Help with cycle, Ammonia but no Nitrites, its been (7 weeks)

[asjustin]

My tank has been running for 6 weeks it has 4ppm ammonia and 0 nitrates, I still haven't seen nitrite,

How do i get nitrites its an empty tank with bio bricks im not planning on adding the dry rock yet as im still designing it?

Also I don't want to use a bottle bacteria as i want to experiment and try and complete the cycle without those products as it will feel rewarding to me after all this frustration
and i want to see if it can be done without bottle bacteria.

I've been using shrimp

 

[Quietman]

Take the shrimp out. 4 ppm NH3 is good to finish up. See how fast it goes away. A day or two and it's near zero and you've confirmed your tank is ready for some fish. I suspect after 6 weeks, even with no shrimp and no additives you're probably ready for small fish load regardless. Don't worry about nitrites, just check for nitrates. Additives will reduce time by a week or so but aren't necessary, nice to see your patient. Keep that attitude going and you'll be a much happier and more successful reefer.

 

[brandon429]

This cycle is done by rule of timing for reef cycles

Remove shrimp

Do a full water change, it's done regardless of what the entry level test kits say.

 

[brandon429]

*post a pic of your reef so we can see surface area that's been stewing this whole time, we might get interesting benthic growth verifications on the rocks as well/ interesting ways to confirm cycle completion usually happen by week 7 in brightly lit reef tanks


Your hidden issue isn't the cycle it's the need for disease preps. There are no incomplete 7 week cycles in reefing. Nitrite is no longer factored in reef tank cycles.

*this is not intended as a rush, it's simply saying you are past cycling phase and into planning for fish disease in fish that the tank can certainly carry right now. you are a week longer than an entire cycling chart shows for completion, and you're about six weeks past what a cycling chart shows as a required wait for basic ammonia control - ammonia is the only parameter that matters in display reef cycling.

even if your ammonia does not show zero it doesn't matter, with a full or mostly full water change you are good to go for bioload carry.

 

[brandon429]

Build Thread - My SPS Waterbox Peninsula Mini 15

What cabinet did you go with for the WB15? I have the 25 and Got the same cabinet as you I thought, but mine doesnt have the semi circle cutout on one of your panels.

www.reef2reef.com

There's a feed only no bottle bac cycle like yours

Thirty days is enough time, notice that testing wasn't used there only the timing wait

 

[Spare time]

My tank has been running for 6 weeks it has 4ppm ammonia and 0 nitrates, I still haven't seen nitrite,

How do i get nitrites its an empty tank with bio bricks im not planning on adding the dry rock yet as im still designing it?

Also I don't want to use a bottle bacteria as i want to experiment and try and complete the cycle without those products as it will feel rewarding to me after all this frustration
and i want to see if it can be done without bottle bacteria.

I've been using shrimp

Why do you not want to add bottled bac or seeded rock/media? Otherwise you are just wasting time.

And no, a tank with 4ppm ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nitrate is not cycled despite some opinions. That is just dangerous advice to give. (and no I am not going to argue it lol that is just like arguing the lights are off when the lightbulb is on)

 

[asjustin]

This cycle is done by rule of timing for reef cycles

Remove shrimp

Do a full water change, it's done regardless of what the entry level test kits say.

I put a shrimp in twice for a day early on in the cycle but the ammonia never dropped so i didnt put more in the tank, it hasnt been in there the whole time does it mater?

 

[gbroadbridge]

My tank has been running for 6 weeks it has 4ppm ammonia and 0 nitrates, I still haven't seen nitrite,

How do i get nitrites its an empty tank with bio bricks im not planning on adding the dry rock yet as im still designing it?

Also I don't want to use a bottle bacteria as i want to experiment and try and complete the cycle without those products as it will feel rewarding to me after all this frustration
and i want to see if it can be done without bottle bacteria.

I've been using shrimp

Take out the shrimp and do a big water change - about 75%.

That should drop the measured ammonia down to 1ppm.

The ammonia should drop quite rapidly (within days) from that level if the tank is cycled.

 

[asjustin]

Take out the shrimp and do a big water change - about 75%.

That should drop the measured ammonia down to 1ppm.

The ammonia should drop quite rapidly (within days) from that level if the tank is cycled.

