Dr tims fishless cycle .. 0 ammonia 1.0 nitrite..
- Thread starter Franci1017
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Don't worry about it, nitrite isn't harmful in marine situations. Are you seeing any nitrate?
Azedenkae
Valuable Member
If you are following Dr. Tim's fishless cycle, then just wait until nitrite drops to 0. Then, dose ammonia again and rinse and repeat, until both ammonia and nitrite reads 0 after 24 hours from dosing ammonia.Dr tims fishless cycle, Day 12 my ammonia hit 0 today, but nitrite has been 1.0 for the last 3 days.. what should I do??
Nitrite-oxidizers take longer to grow than ammonia-oxidizers, so this is quite normal.
Is that what they advise? Didn't know that, I thought it was like 10 days and done.
I would say that this tank has cycled already.
OP
OP
Franci1017
Community Member
Yes
Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Nah, Dr. Tim ia firmly in the 'it will finish cycling when it finishes cycling' camp.
Fishless Cycling | DrTim's Aquatics
The term "fishless cycling" refers to the process of establishing the nitrifying bacteria in a newly set-up aquarium without using fish which are used in the traditional cycling method. The problem associated with using fish in the cycling period is that normally, when establishing the...
www.drtimsaquatics.com
Which I am also in. Every tank is different with different cycling starting points. Temperature, pH, salinity can all affect how fast or slow the beneficial microbes grow. What species these microbes are also matters, and so does where they settled in the sand/rocks/biomedia. With so many variables, I do not see how there could be a specific timeframe for cycling.
I think it took me about 10 weeks to see constant nitrite conversion after adding ammonia, so I do agree there are many variables in how quickly the NOB develops.Nah, Dr. Tim ia firmly in the 'it will finish cycling when it finishes cycling' camp.
Fishless Cycling | DrTim's Aquatics
The term "fishless cycling" refers to the process of establishing the nitrifying bacteria in a newly set-up aquarium without using fish which are used in the traditional cycling method. The problem associated with using fish in the cycling period is that normally, when establishing the...
Which I am also in. Every tank is different with different cycling starting points. Temperature, pH, salinity can all affect how fast or slow the beneficial microbes grow. What species these microbes are also matters, and so does where they settled in the sand/rocks/biomedia. With so many variables, I do not see how there could be a specific timeframe for cycling.
Are we concerned about nitrite? No not really.
Except it means you would also have absolutely no idea what the nitrate reading is, if that bothers you. I would always wait for nitrite to drop but you haven’t got to. Impatience has a lot to answer for.
NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
You are cycled in the sense you can add fish. Do a large watch change though so nitrates don’t sky rocket
This would be my approach under the circumstances.
Your tank could be moved to macna with eight clownfish in it, as a demo of bottle bac ability in dry starts, and then moved back home after it closes and the fish will live for months until brook kills them all- does that count as cycled 
It's already been proven fish- in cycling with bottle bac doesn't harm fish, bottle bac is that good
Imagine waiting twelve more days past that ability
It's already been proven fish- in cycling with bottle bac doesn't harm fish, bottle bac is that good
Imagine waiting twelve more days past that ability
How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle
non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...
www.reef2reef.com
Azedenkae
Valuable Member
My only concern really is that nitrite might get so high that it inhibits nitrification itself. I first heard about this from Dr. Tim when watching his MACNA talk and/or reading his article or something. I later found peer-reviewed articles that seem to support this. Not so much the exact numbers Dr. Tim listed, but generally that nitrite seems to inhibit the growth of nitrifiers, or at least their nitrification activities.
Granted, it is an unlikely scenario given that 1. nitrite production has to outpace nitrite consumption at a significant enough rate and 2. nitrite-oxidizers could not grow fast enough to at some point balance it out, and then start to decrease nitrite levels. Oh and 3. nitrite has to increase enough to actually harm our live stock. Although I suppose if nitrite can inhibit nitrification even at 'relatively low' levels of nitrite, then ammonia could then presumably start building up pretty fast and harm live stock. Not sure how likely that is as I have never had to come close to dealing with it.
