Having trouble with a new cycle

[ud56]

Has anyone ad this happen before. Setting up a new 10g observation tank. Started it with Dr. Tim’s one and only. Got through the cycle pretty quick in about 9 days. On the 9th day your supposed to add fish but the fish weren’t going to be ready so I contacted Dr.Tim and they said to add more ammonia every 3-4 days. Day 12 I added more ammonia. Day 13 my nitrites shot up to 4 ppm using Salifert test kit. Called Dr. Tim said do a 25% water change which I did. From day 14-29 nitrites didn’t move. They stayed at 4 ppm. Did a 25% water change. Nothing happened. By day 35 nitrites still reading 4 ppm. I thought maybe it’s the test kit so I checked it with a Hanna checker and it read 2 ppm. I have a hard time distinguishing the colors on different test kits so maybe it was 2 ppm all along. But it still hasn’t changed. Day 41 did 50% water change. Still reading 2 ppm with Hanna checker. So from day 14 to now which is day 42 nitrites have neither gone up or down. Ammonia is at 0. Question is should I ride it out,add more bacteria or drain the whole tank and start from scratch? Thank you for any advice.

 

[Clarkjw2002]

This has happened to me when I started with nothing but dry rock. It just takes time for things to get established. I remember having nitrites for 1 or 2 months before things finally settled in. If I could find my old notebooks I could give you more specifics.

Unfortunately water changes are prolonging the process. Need to give it time that's all. I'd just keep feeding the tank until it finally completes the cycle. Or get some live rock.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What is the nitrate level? Nitrate is the most important level of all when cycling a tank. What test kits are you using? I would stop water changes and stop dosing anything into the tank until the cycle is complete.

 

[Jamie9]

This happened to me as well. I thought my cycle was done and then nitrites spiked. In salt water, that’s not really a huge deal…but it will throw off the results of any nitrate tests. After a week or so my nitrites came back down as the bacteria ramped up. I’ve heard of others where it took a few weeks.

 

[ud56]

What is the nitrate level? Nitrate is the most important level of all when cycling a tank. What test kits are you using? I would stop water changes and stop dosing anything into the tank until the cycle is complete.

Nitrates are high. About 75gppm. Using Hanna checker and Salifert test kits. Im on 1 1/2 months now

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Nitrates are high. About 75gppm. Using Hanna checker and Salifert test kits. Im on 1 1/2 months now

Ammonia of zero and nitrates at 75 is a cycled tank IMO. Personally I would do a few water changes to bring the nitrates below 10 and then get a fish.

 

[ud56]

Ammonia of zero and nitrates at 75 is a cycled tank IMO. Personally I would do a few water changes to bring the nitrates below 10 and then get a fish.

I have done 2 25% water changes and a 50% water change like I said and nitrites haven’t gone done.

 

[Jamie9]

I have done 2 25% water changes and a 50% water change like I said and nitrites haven’t gone done.

The nitrate test might be a bit skewed by the presence of nitrites, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. My numbers were almost exactly like yours when I cycled my tank and a few days later it was totally fine.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I have done 2 25% water changes and a 50% water change like I said and nitrites haven’t gone done.

disregard the nitrite, stop testing it is better. Go on ammonia and nitrate only.

 

[ud56]

disregard the nitrite, stop testing it is better. Go on ammonia and nitrate only.

Ok but why after a few water changes my nitrites and nitrates still are the same. They should have gone down! Nothing changes after a water change.

 

[Jamie9]

Ok but why after a few water changes my nitrites and nitrates still are the same. They should have gone down! Nothing changes after a water change.

It’s likely that your nitrites are higher than the limit of the test. If you really wanted to, you could dilute the sample to get the actual number. And, your nitrate test is being skewed by the high nitrites. But, like some others have said, you are most likely fine.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Ok but why after a few water changes my nitrites and nitrates still are the same. They should have gone down! Nothing changes after a water change.

Without knowing how you did the test I can't answer that question. I mean possibly can be either the levels are higher than the test kit can measure, or test error, or something else how knows.

But personally, just me, I would perform a large water change and test nitrate only. Stop testing nitrite.

 

[ud56]

It’s likely that your nitrites are higher than the limit of the test. If you really wanted to, you could dilute the sample to get the actual number. And, your nitrate test is being skewed by the high nitrites. But, like some others have said, you are most likely fine.

My nitrites are reading 2ppm with a Hanna hr tester and haven’t come down in about 3 weeks. Even with water changes. Take a reading before water change and then after and they read exactly the same.

 

[Jamie9]

My nitrites are reading 2ppm with a Hanna hr tester and haven’t come down in about 3 weeks. Even with water changes. Take a reading before water change and then after and they read exactly the same.

Oh sorry, I thought they were much higher for some reason. I think it's just your bacteria taking a while to get up to speed.

There's a great article by Randy Holmes Farley on Reefkeeping.com that I think would set your mind at ease...sorry their site seems to be down today, but here is the link:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.htm

 

[ud56]

Oh sorry, I thought they were much higher for some reason. I think it's just your bacteria taking a while to get up to speed.

There's a great article by Randy Holmes Farley on Reefkeeping.com that I think would set your mind at ease...sorry their site seems to be down today, but here is the link:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.htm

Thanks I’ll check it out

 

[ud56]

Without knowing how you did the test I can't answer that question. I mean possibly can be either the levels are higher than the test kit can measure, or test error, or something else how knows.

But personally, just me, I would perform a large water change and test nitrate only. Stop testing nitrite.

That’s what I’m trying to figure out. It’s probably something simple that I’m overlooking or maybe just overthinking