End of cycle? All my nitrAtes disappeared?

[rja]

Hello,
So I have been fishless cycling my BC29 for a couple weeks now and I went through an ammonia spike, nitrite spike, and… not a nitrate spike?

[USING API TEST KIT— I know, it’s junk]

I may sound delusional but literally, my ammonia was so high that the tests were robin-egg blue. Everyone told me my ammo was well over 8ppm. Anyway, come the drop of ammo and spike of nitrites, my nitrite skyrocketed to magenta.

Through all of this I was dosing a cap of microbacter7 a day just to help everybody along. Anyway I got fed up with the dead stuck nitrite and dumped the rest of the bottle in. (Roughly 4oz.) Of course, my intention was to dump the entire bottle in, in the first place. The whole reason why I got more bottled bacteria was because everyone had me convinced that my ammonia killed all the bacteria culture in my tank.

That was a few days ago. Fast forward to this morning, I am getting a pee yellow ammonia test, sky blue nitrite test, and… a yellow nitrate test?

One may blame API, which, of course, API is probably playing a role in this. However, could it have been the bottle of microbacter7? I’m not familiar with the chemistry of lowering nitrates in a system without the use of photosynthesis in plants. To make things more confusing, I was reading nitrates half way through my nitrite spike— which I know that the presence of nitrites will skew a nitrate test.

I am confused, the only answer is either API sucks, microbacter7 is magic, I am an idiot, or a combination of all three.

Any advice is welcome.

 

[Fichmiester]

Once the nitrates appear, you need to keep a consistent source of ammonia. That way ammonia keep turning into nitrite, then into nitrate, and repeat.

Since you don’t have fish in the tank (or CUC?), there is no ammonia source that is allowing nitrite and nitrate to form.

this is why CUCs are recommended. To keep ammonia in the tank until fish come into play.

 

[rja]

Once the nitrates appear, you need to keep a consistent source of ammonia. That way ammonia keep turning into nitrite, then into nitrate, and repeat.

Since you don’t have fish in the tank (or CUC?), there is no ammonia source that is allowing nitrite and nitrate to form.

this is why CUCs are recommended. To keep ammonia in the tank until fish come into play.

Well I know that, I am just wondering how all my nutrient levels simply disappeared. I saw the conversation of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates but after the bottle of microbacter, everything is gone

 

[Fichmiester]

It’s because you don’t have a source of ammonia in the tank. Fish food or fish poop will fix that…

 

[Matty Ice]

lol. A little bit of all three!

 

[rja]

It’s because you don’t have a source of ammonia in the tank. Fish food or fish poop will fix that…

I mean I could dose some ammonia but I am reading that microbacter7 can strip phos and nitrates so I really think that’s what did it. If I had no source of ammonia, the nutrient levels wouldn’t just disappear right? I’ve also heard bacteria can go this long without food. I mean this cycle has lasted less than two weeks and I have dosed bacteria just a few days ago

 

[Fichmiester]

if you have no ammonia, then nothing is creating nitrite. Which then means nitrite can’t become nitrate. The bacteria will die off (eventually) without nutrients too, which could have had an affect on your nitrate drop.

If you dose bacteria, you should try to introduce fish to the tank within 72 hours, once again, so an ammonia source is constantly present.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Your tank is cycled. Get some fishies in there to poop it up.

 

[rja]

Your tank is cycled. Get some fishies in there to poop it up.

aye aye cap’n, getting the poop makers

 

[LeftyReefer]

Bacteria will not die off without an ammonia source in a short period of time. certainly not in a matter of days or weeks... 72 hours is of no concern.

When my DT was fallow for over 90 days, there was no ammonia source and the bacteria were just fine when I re-added all my fish 90+ days later. never saw any kind of spike in ammonia, etc... everything kept processing waste just as it always had. I'm assuming there is enough "gunk" in a tank to keep any bacteria fed for quite a while.

 

[rja]

Bacteria will not die off without an ammonia source in a short period of time. certainly not in a matter of days or weeks... 72 hours is of no concern.

When my DT was fallow for over 90 days, there was no ammonia source and the bacteria were just fine when I re-added all my fish 90+ days later. never saw any kind of spike in ammonia, etc... everything kept processing waste just as it always had. I'm assuming there is enough "gunk" in a tank to keep any bacteria fed for quite a while.

This. I used arag-alive sand which definitely could have decaying organics— hence, my 8+PPM of NH after only adding less than the recommended amount of nitrocycle to my system. Soon enough I will have fish to feed my pet bacteria. I just want to figure out where the heck my nitrates went… must be the BW MB7.

 

[LeftyReefer]

My tank always has very low nitrates too. I have to dose them from time to time to keep them from bottoming out completely. Some tanks are just more efficient at processing nitrates than others.

My tank has a large amount of live rock, for its size, and I also have a fair amount of Matrix in the system. I've always attributed the good nitrate processing capability of my tank to those two things.

 

[rja]

My tank always has very low nitrates too. I have to dose them from time to time to keep them from bottoming out completely. Some tanks are just more efficient at processing nitrates than others.

My tank has a large amount of live rock, for its size, and I also have a fair amount of Matrix in the system. I've always attributed the good nitrate processing capability of my tank to those two things.