Can I keep the 75% of water I take out and store it in water containers and when it can process the 1ppm of ammoina can i put it back in?

 

[brandon429]

Your problem is that your test kit may or may not be able to indicate anything about your cycles status, it could mislead you into thinking the cycle isnt done, when it is, if you use non digital testing


your cycle is done if you do what I mentioned. Its also no harm to play around with partial water removal or addition or guess test more, guess-testing is what anyone not using a seneye is doing anyway.

if you remove the shrimp and do the water change the system can be used for reefing right now, that’s the marker of being ready. The marker of being ready isn’t found by getting lucky with an api or red sea ammonia kit. Those will mislead 80% of cyclers all the time


its not that your cycle might be done and you need further testing, thats old cycling science. It’s that your cycle is fully done and you need to run specific fish disease preps before adding fish, that’s new cycling science.

there are NO 7 week incomplete cycles in display tank reefing. Accordingly, there are no cycle charts where ammonia isn’t controlled by day ten, and there are no calibrated seneye cycles on the entire internet showing a cycle not done by day ten. your cycle isn’t stuck or stalled at all. Your test kits can’t be used to discern this type of cycle.

 

[asjustin]

Your problem is that your test kit may or may not be able to indicate anything about your cycles status, it could mislead you into thinking the cycle isnt done, when it is, if you use non digital testing


your cycle is done if you do what I mentioned. Its also no harm to play around with partial water removal or addition or guess test more, guess-testing is what anyone not using a seneye is doing anyway.

if you remove the shrimp and do the water change the system can be used for reefing right now, that’s the marker of being ready. The marker of being ready isn’t found by getting lucky with an api or red sea ammonia kit. Those will mislead 80% of cyclers all the time


its not that your cycle might be done and you need further testing, thats old cycling science. It’s that your cycle is fully done and you need to run specific fish disease preps before adding fish, that’s new cycling science.

there are NO 7 week incomplete cycles in display tank reefing. Accordingly, there are no cycle charts where ammonia isn’t controlled by day ten, and there are no calibrated seneye cycles on the entire internet showing a cycle not done by day ten. your cycle isn’t stuck or stalled at all. Your test kits can’t be used to discern this type of cycle.

My tank is very cloudy now, i did an 75% waterchange days ago, i think a week now. Is it possible that something went wrong maybe not enough oxygen in the tank or somthing for the bactria to grow? should i put fish in

 

[SkyAquatic]

This is my two cents although bear in mind I say this and it comes from years in the fresh/brackish side of aquarium knowledge. I studied a lot of salt but I’m not an expert nor have I set mine up yet. That said it sounds like you experienced a bacterial bloom. Happens when an organic compound in excess makes it way into your tank. Heterotrophic bacteria (that cloudy water your seeing) are reproducing rapidly. Usually in a new tank with no fish just let it be and wait it out. A turning point will arrive. That said it can be hard to wait. So adding for example seachem prime or another type of ammonia eating bacteria in a bottle can fix this fast. It depends on if you want the assistance with the cycle. The last tank I had did this. I let it sit 3 months (past when I needed to but it didn’t hurt.) Now it houses Discus no bacteria bottle required.

but again just a reminder I’m quite possibly wrong. Saltwater is new to me and I’m learning.

 

[brandon429]

That can easily be unrinsed sand clouding or a bacteria bloom which is opposite of lacking bacteria. Wait until it clears to add fish, only add fish when it’s clean water. Search out bacteria bloom correction threads and run those actions, UV or carbon in a filter bag inside a filter is usually how they correct it


there are no reef tanks failing to control ammonia two months in. Where is the picture of your tank


taking wastewater out, then putting it back in isn’t a water change/ earlier above you asked about doing that

if instead you did a water change using new water just let it all clear. People nearly always start reefs with unrinsed caribsea sand and it clouds during any type of disturbance.

