Cycling not progressing

Brunetj

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So I have had my 75 gallon tank running since 26 March 2019. My ammonia has been at .50 for two weeks and my nitrites and nitrates are at 0 still.

I have had an algae bloom but it’s fading away now.

Should I expect a higher ammonia spike soon or should I just take means of eliminating what ammonia I do have in the tank and assume it’s cycled?

This is the first time I have a tank not really progress in the nitrogen cycle and I’m kind of confused as to what I should do now.
 

Crabs McJones

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Welcome to R2R! If you're registering ammonia I would let the tank run. Eventually it will break down into nitrite and then nitrate. Are you dosing ammonia or ghost feeding the tank to keep the bacteria fed?
 
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Brunetj

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Welcome to R2R! If you're registering ammonia I would let the tank run. Eventually it will break down into nitrite and then nitrate. Are you dosing ammonia or ghost feeding the tank to keep the bacteria fed?

I’m ghosting feeding. My LFS said I could always put a damsel or two in it to increase the ammonia but I don’t want to risk it right now.
 

Geebs19

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I’m ghosting feeding. My LFS said I could always put a damsel or two in it to increase the ammonia but I don’t want to risk it right now.
Dont do that, though they are cheap fish it is very harmful to them. I would get some pure ammonia, dose to 2ppm and see how fast it drops. I think its a better way of telling than ghost feeding.
 

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I’m ghosting feeding. My LFS said I could always put a damsel or two in it to increase the ammonia but I don’t want to risk it right now.
Correct, I wouldn't put a fish in either. I would keep ghost feeding and testing ammonia and wait :)
What test kit are you using?
 

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Welcome to R2R!! Did you add any bacterial supplements? Or use established rock? If you didn't and you are letting it populate the natural way it can take 6 to 8 weeks. Even if you do add supplements sometimes it just wants to be a pain and take that long anyways.
 

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Just a heads up, i'm not a big fan of the API test kits. They've been known to show ammonia even if there isn't any present. For cycling an aquarium they're fine, but once you get the tank up and running you may want to look into a different source for testing. Salifert and red sea make some great test kits. Also the Hannah Checkers are some of my favorites :)
 
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Brunetj

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Just a heads up, i'm not a big fan of the API test kits. They've been known to show ammonia even if there isn't any present. For cycling an aquarium they're fine, but once you get the tank up and running you may want to look into a different source for testing. Salifert and red sea make some great test kits. Also the Hannah Checkers are some of my favorites :)

I’ll look into getting one of those! Thanks!
 
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Brunetj

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Welcome to R2R!! Did you add any bacterial supplements? Or use established rock? If you didn't and you are letting it populate the natural way it can take 6 to 8 weeks. Even if you do add supplements sometimes it just wants to be a pain and take that long anyways.

I have some live rock from my LFS as well as the live sand that they were selling. I haven’t added anything extra
 

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Dont do that, though they are cheap fish it is very harmful to them. I would get some pure ammonia, dose to 2ppm and see how fast it drops. I think its a better way of telling than ghost feeding.


I pay people to kill fish for me. And then I eat the fish.

Truely, the biggest problem with cycling with damsels. Is that one of them will turn into a monster ***** fish in a year, and you can’t get it out.

That’s the best reason not to put damsels into the tank right now.
 

brandon429

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you might have skipped cycle...live rock brings in bac, it doesn't req extra

the wet pack live sand/more bac


wet=bac

can you post tank pics, curious to see live rock maturation details if any, from pics
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/

I bet your cycle is one of the two main types in the thread

if I put fish food in my live rock setup, it too wouldn't register any free ammonia, breakdown is too slow for rock loaded up with bac.

the thread shows how to visually ID rock for skip cycle assessment without testing for anything.
 
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Brunetj

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So I have had my 75 gallon tank running since 26 March 2019. My ammonia has been at .50 for two weeks and my nitrites and nitrates are at 0 still.

I have had an algae bloom but it’s fading away now.

Should I expect a higher ammonia spike soon or should I just take means of eliminating what ammonia I do have in the tank and assume it’s cycled?

This is the first time I have a tank not really progress in the nitrogen cycle and I’m kind of confused as to what I should do now.
So, a month?

It’s just getting started at a month. I wouldn’t even be testing this early. Save that for later.

I would add a CUC. Keep feeding the tank. And keep dosing bottled bacteria for now.

[My hypothesis is that much of the bacteria that we need in our tanks is actually on the animals that we put in our tanks. In their mucus and boundry layers. Just like the bacteria we have in our guts.]

In a month I would add a couple $15 corals if nitrate is acceptable.
 

Mastiffsrule

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Welcome to the group. Great question and good advise.
Everyone has already covered it so I justed to say hi, and be patient. One day you will test and the NH3 will be gone. It will happen, laws of nature can’t be broken just bent:)
 

Lukas75

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No it’s not
This is likely your culprit if I had to guess. One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given when it comes to reef tanks is, “nothing good happens fast”, ride it out and your tank will be better for it in the end.
 

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