Yeah I saw that people use MB7 for nitrate control. I have a lot of bacteria diversity, I think, because I used
- arag-alive
- startsmart
- mb7
- 20lb life rock
- 7lb bottom-of-the-tank nasty live rock from my LFS that’s probably been cooking for years.
I think time really balances systems more than anything. My mature freshwater planted 30g only requires weekly top off. When i feed too much, more snails grow and eat the algae, when they eat all the algae they die and their carcasses feed the plants. When my fish crap, the plants grow. I don’t change filters, I don’t change water, I dont vac the substrate. I have 12 fish in the tank and they all have their own job.

understocked + flora = no maintenance.

 

[frentemarvin]

Don't you get annoyed when you ask something so simple and people just assume you are a noobie or don't know enough basics before asking those questions? Man, reading some comments makes me feel straight up upset. This is why I prefer intense research or reading before daring to ask these "experts" on fish forums. Bacteria don't just die off if there is no waste. In order for the whole colon to die, you would need to use chemicals like bleach. Even so, it won't guarantee you are killing 100% of them. So I don't understand why people kept saying how you should dose your tanks with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Anyway man, I see no reason not to add fish. Like many others say, you need fish poop and they also excrete ammonia directly from their gills. Add them slowly over period of weeks or months to let the water condition and the ecosystem stabilize. Don't add too many at once. On a side note, strips or API are fine if you aren't planning to keep corals etc. They require accurate test results for their well being. Always, don't go overboard or overkill or think too much. Most organisms do fine on their own without your excessive help.

 

[rja]

Don't you get annoyed when you ask something so simple and people just assume you are a noobie or don't know enough basics before asking those questions? Man, reading some comments makes me feel straight up upset. This is why I prefer intense research or reading before daring to ask these "experts" on fish forums. Bacteria don't just die off if there is no waste. In order for the whole colon to die, you would need to use chemicals like bleach. Even so, it won't guarantee you are killing 100% of them. So I don't understand why people kept saying how you should dose your tanks with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Anyway man, I see no reason not to add fish. Like many others say, you need fish poop and they also excrete ammonia directly from their gills. Add them slowly over period of weeks or months to let the water condition and the ecosystem stabilize. Don't add too many at once. On a side note, strips or API are fine if you aren't planning to keep corals etc. They require accurate test results for their well being. Always, don't go overboard or overkill or think too much. Most organisms do fine on their own without your excessive help.

I added fish around the 3 week mark, I believe. There was no issues. In fact, I even had sub 10ppm NO4 forever until I added another fish. Even then, my small chaeto ball absorbs much of the NO4. I don’t do WCs for nutrients, rather to replenish calcium.

 

[ilikefish69]

Is your nitrate climbing back up at all? I was in similar situation. I’ve got 75g and kole/2 clowns and 0 nitrate for like 5 months

 

[ReefGeezer]

Don't you get annoyed when you ask something so simple and people just assume you are a noobie or don't know enough basics before asking those questions? Man, reading some comments makes me feel straight up upset. This is why I prefer intense research or reading before daring to ask these "experts" on fish forums. Bacteria don't just die off if there is no waste. In order for the whole colon to die, you would need to use chemicals like bleach. Even so, it won't guarantee you are killing 100% of them. So I don't understand why people kept saying how you should dose your tanks with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Anyway man, I see no reason not to add fish. Like many others say, you need fish poop and they also excrete ammonia directly from their gills. Add them slowly over period of weeks or months to let the water condition and the ecosystem stabilize. Don't add too many at once. On a side note, strips or API are fine if you aren't planning to keep corals etc. They require accurate test results for their well being. Always, don't go overboard or overkill or think too much. Most organisms do fine on their own without your excessive help.

Welcome to R2R. Interesting first post.

 

[frentemarvin]

I added fish around the 3 week mark, I believe. There was no issues. In fact, I even had sub 10ppm NO4 forever until I added another fish. Even then, my small chaeto ball absorbs much of the NO4. I don’t do WCs for nutrients, rather to replenish calcium.

That and also if an anoxic (correct term for anaerobic) zone is present in the sump without being disturbed for a long time, nitrate can just break down into gas compounds and evaporate into the atmosphere. Absolutely no need for large water change and waste expensive salt in large systems. Also I read from many sources that free-floating water borne bacteria from matured water is good for the system (one more reason to not worrying about water change). Adding macroalgae at the end of cycling for a week makes 100% sense for me, it absorbs everything tbh. Some people even use acclimated mollies (brackish water fish by nature) to cycle their tank cuz they eat and poop like pigs while being super hardy.

 

[frentemarvin]

Is your nitrate climbing back up at all? I was in similar situation. I’ve got 75g and kole/2 clowns and 0 nitrate for like 5 months

I think that's normal if you have water volume that large with just 2 clowns, and if you even have sand in the tank - that's where majority of the bio-filtration takes place due to the surface area. My 64g tested 0 for everything eventually despite letting a few chopped up shrimp pieces rot in my water for a month to cycle. I was expecting to read even small amount of nitrate but nope. This is when I really believe it when people say that large aquariums are more stable.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Well I know that, I am just wondering how all my nutrient levels simply disappeared. I saw the conversation of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates but after the bottle of microbacter, everything is gone

Did you notice an increase of Alkalinity?

Consumption of Nitrate by bacteria raises Alkalinity.