Faulty testing kits making me think my tank was cycled..

[Mikeltee]

I've stalled cycles many times by adding way too much alcohol. You really need to pay attention to what's going on wjen using ammonia choride. I suggest using half of the recommended. There is zero need for any kind of CUC until a few months in. That $100 sack was going to die regardless...

Depending on what kind of skimmer you have, a $40 ozone generator and a $10 air pump cycling on for a couple hours a couple times a day will take care of your smell issue. Reef Octopus are good to go however the airline feeding the recirc pump is not.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've stalled cycles many times by adding way too much alcohol. You really need to pay attention to what's going on wjen using ammonia choride. I suggest using half of the recommended. There is zero need for any kind of CUC until a few months in. That $100 sack was going to die regardless...

Depending on what kind of skimmer you have, a $40 ozone generator and a $10 air pump cycling on for a couple hours a couple times a day will take care of your smell issue. Reef Octopus are good to go however the airline feeding the recirc pump is not.

You were adding alcohol during cycling? Why?

 

[Kodock]

Is it true / am I reading correct / that what killed these animals was reefing (adding them with no acclimation to) .041 reef water but was blamed on a stalled cycle at 3 weeks? What’s the accepted causative here


At the start I knew a three week Dr Tim cycle will always be done. There was some other cause but after just emerging from a ten page false mini cycle battle I didn’t want another, then I saw the refractometer post, we don’t normally get that extra info it was nice to see.

Nobody’s Dr Tim cycle is stalled on day 21. This wasn’t a bad cycle it was done just fine.


Adjusted title: misreading refractometer made me think a finished cycle wasn’t

Technically it wasn’t misreading the refractometer, it just wasn’t the right type. Ordered the “salinity refractometer” from Amazon and thought Brix was just the “brand”. It’s still a salinity refractometer, but does not read water salinity the same as your typical one for the hobby, regarding % or gravity I believe, and maneuvered/interpreted in a way unknown to me, even though it shows familiar SG ranges on it. The brix read what I thought was correct. I drip acclimated them, but the SG was unknowingly 1.40~ and it was too extreme.

Even after all correction, further testing I did find the Salifert to not be distinguishable enough for me, color wise. The API worked better for me. I like salifert for Alk and Cal though.

Unrelated: the clownfish survived the crazy salinity and are still alive today.

 

[Kodock]

PS. Re-read post history.. Randy posted the difference in the Brix earlier in the post, I didn’t describe it correctly above.
But, yes, to go back, I did read it wrong.
Hope the info will keep others from making the same mistakes or find answers if they unknowingly get in the same situation of user error.

I now have 3 refractometers and cross check them all to not make the same mistake. It was nice to find out all the info Randy provided.

 

[Mikeltee]

You were adding alcohol during cycling? Why?

Sorry I meant ammonia chloride. Whatever Dr Tim recommends. It's his brand. I cycled my rock in a Brute following his instructions. After the first week, ammonia was way too high so I drained all the water and proceeded with 1/2 recommended dose.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry I meant ammonia chloride. Whatever Dr Tim recommends. It's his brand. I cycled my rock in a Brute following his instructions. After the first week, ammonia was way too high so I drained all the water and proceeded with 1/2 recommended dose.

Got it.