Dr Tim’s Cycle

[Tuan’s Reef]

Looks good. Just be patient . Keep testing . I see your nitrate is up so it’s already processing. I say another week or 2 and do a large wc.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I’m in the same boat - waiting...today is day 31 since I added Dr Tim’s. The ammonia spiked and then went after day 10, nitrite still off the charts.

@DanH86, if your nitrite is still off the chart and your ammonia is 0 ppm, I would recommend doing a 50% water change to bring the nitrite down. Once you get nitrite below 5 ppm, try adding more bacteria and wait. Your cycle may have stalled due to high nitrite.

 

[Nick30G]

I did the same thing when I started up my tank; I bought Dr Tims Ammonia and a Large bottle of Bio-Spira Bacteria. It took me 2 weeks to complete the cycle. I started by adding 2 ppm of ammonia to the tank and adding the whole bottle of Bio-Spira. I took about 5 days to fully clear out all the ammonia, then it took about a week to clear out all the nitrite. The remaining nitrates were about 40 ppm so I did a 50% water change to bring them down then added my first clownfish pair and all was well.

 

[Roid Reefs]

Theres a post about this on our local forum right now. lol. a very prominent member in the community mentioned the viability of the bacteria in a hot warehouse, and if the bottle isn't freshly shipped in cold storage, it could be a bad batch.

another member mentioned using biospira from big box stores that might have more turnover.

my .02,
I have always used biospira along with ghost feeding and some patience. rushing things in this hobby is never good.

 

[Reesj]

I added fish (Few Peaceful damsels) 5 days after adding bacteria bottle. I added the rest of fish 2 weeks after that and the anemon by 1 month of seting up. It is doign great staying put now wit hclown hosting and geting fed.

People overdo it way too much!! Add the bacteria few dozen tiems over the recomended for normal use every other day for 1st week. Tank is then good to go!

 

[AdamB]

I’m in the same boat - waiting...today is day 31 since I added Dr Tim’s. The ammonia spiked and then went after day 10, nitrite still off the charts.

I would say give a little time . I was the same way .My nitrite spiked about day 10 as week but around day 14 it was almost gone and my nitrates were off the charts so ion even my ammonia and nitrite was both at 0 I done a full dose of ammonia and checked it 24 hrs later and it was at 0 so I went ahead with big water change and it has been great.

 

[lpsouth1978]

Just keep an eye on it. I just finished the cycle on my new build. On Friday my Nitrites were super high, then out of nowhere Saturday morning they were absolute ZERO. When it happens it will be overnight. I was typically testing every couple days.

 

[ZoWhat]

So the good-bacteria you have right now (from your Dr Tim's dose) is working for you..... an option is to start dosing 80proof vodka to keep that good-bacteria alive for extended periods beyond 30 days. Me, for example, I have a total water volume of ~200gals and I dose daily about 20ml of 80proof vodka. (the cheapest 80proof vodka they have on the liquor shelf). I've been bouncing btwn 0-2ppm NO3 for a long time bc the vodka (ethanol carbon dosing) is feed the established good-bacteria I started with Dr Tims WasteAway

 

[Rollman]

Thanks guys for all the advice. I added a rock from my current tank to the sump with some water

 

[brandon429]

hey can you take us pics real quick of the life forms? we want to use the pics in our visual ID/visual cycling thread

 

[Beau_B]

I put in almost 2x of one and only and dosed with ammonia. Still took almost 4 weeks. I was spiking the tank with juice made from an established tanks' filter too. Nitrites were impossibly high 3wks in, even after 80% water change. Gave up and put first fish in because it was processing ammonia reasonably. Nitrites plummeted 4 days later. I don't think the Dr Tims helped even a little.

 

[Ruben's Reef]

I cycled my tank with Dr.Tim Bacteria and ammonia and took 3 weeks to finish. I got the Seachem Ammonia Batch and it help me to monitor the ammonia at any time. Also, I only add ammonia when its read 0 and I can see how the ammonia went down in about 24 hours.

 

[Rollman]

Just feel like it’s time to change water. 0 ammonia, nitrites not budging, nitrates very high. Thoughts

 

[lpsouth1978]

Wait it out. Your nitrites will go from through the roof to ZERO virtually overnight. This is the longest part of the cycle, but when it goes down it does so FAST!

You can do a water change, but it could actually slow things. My Nitrites looked a lot like yours on Friday, Saturday morning they were absolute ZERO. Keep watching, you are likely very close to the end.

 

[AdamB]

Just feel like it’s time to change water. 0 ammonia, nitrites not budging, nitrates very high. Thoughts

Wait it out . I was in the same boat as you were and thought that my cycle had stalled but it didn’t .

 

[Ruben's Reef]

I would wait a little more, you almost there. When you see the Nitrite getting blue then is ready for a water change.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dr, Tims is good stuff. . . . . .

BUT -

This stuff is Not Cheap !!

 

[Ruben's Reef]

I forgot to tell you. When I cycled my tank the Nitrite was reading (API test kit) high for about three days and I bought a Salifert test kit for the Nitrite and Nitrates and the reading was fine. Sometimes that API don't give a good reading on Nitrite and Nitrates.

 

[Rollman]

I forgot to tell you. When I cycled my tank the Nitrite was reading (API test kit) high for about three days and I bought a Salifert test kit for the Nitrite and Nitrates and the reading was fine. Sometimes that API don't give a good reading on Nitrite and Nitrates.

Good point about API. I ordered some other testing, in the meantime I tested some other water with the kit and it seems to be correct. I’m gonna ride the nitrite train for a few more days with patience, I’ve made it this far

 

[Joseph76]

Dr, Tims is good stuff. . . . . .

BUT -

This stuff is Not Cheap !!

Order from Chewy. Price changes daily, but normally about $3.50 per 2 ounces.

Good point about API. I ordered some other testing, in the meantime I tested some other water with the kit and it seems to be correct. I’m gonna ride the nitrite train for a few more days with patience, I’ve made it this far

According to the instructions, you are supposed to do a water change if your nitrite ppm exceeds 5ppm. Just something to keep in mind.