Cycling Tank, looking for advice/suggestions

[Glasswalker]

Hey, so here is my build thread:
http://reef2reef.com/threads/first-build-some-questions-and-documenting-my-build.241255/

I'm cycling the tank now for nearly 2 weeks. And the numbers I'm testing seem a bit "odd" to me. I'm still continuing on, but wanted to post here for any suggestions/advice.

So this is my sheet where I'm tracking the data:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SOb-O4OG39ZvBDams41bX2RBSPy5pUyRcBjT2jHiQAA/edit?usp=sharing

The chart gives a summary, the Data tab shows the raw test data I've collected on each date, and the Events tab shows when I did various things on the tank since beginning the cycle.

The parts I'm finding odd are:

• Never getting above 0.25 on anything
• The random spike of nitrites, followed by nothing (with no decrease in ammonia).
• Constant ammonia levels.

I've continued feeding the tank in various forms (starting with hard food "cookies", and now using frozen cubes of brine shrimp).

These methods have worked for my friend on multiple tanks, so I know the food is capable of inducing a cycle.

A couple other notes (you can also read the build thread for tons of detail, but it's a long thread).

• I'm testing using API kits. I'm following instructions to every detail
• I've used RODI water for everything
• I've only used dry rock, and dry substrate to start the tank, but I added one small seed rock, and about a week in (marked on event tab in sheet) I added about 10lb of live rubble to the fuge (on top of the rubble that was already there).

Am I doing fine, just need to wait more?
Or is there anything else I should be doing to help the cycle along.
(not trying to rush things, have no problem waiting 6 weeks, just want to make sure I'm not stalled, and wait 6 weeks, only to find I have to restart anyway) lol.

Thanks in advance!

 

[pdt7361]

I've always kick started with live sand, some live rock, and Biospira. With those I've always had an instant cycle and then started my fuge up.

 

[brandon429]

The test for this thread is to paste it in any cycling challenge thread and see if it answers every question without having to be edited. Aiming for one size fits all

Since you bought Api already we can use it but we only need the ammonia one not the others



http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/











I can see where it applies to your thread here, the 40 day known timeframe applies. to know your precise undeniable start date for the quickest possible start, salifert test kits will be required. If no big rush, forty days seals the deal. Do a big water change, vacuum out the detritus that feeding created, and begin clean reefing and keep it that way perpetually

 

[brandon429]

The live portions you've added as seed are actually massive bio filters. If you tested for ammonia with fine detail on another kit used for trace measurements, you'd likely digest some. might read some nitrate soon, it's from the pre seeded sources you had planned on that.


To help tremendously, all you have to do is wait about a month, add a couple bottles dr tims bacteria if not already, keeping the ammonia ~ 1ppm via your feed even if you have to use api just make your best inferred guess on what 1 ppm would be

Since you bought Api let's use it, I know it's forbidden in the first sentence of the link thread heh


The rule for your tank is:
40 days underwater, some bottle bac, no particular amounts required, some better than none, plus some live seeds added initially means 40 days can begin light reefing.



If you dump some bac and hold course until 40 days underwater, you can begin and not need testing beyond ammonia, a single parameter. That thread distills cycling down to one single parameter.

 

[Glasswalker]

Thanks for those suggestions, that thread is certainly an interesting read.

I decided to pick up some Bottled Bacteria, specifically the new one from Seachem's premium line, Aquavitro Seed. It wasn't too expensive, and figured I'd give it a shot. So dosing that over the next 7 days as indicated. Will keep track of dosing history, and see how it affects the cycle.

I like the emphasis in that post on not paying too much attention to the tests, too many things can throw it off (and the API can just be inaccurate/hard to read, or not precise enough). Just make sure you're digesting ammonia fast enough, and you're good. So that's how I'll proceed.

 

[Glasswalker]

Just a quick update on this, Today will be day 7 with the bottled bacteria, following dosing recommendations to the letter. I'll likely have some left over (enough for a few more days of dosing at the regular rate).

Basically Day One put in a full dose, then put a half-dose in each day for 7 days.

I'll likely have 4-5 days worth of doses left over in the bottle.

Right now I'm still showing the same ammonia. But for the first couple days I still ghost fed the tank, my friend suggested I might be creating a lot of ammonia with the feeding, so I stopped that a few days ago. Still reading 0.25 ammonia. Was wondering if the test was just mis-reading, so tested RO water and it was clearly 0, Tested my tap water, and it was 0.5ppm (eww...) anyway, so the tank at 0.25 seems like the test is reading accurate.

Was dosing the "fish cookies" (hard biscuit of fish food) every couple days up until May 10, but found those were forming big "blobs" that decay on the sand bed, so cleaned those out, and switched to frozen brine shrimp to ghost feed. Fed 1 cube on the 13th, then 3 on the 17th, and one more on the 18th, and 19th each. (was trying to get a rise out of the ammonia and couldn't).

That's around when I posted on here for help, and bought the Aquavitro Seed.
First does of Seed was on the 20th, then added daily dose after that.
Added 2 cubes of brine shrimp each day on the 21st and 22nd, before I realized I might have been over-producing ammonia. And stopped.

Have not ghost fed the tank since then.

Hoping in the next day or so it will drop to 0 now that I'm not feeding it.

My assumption is that when I added the rubble, it added some good bio filter, which threw the original tests off. The bio filter was keeping up with ammonia I was producing from ghost feeding. Now that I'm dosing the seed, I was also over-feeding, again producing a lot of ammonia, which the bacteria was keeping pace with... And it will take a few days for that to fully decay and stop producing ammonia, at which point the bio filter should catch up, and get me back to 0.

If after the 7 day dosing period it's not 0, probably can't hurt from what I've read to continue dosing daily at the same rate.

Will post again to update how it went ;)

Thanks!