish.

Ok thank you. So i will let it be and put one cap of live bacteria in the tank for 7 days as mentioned... that will eat the ammonia up. And get my tank cycled faster I will feed a little less, only what they will eat. I feel bad for my shrimp.. wont eat no bottom left over food.. but my fish will survive.. I will keep my fingers crossed not loose a fish... and test my ammonia everyday.

 

[reyc]

Would putting an air stone air pump hurt anything?

 

[Brew12]

Ok thank you. So i will let it be and put one cap of live bacteria in the tank for 7 days as mentioned... that will eat the ammonia up. And get my tank cycled faster I will feed a little less, only what they will eat. I feel bad for my shrimp.. wont eat no bottom left over food.. but my fish will survive.. I will keep my fingers crossed not loose a fish... and test my ammonia everyday.

I didn't realize you had fish in your system. Yes, feed lightly and add keep adding the bacteria. Unless started with live rock I prefer not to add fish until after the cycle is complete.

And no, an airstone shouldn't hurt.