But yeah otherwise I do agree, nitrite is not a big deal. I freaked out initially when I started diving into the saltwater side of the hobby lol. Thanks to Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley's article and access to peer-reviewed articles to validate what he wrote, I was like 'oh okay coolio that's great to know'.
With that said, I am a bit neurotic though, and since I subscribe to the 'ammonia has to be completely oxidized to nitrate' school of cycling, I feel like I gotta test everything. It just feels good to know how everything is progressing, and it does not even take that long anyways. I used Microbacter7 and pure ammonia to cycle my most recent aquarium, and in two weeks both ammonia and nitrite could be kept constantly at 0 even when dosing 2ppm ammonia each day, so for me it is not really that much of a deal to cycle this way.
NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
Its funny how opposite sides of the spectrum I am from most on cycling. I wait until I can see a detectable drop in ammonia (or a .5 ppm increase in nitrite) in my ammonia soaked rock bucket then I rinse the rocks in fresh SW. Good as cycled for atleast a few fish and CUC as soon as I move the rock to the new tank.
I love how our hobby is still undecided on major factors that run it for thirty years its awesome.
the link in post #13 is absolute proof nitrite can't stall nitrification though Dr. Tim said that it does. It does in a lab, I guess.
just not ever in any post made on the internet.
Dr Tim said in the macna video that reef tank water has no nitrifiers
www.reef2reef.com
then we showed it has many millions.
*********he may have been being genus-specific****** which is true
but that's not how millions of cyclers with debit cards interpreted him. they took it as the bottled source was required. no
nobody cares what initial species handles nh3 control, or if they alternate out to a different species later. They only care that their biofilters will function, and in no reef tank ever made has a cycle stalled, not ever, not one
should one be found or suspected send em to the link in post #13
what I mean by no cycle has ever stalled: of the four kinds of cycles we encounter in posts, all of them have known completion dates before the tank is even built, and the cycles are done by those dates says every reef convention in the world. cycle stalling is for forum trained buyers.
the notion of a stalled cycle has been discovered to be one of the most profound market drivers in reefing.
the link in post #13 is absolute proof nitrite can't stall nitrification though Dr. Tim said that it does. It does in a lab, I guess.
just not ever in any post made on the internet.
Dr Tim said in the macna video that reef tank water has no nitrifiers
Connecting Established Reef To New Tank
EDIT: In conclusion, if using the method I did - connecting an established reef to a new system with dry rock (clean), I recommend the following: 1. Dose your new tank prior to connecting to your old tank with NO3 and PO4 enough to raise to your established tank levels. 2. Take your skimmer...
www.reef2reef.com
then we showed it has many millions.
*********he may have been being genus-specific****** which is true
but that's not how millions of cyclers with debit cards interpreted him. they took it as the bottled source was required. no
nobody cares what initial species handles nh3 control, or if they alternate out to a different species later. They only care that their biofilters will function, and in no reef tank ever made has a cycle stalled, not ever, not one
should one be found or suspected send em to the link in post #13
what I mean by no cycle has ever stalled: of the four kinds of cycles we encounter in posts, all of them have known completion dates before the tank is even built, and the cycles are done by those dates says every reef convention in the world. cycle stalling is for forum trained buyers.
the notion of a stalled cycle has been discovered to be one of the most profound market drivers in reefing.
Last edited:
Azedenkae
Valuable Member
That's what I was very surprised about as well first entering this side of the hobby. XD So many schools of cycling. Or maybe 'cycling' in quotation marks, given how differently people defines it.
But hey, if it works, it works.
I am in this position curing rock.
Ammonia reached .1 , and Nitrite is off the charts on the Red Sea test kit after 40% water change.
Should i wait for nitrite to cycle down again or dose ammonia? I'm wanting to throw the rock in my established display.
Ammonia reached .1 , and Nitrite is off the charts on the Red Sea test kit after 40% water change.
Should i wait for nitrite to cycle down again or dose ammonia? I'm wanting to throw the rock in my established display.
Don't add any more ammonia, just wait it out. When did you add the ammonia? Are you using a Brute can?
Similar threads
