Cycling tank issues and don't know what's happening

[ziggyjane07]

Hi All, just after some advice here as I'm not understanding what's happening. I'm very new to and still trying to get my head around it all!

I am cycling a small ocean free nano marine 5 (96L) tank as I wanted to start to kick it over and whilst I was at it start to try and cycle some bleached rock that I had and wanted to add to my big main DT as a bit more rock. The issue I'm having is I am using the Redsea reef mature kit and am up to day 10. However by this stage apparently testing the tank parameters are suppose to be as follows:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm

My actuals are as follows:
Salinity -1.025
Ammonia - .50
Nitrite - 2.0ppm
Nitrate - 80ppm
Oh and the phosphate was .9
I have tested for copper and that is Nil

I don't understand what is happening? I'm using everything in the dosage it's telling me? Is there to much rock in there or what's happening?
It doesn't smell off or rotten or anything and everything smells totally fine
But I also wanted to know when could I add the rock to the main DT or would it just kill everything in it or undo all everything in the main DT ?
My Redsea Reefer 525xl started the start of Oct. so fairly new but parameters in my main DT tank are all good just phosphates still coming down currently at .14 with Nyos torq and phosban running in it

Thanks so much!

 

[blaxsun]

I would use the Red Sea Mature Reef numbers as merely a guide and not necessarily disappointed if yours seems off. I cycled two identical tanks with the Red Sea kit and got completely different readings over the course of 21 days with both tanks.

I'd stick with the timeline and finish the course they recommend. When you start seeing the rocks turn brown you'll know that you're on the right track.

 

[ziggyjane07]

Thank you blaxsun - I thought I may have done something wrong. I certainly won't be putting the CUC or fish in when they recommend.
The rocks are brown, going brown and I can see the start of algae happening (feathery type I guess) but they also have a bright white type of thing happening? what's happening there? is that not good? Are the rocks no good anymore?
Thanks

 

[Dan_P]

Hi All, just after some advice here as I'm not understanding what's happening. I'm very new to and still trying to get my head around it all!

I am cycling a small ocean free nano marine 5 (96L) tank as I wanted to start to kick it over and whilst I was at it start to try and cycle some bleached rock that I had and wanted to add to my big main DT as a bit more rock. The issue I'm having is I am using the Redsea reef mature kit and am up to day 10. However by this stage apparently testing the tank parameters are suppose to be as follows:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm

My actuals are as follows:
Salinity -1.025
Ammonia - .50
Nitrite - 2.0ppm
Nitrate - 80ppm
Oh and the phosphate was .9
I have tested for copper and that is Nil

I don't understand what is happening? I'm using everything in the dosage it's telling me? Is there to much rock in there or what's happening?
It doesn't smell off or rotten or anything and everything smells totally fine
But I also wanted to know when could I add the rock to the main DT or would it just kill everything in it or undo all everything in the main DT ?
My Redsea Reefer 525xl started the start of Oct. so fairly new but parameters in my main DT tank are all good just phosphates still coming down currently at .14 with Nyos torq and phosban running in it

Thanks so much!

What was the ammonia reading on day one?

 

[ziggyjane07]

What was the ammonia reading on day one?

Hi - I didn't test it day 1 first test was on the day 3 when it said to test for it, and the readings were as follows:
Ammonia - .50ppm
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 10ppm
Ph - 7.8
dKH - 10.4


Redsea have said that on day 3 the results should look a little like:
Ammonia 1ppm
Nitrite - .1ppm
Nitrate - 10-15ppm

Thanks

 

[Dan_P]

Hi - I didn't test it day 1 first test was on the day 3 when it said to test for it, and the readings were as follows:
Ammonia - .50ppm
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 10ppm
Ph - 7.8
dKH - 10.4


Redsea have said that on day 3 the results should look a little like:
Ammonia 1ppm
Nitrite - .1ppm
Nitrate - 10-15ppm

Thanks

I was trying to understand whether your test result of 0.5 ppm is really 0 ppm. So, you will need to determine whether the test result is 0.0 or 0.5 ppm.

