Dr Tims Fishless Cycle Day 8

[Drewsky]

Hello All
Was wondering if I can get an answer to a question i have. So my PH is 8.0, Ammonia has dropped from 2.0PPM to 0.50 PPM, Nitrite id say maybe 0.25 - 0.50PPM and Nitrate still 0PPM. Should I be dosing more ammonia to keep it at 2.0 PPM ?

 

[Fish Fan]

Hello All
Was wondering if I can get an answer to a question i have. So my PH is 8.0, Ammonia has dropped from 2.0PPM to 0.50 PPM, Nitrite id say maybe 0.25 - 0.50PPM and Nitrate still 0PPM. Should I be dosing more ammonia to keep it at 2.0 PPM ?

Hello newer member!

No, do not continually add the ammonium chloride during the cycle. Doing so can prolong the cycle, and result in very high nitrates when the cycle completes.

I used to advise dosing the ammonia to "test" the system to see if it can process about 2.0 ppm ammonia down to about 0.25 - 0.00 ppm, but I now believe this is unnecessary.

You've dosed your ammonia concentration up to ~2.0 ppm, and it's not falling back; perfect!

Don't worry about nitrite toxicity, it's entirely non-toxic for saltwater tanks (unlike freshwater). However, nitrite causes an artificially high result when you test your nitrate. For this reason you can't know your actual nitrate concentration until your nitrite has gone to zero.

However, for the reason I just stated above, I'm concerned that you are reading nitrite, but still zero for nitrate; that's odd What test kits are you using?

I'd continue your course here. A fishless cycled using Dr. Tim's One and Only and his bottled ammonium chloride tends to take about 3 weeks to complete, give or take. You only need your ammonia to come down, and then you can start to slowly add some hardy livestock.

I hope this helps; please post back with further questions!

Good luck!

 

[Drewsky]

Hello newer member!

No, do not continually add the ammonium chloride during the cycle. Doing so can prolong the cycle, and result in very high nitrates when the cycle completes.

I used to advise dosing the ammonia to "test" the system to see if it can process about 2.0 ppm ammonia down to about 0.25 - 0.00 ppm, but I know believe this is unnecessary.

You've dosed your ammonia concentration up to ~2.0 ppm, and it's not falling back; perfect!

Don't worry about nitrite toxicity, it's entirely non-toxic for saltwater tanks (unlike freshwater). However, nitrite causes an artificially high result when you test your nitrate. For this reason you can't know your actual nitrate concentration until your nitrite has gone to zero.

However, for the reason I just stated above, I'm concerned that you are reading nitrite, but still zero for nitrate; that's odd What test kits are you using?

I'd continue your course here. A fishless cycled using Dr. Tim's One and Only and his bottled ammonium chloride tends to take about 3 weeks to complete, give or take. You only need your ammonia to come down, and then you can start to slowly add some hardy livestock.

I hope this helps; please post back with further questions!

Good luck!

 

[Drewsky]

Thank you very much i appreciate the advice. I am using API Saltwater Master Test Kit. The ammonia was up at 2.0PPM but during the weekend I want to say Saturday 9/27 it had dropped to 0.50 PPM but Nitrite did develop and I tested today 9/29 Ammonia still at 0.50 PPM and nitrite maybe between 0.25-0.50 PPM and Nitrate still 0 so still have yet to get any Nitrate reading but I understand that now that I won't get Nitrate reading till Nitrite zeros out

 

[Fish Fan]

Thank you very much i appreciate the advice. I am using API Saltwater Master Test Kit. The ammonia was up at 2.0PPM but during the weekend I want to say Saturday 9/27 it had dropped to 0.50 PPM but Nitrite did develop and I tested today 9/29 Ammonia still at 0.50 PPM and nitrite maybe between 0.25-0.50 PPM and Nitrate still 0 so still have yet to get any Nitrate reading but I understand that now that I won't get Nitrate reading till Nitrite zeros out

I'm happy to try to help, if I can!

I had assumed the API kits. API test kits don't get a whole lot of love here on Reef2Reef, but I promise you they are just fine for nitrogen cycling your tank. Almost any hobby-level test kit cannot be compared to laboratory grade testing, and we need to all take our results with a grain of salt (no pun intended).

When using API or most of the color changing kits, just try to observe trends, such as, ammonia went up, and is now coming down. Nitrate was zero, but is now starting to climb. Try not to get too hung up on hard numbers - again, these are not laboratory ICP-MS testing.

I'm struggling to understand how you're seeing 0.00 ppm nitrate here. I would give this another day or two and recheck and see if you have *some* nitrate. Keep in mind that nitrite will cause a nitrate test to read artificially high, but it's important to see *something* for nitrate at some point.

 

[Drewsky]

I'm happy to try to help, if I can!

I had assumed the API kits. API test kits don't get a whole lot of love here on Reef2Reef, but I promise you they are just fine for nitrogen cycling your tank. Almost any hobby-level test kit cannot be compared to laboratory grade testing, and we need to all take our results with a grain of salt (no pun intended).

When using API or most of the color changing kits, just try to observe trends, such as, ammonia went up, and is now coming down. Nitrate was zero, but is now starting to climb. Try not to get too hung up on hard numbers - again, these are not laboratory ICP-MS testing.

I'm struggling to understand how you're seeing 0.00 ppm nitrate here. I would give this another day or two and recheck and see if you have *some* nitrate. Keep in mind that nitrite will cause a nitrate test to read artificially high, but it's important to see *something* for nitrate at some point.

Yea It had me puzzled to with how im not seeing any Nitrate yet but ammonia is dropping down thats the reason why I had asked if I should dose so it doesn't drop too zero without any reading on nitrate but yes I will take your advice wait it out and recheck perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday and go from there i will do my best to not get stuck on hard numbers

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Thank you very much i appreciate the advice. I am using API Saltwater Master Test Kit. The ammonia was up at 2.0PPM but during the weekend I want to say Saturday 9/27 it had dropped to 0.50 PPM but Nitrite did develop and I tested today 9/29 Ammonia still at 0.50 PPM and nitrite maybe between 0.25-0.50 PPM and Nitrate still 0 so still have yet to get any Nitrate reading but I understand that now that I won't get Nitrate reading till Nitrite zeros out

Same boat cousin. I am cycling with the same kit and getting similar numbers on same days. I'll test mine this afternoon, but I may reach out to my LFS and see about another test kit for a 2nd opinion this would actually be interesting to see the accuracy because API has had me puzzled the last 2 times I used it

 

[Fish Fan]

I would not add any more ammonia at this time, just wait for your ammonia to drop to nearly zero and you should be good to go

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Just tested mine today my nitrite and nitrate is throwing me off.. but ill just leave it be for a few more days and see again... I think friday im going to test it and also take some to a LFS to see what the comparison is.

 

[Fish Fan]

Just tested mine today my nitrite and nitrate is throwing me off.. but ill just leave it be for a few more days and see again... I think friday im going to test it and also take some to a LFS to see what the comparison is.

This seems fine to me, I'd just give it a little longer for the ammonia to come down a little more, then you should be good to start to add some hardy livestock.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Didn't even think to try my Hanna testers... lol. I'm about to give them a go and test again just to get separate results. I read the Hanna test can be finicky tho