Cycling for 25 days now. Has the cycle been performing correctly please can somebody help ?

Kylepope2020

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I have a 75g with caribsea rock and caribsea live sand, reefwave25, return pump and a filter sock

My parameters seem not to be budging much I was just wondering if it was normal for it to take this amount of time. Here Is the data I have been keeping daily since the tank started. Using Red Sea test kit.


Reef tank parameters



Day 1 : 0.2 ppm ammonia



Day 2 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite



Day 3 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite - 0 ppm nitrate



Day 4 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite



Day 5 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite



Day 6 : 0.2 ppm ammonia ( added 1 frozen prawn 8:30am)



Day 7 : 0.8 ppm ammonia



Day 8 : 0.8 ppm ammonia - 0 nitrite



Day 9 : 1.2 ppm ammonia - 0.05 nitrite



Day 10 : 1.2 Ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite



Day 11 : 1.2 ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite

(Removed prawn)



Day 12 : 1.5ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 1 ppm nitrate



Day 13 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 2ppm nitrate



Day 14 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 15 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 2ppm nitrate 4ppm



Day 16 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - nitrate 4ppm



Day 17 : 2ppm ammonia - 0.15 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate (added atm colony)



Day 18 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 19 : 1.0ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 5ppm nitrate



Day 20 : 1ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 21 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 01 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 22 : 0.8ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 23 : 1.2 ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 24 : 0.8 ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 5 ppm nitrate



Day 25 : 1ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate
 

725196

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Hello and welcome to bankruptcy... um the hobby.

First, Thank you for taking the time and putting down all the parameter reading you have take. Well done!

Second, what are you cycling the tank with? An additive, fish food, other? This will help get an informed answer.

I will try to jump back on later to see what you say but I also hope others will chime in as well.

Enjoy the hobby but remember the most expensive part of this hobby is impatience.
 
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Kylepope2020

Kylepope2020

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Hello and welcome to bankruptcy... um the hobby.

First, Thank you for taking the time and putting down all the parameter reading you have take. Well done!

Second, what are you cycling the tank with? An additive, fish food, other? This will help get an informed answer.

I will try to jump back on later to see what you say but I also hope others will chime in as well.

Enjoy the hobby but remember the most expensive part of this hobby is impatience.


I used a frozen prawn to boost ammonia and when once ammonia got high and the prawn really started to smell I took it out
 

living_tribunal

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I have a 75g with caribsea rock and caribsea live sand, reefwave25, return pump and a filter sock

My parameters seem not to be budging much I was just wondering if it was normal for it to take this amount of time. Here Is the data I have been keeping daily since the tank started. Using Red Sea test kit.


Reef tank parameters



Day 1 : 0.2 ppm ammonia



Day 2 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite



Day 3 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite - 0 ppm nitrate



Day 4 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite



Day 5 : 0.2 ppm ammonia - 0 ppm nitrite



Day 6 : 0.2 ppm ammonia ( added 1 frozen prawn 8:30am)



Day 7 : 0.8 ppm ammonia



Day 8 : 0.8 ppm ammonia - 0 nitrite



Day 9 : 1.2 ppm ammonia - 0.05 nitrite



Day 10 : 1.2 Ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite



Day 11 : 1.2 ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite

(Removed prawn)



Day 12 : 1.5ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 1 ppm nitrate



Day 13 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 2ppm nitrate



Day 14 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 15 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 2ppm nitrate 4ppm



Day 16 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - nitrate 4ppm



Day 17 : 2ppm ammonia - 0.15 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate (added atm colony)



Day 18 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 19 : 1.0ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 5ppm nitrate



Day 20 : 1ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 21 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 01 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 22 : 0.8ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 23 : 1.2 ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate



Day 24 : 0.8 ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 5 ppm nitrate



Day 25 : 1ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate
Dump in a buttload of bacteria... You'll spend another week or two waiting for that ammonia to convert otherwise. Your nitrifying bacteria looks established which is usually the first thing to complete.

How often are you adding a fresh ammonia source and at what ppm?
 
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Kylepope2020

Kylepope2020

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I dosed atm colony for the correct amount of water I have, I still have around 250ml left
i haven’t dosed any ammonia or added another prawn since I took the first one out; I was under the impression I should wait till that ammonia caused by the prawn hits zero then add another ?
 

living_tribunal

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I dosed atm colony for the correct amount of water I have, I still have around 250ml left
i haven’t dosed any ammonia or added another prawn since I took the first one out; I was under the impression I should wait till that ammonia caused by the prawn hits zero then add another ?

You should wait until it clears. It will clear out soon if you're adding some kind of bacteria. It's likely the prawn is still decaying and releasing a lot of ammonia. Ammonia takes a while some times. You're doing everything right.
 

NeonRabbit221B

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You can let it get to zero or keep it elevated until the ammonia is processed in 24 hours. My method is kinda just feed ammonia whenever I test and its below 1 ppm. I would toss in another shrimp or use bottled ammonia so the shrimp doesn't have to decay before ammonia is released.
 
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Kylepope2020

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You should wait until it clears. It will clear out soon if you're adding some kind of bacteria. It's likely the prawn is still decaying and releasing a lot of ammonia. Ammonia takes a while some times. You're doing everything right.

I took the first And only prawn out once it started to release ammonia and really start to smell I have not put another in since. I was unsure wether I needed to add another with ammoni still present.
 

living_tribunal

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I took the first And only prawn out once it started to release ammonia and really start to smell I have not put another in since. I was unsure wether I needed to add another with ammoni still present.
Don’t add another prawn until the ammonia is cleared. I’d also add in maybe a half of one.
 

lapin

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Can you take a water sample to your lfs for testing. After 4 weeks with added bacteria you should have a big enough colony of bacteria to process that ammonia.
If your reading are correct, time and another dose of bacteria will help speed your cycle.
This tells me the bacteria worked.

Day 17 : 2ppm ammonia - 0.15 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate (added atm colony)
Day 18 : 1.2ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 4ppm nitrate
Day 19 : 1.0ppm ammonia - 0.1 nitrite - 5ppm nitrate
 

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