Cycling new reef tank question

[Fredrxn]

Sup guys I am cycling my reef tank with algeabarns cycle kit... I added it yesterday.. And I tested ammonia about 12 hours after starting cycle... ammonia was over 8.0 ppm... I just tested today it reads zero ammonia nitrites and nitrates.... Is it possible for tank to cycle that fast?? I also used caribsea life rock live sand and also used so bio media from tank that has been up for a year

 

[Cichlid23]

Generally that’s insanely fast. 8.0 ppm is high enough to turn your water acidic and possibly kill of bacteria. If I had to guess it was a bad test. And if that NH3 was to go through the nitrogen cycle you shouldn’t have 0 nitrite or 0 nitrate

 

[Fredrxn]

Generally that’s insanely fast. 8.0 ppm is high enough to turn your water acidic and possibly kill of bacteria. If I had to guess it was a bad test. And if that NH3 was to go through the nitrogen cycle you shouldn’t have 0 nitrite or 0 nitrate

OK I used fritz 900 and nitrocycle it might have been a bad test.... How fast should ammonia show up

 

[Fredrxn]

Was testing the wrong tank cycle is well on it way all ready have nitrates here a picture of the tests

 

[brandon429]

I just wanted you to know that out of all api ammonia kits ever posted, which is fifteen million since 1996 Internet forums, that above is the darkest reading I have ever beheld. It’s offensively dark; carbon black in the darkness of space and time pales in comparison.

 

[Fredrxn]

I just wanted you to know that out of all api ammonia kits ever posted, which is fifteen million since 1996 Internet forums, that above is the darkest reading I have ever beheld.

I would have agree with u

 

[Fredrxn]

I just wanted you to know that out of all api ammonia kits ever posted, which is fifteen million since 1996 Internet forums, that above is the darkest reading I have ever beheld. It’s offensively dark; carbon black in the darkness of space and time pales in comparison.

Is that a bad thing?

 

[brandon429]

No, the only bad thing is that there’s no seneye in place to track the actual levels, it’s the only way we’d know your status by testing. That kit you have can be overwhelmed by several factors, though agreed ten drops of straight liquid ammonia directly in the test vial would be less dark than that.


a firm rule in updated cycling science is that regardless of any mix, within reason ahem, you can wait X number of days predetermined for a cycling reef tank and change out all your water-what’s left behind is a working bioslick filter. it doesn’t fail to establish within a set number of days, exporting an overdose of ammonia swirling above the well-fed mix of bacteria is ideal. The slicks aren’t dead, they’re hyper growing.

regardless of the variations we see across cycles with high low ammonia, high low bacterial counts where some mixes are more active than others, given the number of days a cycle chart shows we can just do a water change for basic initial ammonia control and the tank’s filtration system will handle initial bioloading from there on out.


because that ammonia is so dark I thought it was magic marker black fluid squeezed out in the vial, you have a really good system to fact check updated cycling science.




Wait exactly twelve more days, change water, that’s beyond the ammonia drop date on any cycling chart. I am certain with all new water in it after that date, you can add a couple starter fish if you want and they’ll be fine. Don’t dose anything else, don’t feed any more, don’t water change now, let it stew twelve days and change water, and your tank will carry fish. At no time can that ammonia test be trusted; it’s likely a spy device of some sort I’d ditch it immediately

 

[Fredrxn]

No, the only bad thing is that there’s no seneye in place to track the actual levels, it’s the only way we’d know your status by testing. That kit you have can be overwhelmed by several factors, though agreed ten drops of straight liquid ammonia directly in the test vial would be less dark than that.


a firm rule in updated cycling science is that regardless of any mix, within reason ahem, you can wait X number of days predetermined for a cycling reef tank and change out all your water-what’s left behind is a working bioslick filter. it doesn’t fail to establish within a set number of days, exporting an overdose of ammonia swirling above the well-fed mix of bacteria is ideal. The slicks aren’t dead, they’re hyper growing.

regardless of the variations we see across cycles with high low ammonia, high low bacterial counts where some mixes are more active than others, given the number of days a cycle chart shows we can just do a water change for basic initial ammonia control and the tank’s filtration system will handle initial bioloading from there on out.


because that ammonia is so dark I thought it was magic marker black fluid squeezed out in the vial, you have a really good system to fact check updated cycling science.