The reason for this requirement is that your results are unusual. Ammonia should be consumed in a few days. If not, you have a bad test result or a bad bottle of bacteria. The nitrite level always takes awhile to decrease.

 

[ziggyjane07]

I was trying to understand whether your test result of 0.5 ppm is really 0 ppm. So, you will need to determine whether the test result is 0.0 or 0.5 ppm.

The reason for this requirement is that your results are unusual. Ammonia should be consumed in a few days. If not, you have a bad test result or a bad bottle of bacteria. The nitrite level always takes awhile to decrease.

Yeh it was definitely .5 - The colour was way off. Might be a bad batch of bacteria possibly - I didn't realise that may of been the case.
I will keep going like the cycle like blaxsun suggested and will do another check tomorrow.
Thanks

 

[Dan_P]

Yeh it was definitely .5 - The colour was way off. Might be a bad batch of bacteria possibly - I didn't realise that may of been the case.
I will keep going like the cycle like blaxsun suggested and will do another check tomorrow.
Thanks

At some point you might try another product like Bio-Spira or Fritz Turbo Start.

 

[ziggyjane07]

At some point you might try another product like Bio-Spira or Fritz Turbo Start.

Yeh thanks Dan_P
Here were today’s tests

 

[homer1475]

That pic is of 0 ammonia on an API kit with SW. It's always slightly green in SW. Never has that bright yellow like it shows on the card with SW.

In the presence of nitrites, you will always show high nitrates. The presence of nitrites throws off the nitrate kit.

 

[Aqua Man]

Never has that bright yellow like it shows on the card with SW.

I would not say never. I have seen yellow.

 

[homer1475]

In 20+ years of using API to cycle SW tanks(Hey it's cheap and easy to use), I have never seen the bright yellow like is on the card, always has a faint tint of green to it. Read any cycling threads that use API, always a faint hint of green(most likely where most stalled cycle threads come from).

Only time I have veer seen the bright yellow, is cycling in FW.

I believe it's the way the salt interacts with the chemicals used(FW and SW are the same chemicals and the same color card), but I have no evidence to back that up.

So yes, I personally can say never.

 

[reefcleaners]

Hi All, just after some advice here as I'm not understanding what's happening. I'm very new to and still trying to get my head around it all!

I am cycling a small ocean free nano marine 5 (96L) tank as I wanted to start to kick it over and whilst I was at it start to try and cycle some bleached rock that I had and wanted to add to my big main DT as a bit more rock. The issue I'm having is I am using the Redsea reef mature kit and am up to day 10. However by this stage apparently testing the tank parameters are suppose to be as follows:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm

My actuals are as follows:
Salinity -1.025
Ammonia - .50
Nitrite - 2.0ppm
Nitrate - 80ppm
Oh and the phosphate was .9
I have tested for copper and that is Nil

I don't understand what is happening? I'm using everything in the dosage it's telling me? Is there to much rock in there or what's happening?
It doesn't smell off or rotten or anything and everything smells totally fine
But I also wanted to know when could I add the rock to the main DT or would it just kill everything in it or undo all everything in the main DT ?
My Redsea Reefer 525xl started the start of Oct. so fairly new but parameters in my main DT tank are all good just phosphates still coming down currently at .14 with Nyos torq and phosban running in it

Thanks so much!

Beautiful aquascape

 

[iamahab]

I would not say never. I have seen yellow.

My API ammonia test results are never yellow but they are ALWAYS cloudy, I will usually test one of my fresh water tanks at the same time to compare the results. With the cloudiness it's hard to gauge

 

[Dan_P]

My API ammonia test results are never yellow but they are ALWAYS cloudy, I will usually test one of my fresh water tanks at the same time to compare the results. With the cloudiness it's hard to gauge

Here is what 0.25 ppm total NH3 looks like with the modified API ammonia test. 0 ppm is nearly colorless.

The modification uses a 10 mL sample, 6 drops of reagent 1, 0.3 mL solid sodium citrate, and then 5 drops of reagent 2. Color development takes one hour. The color intensity can be measured with a Hanna Checker, the low range silicate Checker is the best for measuring low ammonia concentrations.