Cycling Help

[excell007]

I also did not do a fishless cycle. When I started my tank, with live sand and live rock, I ghost feed for 5 days. 50% water change on the fifth day, measure ammonia on the seventh 7. Ammonia is 0, did a 30% water change and add 5 damsels. all of this damsels survived, then I added 2 clowns 3 weeks later. You'll get there, the bacterias are just not yet enough to process the ammonia quickly.

 

[Cell]

A couple helpful points, nitrate tests are useless in the presence of nitrite and nitrite is not harmful in saltwater.

If I were you I would do a 50% water change and stock a fish or two. Switch out the media slowly if you want, but dont fully replace now or lose some of the bac you just spent 3 weeks building up. Ammonia is being processed. You are cycled.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

A couple helpful points, nitrate tests are useless in the presence of nitrite and nitrite is not harmful in saltwater.

If I were you I would do a 50% water change and stock a fish or two. Switch out the media slowly if you want, but dont fully replace now or lose some of the bac you just spent 3 weeks building up. Ammonia is being processed. You are cycled.

If there is space can I add the new media in with the old media, and then gradually take out the old media?

 

[Cell]

That would be the best way to do it.

 

[MrSalty]

Thanks for sharing, truly am appreciative. Quick question, will swapping out the ceramics rings now with the seachem change anything, and should I swap out the bio balls and ceramic rings or just one of them? Still very new to all of this so please forgive my questions

Your trying to get though your first cycle so I would leave the ceramic for now and swap the bio balls. The bio balls wouldn't have any bacteria on them so it would only help the process and not hinder it.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Your trying to get though your first cycle so I would leave the ceramic for now and swap the bio balls. The bio balls wouldn't have any bacteria on them so it would only help the process and not hinder it.

Thank you, I’ve ordered some Seachem Matrix it should be here tomorrow. And I’ll take as much advice as I can use.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Friday Update:

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Saturday Morning update, doesn’t look like much movement with nitrites.

 

[tankstudy]

Hard to tell what the actual numbers are for the nitrite and nitrate test but if nitrites are close to 5 ppm, it'll turtle your cycle a bit. You can do a 50% water change to drop nitrites under 5 ppm to speed up the cycling or you can just wait. Either path will get your tank cycled but waiting could extend the cycling process by a few days to a couple weeks.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Hard to tell what the actual numbers are for the nitrite and nitrate test but if nitrites are close to 5 ppm, it'll turtle your cycle a bit. You can do a 50% water change to drop nitrites under 5 ppm to speed up the cycling or you can just wait. Either path will get your tank cycled but waiting could extend the cycling process by a few days to a couple weeks.

Thank you, after I change the water can I add a fish or two?

 

[Cell]

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[tankstudy]

Thank you, after I change the water can I add a fish or two?

50% water change first. Test again in 1 day. If ammonia and nitrite zero out, your good. Also based on your initial amount of ammonia and how much nitrate you have after the conversion, you can do 2 fish pretty easily, nothing massive of course, but don't go too crazy on a bunch of small fish either.

 

[excell007]

50% water change first. Test again in 1 day. If ammonia and nitrite zero out, your good. Also based on your initial amount of ammonia and how much nitrate you have after the conversion, you can do 2 fish pretty easily, nothing massive of course, but don't go too crazy on a bunch of small fish either.

Also pick a hardy fish, like damsels. But not the crazy damsel, like 4 stripes

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

So I’m a little concerned or impatient lol possibly the latter, but my nitrites are not really moving downward or if they are very slowly, I’ve added bottles of bio-Spira and still nothing. My ammonia looks good but I’m wondering what can be done if anything to get the nitrites moving so I can add a clean up crew.

 

[K7BMG]

I do not want to go back through the thread.

If you would sum up.
Tank cycle start date?
Max or peak ammonia reading on what date?
Ammonia drop on what date?
What date did you see a rise in nitrite?
have you let the tank be or have you added this and that? Ammonia, Bacteria, prime, stability?
What did you add?
Are your lights running?
Do you see any signs of Algae, Brown, Green, Pink, or Red?

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Salinity has been a consistent 1.025

I started with Microbacter QuickCycle then added biospira due to no type of movement using the Microbacter nitrifying bacteria

 

[K7BMG]

Ok so I went back a re read some information.
You started the cycle on the 7th so its almost been a month now.

We can get into all kinds of stuff here but I do not see the need.
When was your last water change and how much did you change out?
Have you added anything since the water change?

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Lights are on maybe 10 minutes a day, no signs of algae

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

I did a 20 gallon water change last Saturday, I’m running a 55 gallon tank, no sump or skimmer

 

[K7BMG]

I see your test today shows Nitrate at 40ppm
Ammonia at 0. You are done the cycle is completed.

So do a 75% water change to bring down the nitrates.
test to double check they dropped significantly and add your fish.
API test kits can be finicky as you have learned.

The lighting should have been on your intended schedule.
If you have LED's then keep the white and red spectrums at 20% to allow algae to grow but slowly.

Congrats your ready for fish.