Hello everyone!
I am just now getting back into the hobby after a few years and set up a 32 gallon biocube this week. I plan on turning this into a reef eventually, but for now it will be FOWLR while I dust my aquarium skills off haha. I started the cycle by dosing ammonia 2 days ago between 2-3 PPM and adding BioSpira to maybe help the cycle go a bit quicker. Yesterday (24 hours into the cycle) I tested the water and I was already showing about 1ppm of ammonia with 2-5PPM nitrites and somewhere between 40-80 nitrates…after 24 hours. I am assuming that the nitrate test (API) is picking up some of the high nitrite concentration so it’s not an accurate result…as 40 PPM in a brand new tank with dry rock in 24 hours seems impossible lol. Today when I tested, I was down to somewhere between 0-.25 ammonia, and similar high nitrites and nitrates. So it appears that the ammonia is being processed really quick.
My question is: should I do a water change to bring the nitrites down or should I just let it run for a while longer? I am thinking it’s best to not touch anything since the tank is literally 2 days old but I am worried about a stalled cycle with nitrites already this high at this short time. Has anyone had any experience cycling with Bio Spira, and do you think the high nitrites this early will cause problems with the cycle? thanks in advance!!!
summary of my results:
Day 0 (ammonia and biospira added):
Ammonia: 2-3PPM
nitrite: 0
nitrate:0
Day 1:
Ammonia: 1PPM
Nitrite: 2-5PPM
nitrate: 40-80 PPM (probably inaccurate)
Day 2 (today):
Ammonia: 0-.25
Nitrite: 2-5ppm
nitrate- 40-80PPM
I am just now getting back into the hobby after a few years and set up a 32 gallon biocube this week. I plan on turning this into a reef eventually, but for now it will be FOWLR while I dust my aquarium skills off haha. I started the cycle by dosing ammonia 2 days ago between 2-3 PPM and adding BioSpira to maybe help the cycle go a bit quicker. Yesterday (24 hours into the cycle) I tested the water and I was already showing about 1ppm of ammonia with 2-5PPM nitrites and somewhere between 40-80 nitrates…after 24 hours. I am assuming that the nitrate test (API) is picking up some of the high nitrite concentration so it’s not an accurate result…as 40 PPM in a brand new tank with dry rock in 24 hours seems impossible lol. Today when I tested, I was down to somewhere between 0-.25 ammonia, and similar high nitrites and nitrates. So it appears that the ammonia is being processed really quick.
My question is: should I do a water change to bring the nitrites down or should I just let it run for a while longer? I am thinking it’s best to not touch anything since the tank is literally 2 days old but I am worried about a stalled cycle with nitrites already this high at this short time. Has anyone had any experience cycling with Bio Spira, and do you think the high nitrites this early will cause problems with the cycle? thanks in advance!!!
summary of my results:
Day 0 (ammonia and biospira added):
Ammonia: 2-3PPM
nitrite: 0
nitrate:0
Day 1:
Ammonia: 1PPM
Nitrite: 2-5PPM
nitrate: 40-80 PPM (probably inaccurate)
Day 2 (today):
Ammonia: 0-.25
Nitrite: 2-5ppm
nitrate- 40-80PPM