Simply wait now until it’s clear, don’t add anything else to it, run filter carbon, do what bacteria bloom threads show this isn’t a failure to control ammonia. We covered above how non digital test kits mislead the masses, if one says 1 ppm ammonia it specifically means that’s a misread found in all ammonia test misread threads, there is no failure to control ammonia at two months in. This is a common bacteria bloom or a dust up

 

[asjustin]

That can easily be unrinsed sand clouding or a bacteria bloom which is opposite of lacking bacteria. Wait until it clears to add fish, only add fish when it’s clean water. Search out bacteria bloom correction threads and run those actions, UV or carbon in a filter bag inside a filter is usually how they correct it


there are no reef tanks failing to control ammonia two months in. Where is the picture of your tank


taking wastewater out, then putting it back in isn’t a water change/ earlier above you asked about doing that

if instead you did a water change using new water just let it all clear. People nearly always start reefs with unrinsed caribsea sand and it clouds during any type of disturbance.

Simply wait now until it’s clear, don’t add anything else to it, run filter carbon, do what bacteria bloom threads show this isn’t a failure to control ammonia. We covered above how non digital test kits mislead the masses, if one says 1 ppm ammonia it specifically means that’s a misread found in all ammonia test misread threads, there is no failure to control ammonia at two months in. This is a common bacteria bloom or a dust up

I don't have sand it's a bare bottom tank, and even tho i did a water change i stil have 2ppm of water, lets just say it was failing to control ammonnia in the rare situation what could it be caused by? I've never had nitrates ever btw

 

[brandon429]

People who trust those kits cannot be persuaded they misread. I have about seven threads handy where they read 8 ppm in fully stocked, normal reefs and the owners went nine pages refusing to accept they misread, I understand if you’re locked by what the test kit says. Handle this like a bacterial bloom

why no tank pictures, that was requested last week

nitrate doesn’t factor, you can see myriad threads where nitrate is zero in fully cycled reefs and they add it back in to keep nutrients up. Handle this like a bacteria bloom. When water is clear you can add fish as long as a normal degree of rocks have been in the tank this whole time. Pics can sometimes show benthic growths which are handy assessment tools in these challenge threads.

 

[ScottJ]

My tank has been running for 6 weeks it has 4ppm ammonia and 0 nitrates, I still haven't seen nitrite,

How do i get nitrites its an empty tank with bio bricks im not planning on adding the dry rock yet as im still designing it?

Also I don't want to use a bottle bacteria as i want to experiment and try and complete the cycle without those products as it will feel rewarding to me after all this frustration
and i want to see if it can be done without bottle bacteria.

I've been using shrimp

Do have any rock in the tank yet?

 

[Troylee]

People who trust those kits cannot be persuaded they misread. I have about seven threads handy where they read 8 ppm in fully stocked, normal reefs and the owners went nine pages refusing to accept they misread, I understand if you’re locked by what the test kit says. Handle this like a bacterial bloom

why no tank pictures, that was requested last week

nitrate doesn’t factor, you can see myriad threads where nitrate is zero in fully cycled reefs and they add it back in to keep nutrients up. Handle this like a bacteria bloom. When water is clear you can add fish as long as a normal degree of rocks have been in the tank this whole time. Pics can sometimes show benthic growths which are handy assessment tools in these challenge threads.

It sounds like a empty box with just water from his explanations.. no sand and no rocks as he’s designing his aqua scape… hmmmm I don’t think the glass has enough surface area to cycle like he’s wanting..

 

[brandon429]

Agreed that’s very possible, it’s why I wanted tank pic last week. 1% of cyclers do that, cycle with no rocks which isn’t a reef tank cycle. surely hes got rocks in there, there isn’t a single cycling instruction set in existence that says to cycle water only but it happens occasionally if they get confused while reading prep instructions

pics bro pls

 

[asjustin]

Agreed that’s very possible, it’s why I wanted tank pic last week. 1% of cyclers do that, cycle with no rocks which isn’t a reef tank cycle. surely hes got rocks in there, there isn’t a single cycling instruction set in existence that says to cycle water only but it happens occasionally if they get confused while reading prep instructions

pics bro pls

I don't have a phone to take a pic im on pc, their aren't any rocks in the tank but there is bio bricks in the sump and like sponges and ceremic media.

 

[Zero_Cool]

I don't have a phone to take a pic im on pc, their aren't any rocks in the tank but there is bio bricks in the sump and like sponges and ceremic media.

Were the bio bricks, sponges and ceramic media new or were they from an established tank?

If no bottled bacteria was used how did you introduce the nitrifying bacteria to your system?