Wait exactly twelve more days, change water, that’s beyond the ammonia drop date on any cycling chart. I am certain with all new water in it after that date, you can add a couple starter fish if you want and they’ll be fine. Don’t dose anything else, don’t feed any more, don’t water change now, let it stew twelve days and change water, and your tank will carry fish. At no time can that ammonia test be trusted; it’s likely a spy device of some sort I’d ditch it immediately

OK the tank I cycling is a waterbox 130.4 reef.. Will be moving my old tank fish and corals into this tank he's a few pics of old and new tank

 

[brandon429]

Fred this thread just gets better


That's quite a bioload to move over. I'm confident in the method.

It will work. *you want to drain the cycling tank on the right date fully empty, then refill with half old tank water, all filled slowly into this drained cycling tank so you don't kick up sand and half new water

This will skip cycle transfer your entire reef. The entire point of a work thread is keeping well over a thousand dollars of someone's time and money alive in real time where a transfer job needs done.


I'm honored to see such a pending need in this cycle beginning.

You're packing in filtration bacteria by the hour. Stewed for twelve days easy. Change water, refill mostly with that tank water and some all new water if you can, and I'm certain each live rock each animal will just lift right over.


I have three work threads this job will apply to, please take us good pics.

B

 

[brandon429]

The takeaway will be: the darkest reading ever seen on api still. didn't. stall. the. cycle.


because we didn't wait for wastewater to clear, that's not required. Implantation time from the ammonia control line of a cycling chart is required.

If new lights are going up over the new tank with current animals, don't forget to re ramp the power over a weeks time.

 

[brandon429]

How many gallons is new tank vs prior 96


Fritz is some very trustworthy bacteria. Well tested for implantation dates.

Fritz+ 12+ days + feed plus other sources of bacteria all mixed together? For sure will be ready. After the wastewater is all changed out leaving the bioslicks behind adhered to rocks and all inner tank surfaces.

that's a truly nice reef you own, lots of time, that's multi thousands. Quite a serious transfer job $$

 

[Fredrxn]

How many gallons is new tank vs prior 96


Fritz is some very trustworthy bacteria. Well tested for implantation dates.

Fritz+ 12+ days + feed plus other sources of bacteria all mixed together? For sure will be ready. After the wastewater is all changed out leaving the bioslicks behind adhered to rocks and all inner tank surfaces.

that's a truly nice reef you own, lots of time, that's multi thousands. Quite a serious transfer job $$

The old tank is 65 gallons new tank is 130 Gallons.. Ola tank was a allinone... New tank has a sump

 

[Fredrxn]

How many gallons is new tank vs prior 96


Fritz is some very trustworthy bacteria. Well tested for implantation dates.

Fritz+ 12+ days + feed plus other sources of bacteria all mixed together? For sure will be ready. After the wastewater is all changed out leaving the bioslicks behind adhered to rocks and all inner tank surfaces.

that's a truly nice reef you own, lots of time, that's multi thousands. Quite a serious transfer job $$

I only added fritz and the nitrocycle on day one nitrocycle is food for the fritz... I also added pns substrate sauce

 

[brandon429]

It's a perfect mix to stew. More prep than most tanks get: one zip of Dr Tims is the usual.


I like to poke a little fun at the test reading above, such as if the sample read any darker for ammonia the vial itself would implode in on itself and become the center of a new black hole in the universe, but the truth is api always causes fear, and below for 31 pages we respond with a simple water change on the date a cycling chart says we can, and these results keep happening in hundreds of reefs:

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

 

[brandon429]

Your tank move will be a new highlight for that thread because you're presenting the stuckest cycle we've ever seen, and we aren't scared one bit.


The timing method will work to equalize all variables.

 

[brandon429]

Fred one last update. Once your entire reef is setup with the new water and animals back in, add one dose of only the bottle bacteria portion not the feeding dose.


They'll float in suspension and primarily be exported out over time but they provide and initial extra cushion.

This is a solid skip cycle plan.

 

[brandon429]

Can you please post that same api kit ammonia as it reads from the current running reef, to benchmark the test where known safe conditions exist.

 

[Fredrxn]

Can you please post that same api kit ammonia as it reads from the current running reef, to benchmark the test where known safe conditions exist.

I tested my reef yesterday it reads zero ammonia yellow

 

[Fredrxn]

Can you please post that same api kit ammonia as it reads from the current running reef, to benchmark the test where known safe conditions exist.

I tested my reef yesterday it reads zero ammonia yello

I tested my reef yesterday it reads zero ammonia yellow

Tested the cycleing tank today for ammonia and it's not as dark as it was yesterday