Cycling new tank

[joey’s reef]

I have a 30 gallon saltwater tank I used no live rock just added dr Tim’s bacteria and his ammonia and followed instructions. Was not able to add fish by day 9. Have not did any water changes just keep testing ammonia and nitrite. Day 25 and ammonia is at 0.33 ppm and nitrite is at 200 ppb. I am using Hannah master HI97115c for testing. Are these normal readings or did I do something wrong?

 

[Fish Fan]

You didn't do anything wrong

A typical fish-less cycle using Dr. Tim's One and Only and his bottled ammonium chloride takes about 3 weeks, give or take, despite what it says on the bottle

What are you using for test kits? The API brand test kit tends to show a low level of ammonia when the concentration is likely lower. So your 0.33 ppm may effectively be nearly zero.

The nitrite is of no concern, it's not toxic in saltwater tanks, and there's no reason to worry about it or to test for it.

If your ammonia was up to around 2.0 ppm initially, and it's now down to 0.33 ppm, I think you're in good shape. I'd give it a little more time, see if that ammonia drops to about 0.00 ppm - 0.25 ppm, and then you can start to slowly stock with some hardly animals.

Good luck!

 

[Terry Le]

Did you dose ammonium so it up to 2 ppm and see if it drop to o ppm by test in a couple days

 

[joey’s reef]

I have not added any ammonia since day six. Should I add some to 2ppm and in a couple days it drops below .5ppm I can add fish?

 

[Fish Fan]

Some people will re-dose the ammonia to about 2.0 ppm and check again in 24 hours to see if the system processed the ammonia in that time. I personally don't think you need this "test". If you had your ammonia up to about 2.0 ppm and it's now down near zero, you've already shown that the system can handle the ammonia. I believe you'd be able to add a hardy fish or two once the ammonia is nearly zero. Adding more ammonia to "test" the system often just results in sky high nitrate once all the ammonia has been processed.

 

[joey’s reef]

Thankyou for the advice

 

[jpmazzone]

I just completed a dry rock bare, fishless, bare bottom cycle in a 50 gallon tank. I used bottled bacteria as well and dosed ammonia. Beginning to end to about 40 days. Be patient, it takes a while. The nitrite will hover at 2 ppm for weeks and then one day you will test and it will be completely gone.

 

[Fish Fan]

I just completed a dry rock bare, fishless, bare bottom cycle in a 50 gallon tank. I used bottled bacteria as well and dosed ammonia. Beginning to end to about 40 days. Be patient, it takes a while. The nitrite will hover at 2 ppm for weeks and then one day you will test and it will be completely gone.

I'm glad your cycle is complete, but just to be clear there is no reason to wait for the nitrite to come down to zero before adding livestock. Nitrite is 110% non toxic in saltwater tanks

Check out this post and the link provided for more info on nitrite if you're interested:

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

www.reef2reef.com

Good luck!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Thankyou for the advice

How is your cycle coming along?

 

[jpmazzone]

I just completed a dry rock bare, fishless, bare bottom cycle in a 50 gallon tank. I used bottled bacteria as well and dosed ammonia. Beginning to end to about 40 days. Be patient, it takes a while. The nitrite will hover at 2 ppm for weeks and then one day you will test and it will be completely gone.

I'm glad your cycle is complete, but just to be clear there is no reason to wait for the nitrite to come down to zero before adding livestock. Nitrite is 110% non toxic in saltwater tanks

Check out this post and the link provided for more info on nitrite if you're interested:

Nitrite Toxicity

Hey guys I have an aquarium system that has about 45gallons of water cycling so I Let it cycle for about week and I added seeded marine pure ceramic balls and the bacteria in a bottle. I had no choice but to add my 2 clownfish from my quarantine into the tank.. because I needed to put a sick...

www.reef2reef.com

Good luck!

Understood. I was just letting him know how long it could take for that to happen. I added first fish after I proved that the bioload could process an elevated dose of ammonia.