Cycling HELP!

phildoingthings

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2022
Messages
67
Reaction score
39
Location
Long Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know there is a million and 1 of these posts but this hobby is so situational I figured I would reach out for help.

I’m about 6 weeks in to my “cycle”

I have a brand new Red Sea Reefer 250 G2, dry rock, live sand, Microbacter XLM (whole bottle), and 4 fish in the tank t, roller mat off, skimmer off.

For about 3.5 weeks my ammonia has been .25-.5ppm and nitrite just hit .25ppm about 2 weeks ago. nitrate hovers around 5-10pm and I haven’t done a single water change yet.

I feel like I did something wrong here because the tank just does not want to cycle. The fish are doing fine (eating normally totally healthy acting normal) with the lights off. I feed 2x a day, pellets in the AM and frozen in the PM.

At this point it just seems like the cycle is frozen in some weird stage, especially that no paramaters are changing at all for weeks with 0 mechanical filtration and 0 water changes. (PS I test NH3, NO2, NO3 every day)

I need help and advice here. PLEASE.
 

DIFish

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2022
Messages
245
Reaction score
249
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know there is a million and 1 of these posts but this hobby is so situational I figured I would reach out for help.

I’m about 6 weeks in to my “cycle”

I have a brand new Red Sea Reefer 250 G2, dry rock, live sand, Microbacter XLM (whole bottle), and 4 fish in the tank t, roller mat off, skimmer off.

For about 3.5 weeks my ammonia has been .25-.5ppm and nitrite just hit .25ppm about 2 weeks ago. nitrate hovers around 5-10pm and I haven’t done a single water change yet.

I feel like I did something wrong here because the tank just does not want to cycle. The fish are doing fine (eating normally totally healthy acting normal) with the lights off. I feed 2x a day, pellets in the AM and frozen in the PM.

At this point it just seems like the cycle is frozen in some weird stage, especially that no paramaters are changing at all for weeks with 0 mechanical filtration and 0 water changes. (PS I test NH3, NO2, NO3 every day)

I need help and advice here. PLEASE.
You are fine. Don’t panic. Your tank is cycled and has been cycled. If not your ammonia would have risen and your fish would be dead. Most test kits (assuming you are using api) will show some ammonia where almost none exists. .25 total ammonia is also nearly nothing and certainly not deadly alone. You may do a small water change if you wish to control nitrates, but the presence of nitrates indicates a cycled tank. As you stated, if the fish are healthy no reason to panic and change things quickly.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

Just another girl who likes fish
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
13,102
Reaction score
19,537
Location
Spring, Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Not really…if done properly the fish are fine. Clowns are probably the hardiest fish we can buy, this is very common practice. Maybe you don’t personally agree with the method but that doesn’t matter.
Just because they are hardy enough to survive ammonia poisoning doesn't mean they are "fine."
 
OP
OP
phildoingthings

phildoingthings

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2022
Messages
67
Reaction score
39
Location
Long Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You are fine. Don’t panic. Your tank is cycled and has been cycled. If not your ammonia would have risen and your fish would be dead. Most test kits (assuming you are using api) will show some ammonia where almost none exists. .25 total ammonia is also nearly nothing and certainly not deadly alone. You may do a small water change if you wish to control nitrates, but the presence of nitrates indicates a cycled tank. As you stated, if the fish are healthy no reason to panic and change things quickly.
I should really pick up some of the Hannah test kits, a lot of negative feedback on the API even though they’re the most readily available. Thanks for the help I’ll do a 20% change tomorrow and turn my filtration back on.
 
OP
OP
phildoingthings

phildoingthings

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2022
Messages
67
Reaction score
39
Location
Long Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just because they are hardy enough to survive ammonia poisoning doesn't mean they are "fine."
They are perfectly fine if you look at their swimming behavior, feeding habits, gills and scales. Ammonia poisoning has well known and obvious signs…..red or bleeding gills, color change, heavy breathing. None of which my fish experienced so yes they are fine.
 

DIFish

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2022
Messages
245
Reaction score
249
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I should really pick up some of the Hannah test kits, a lot of negative feedback on the API even though they’re the most readily available. Thanks for the help I’ll do a 20% change tomorrow and turn my filtration back on.
Could you elaborate when you say your filtration is off? What does that mean?

The negative feedback is warranted, but I think they are close enough to get you in a range while you settle in and figure out how you want to run your tank. I would not recommend most Hannah kits outside of Phosphate and Alkalinty. Too many other good and cheaper kits on the market. Also you do not need to worry about testing ammonia or nitrite here on out unless something is explicitly wrong with your fish. Ammonia won’t rise without something catastrophic going wrong and nitrite is near benign in saltwater.
 
OP
OP
phildoingthings

phildoingthings

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2022
Messages
67
Reaction score
39
Location
Long Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Could you elaborate when you say your filtration is off? What does that mean?

The negative feedback is warranted, but I think they are close enough to get you in a range while you settle in and figure out how you want to run your tank. I would not recommend most Hannah kits outside of Phosphate and Alkalinty. Too many other good and cheaper kits on the market. Also you do not need to worry about testing ammonia or nitrite here on out unless something is explicitly wrong with your fish. Ammonia won’t rise without something catastrophic going wrong and nitrite is near benign in saltwater.
Mechanical filtration*
Skimmer and roller mat have been off during the cycling period
 

V A R I A N T

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 18, 2021
Messages
424
Reaction score
492
Location
Washington
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You may be aware, but if not, the API Ammonia tests for total ammonia. This value can be misleading, as what is poisonous is the NH3/toxic ammonia, and measuring that requires that you use a conversion table with your PH and temperature readings. There are tables that estimate what total ammonia is acceptable given specific PH and temp readings where the toxic ammonia is estimated as a percentage of total ammonia. Given there is always some form of ammonia present, and your value mimics the same .25 measured by many people, you’re likely in the clear. Of course a water change won’t hurt, but all your results point to a cycled tank.
 

TheBear78

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2022
Messages
493
Reaction score
380
Location
United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You may be aware, but if not, the API Ammonia tests for total ammonia. This value can be misleading, as what is poisonous is the NH3/toxic ammonia, and measuring that requires that you use a conversion table with your PH and temperature readings. There are tables that estimate what total ammonia is acceptable given specific PH and temp readings where the toxic ammonia is estimated as a percentage of total ammonia. Given there is always some form of ammonia present, and your value mimics the same .25 measured by many people, you’re likely in the clear. Of course a water change won’t hurt, but all your results point to a cycled tank.
Nicely explained.
 

Guzman333

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 2, 2022
Messages
54
Reaction score
5
Location
Dallas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did a bacteria cycle. Ordered coral while cycling, and it got here before I “thought” my tank was cycled. Was at the same levels you are .25 Ammonia, .25 nitrite, 10nitrate. Did a coral dip and popped these puppies in before I even had fish in. Everything is puffed up and thriving. Now on my journey to stabilizing Alk/Calc/phos. And these weren’t just “softies.” A pair of torches, a hammer, a welso, and a few acans.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
29,493
Reaction score
23,573
Location
tejas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Phil

Nice skip cycle

You handled groundless consequence statements accurately, fish that behave normally indeed are not burned


Read this thread, everything typed applies to your cycle question, and DIFish nice job that's accurate info

Notice what happens when groupthink originates from not owning seneye ammonia meters or validating them in others posts, the cycle fear crowd can get stuff shut down if they're angry enough at what seneye says about cycling in general


.25 is what cycled reefs run at on api.
 
Back
Top