How long for Ammonia to start dropping?

[brandon429]

Hey let's see a pic of the ammonia test too

Sometimes people add prime without disclosing it and that messes up levels. It's why we don't use testing above to fix those tanks, saves me from chasing unstated variables, expired kits, held the dropper sideways vs vertical/ all the common issues with the procedure

 

[brandon429]

Here's a great false stall post from searchable links

Claimed 3ppm in a years old fully stocked sps reef. = a misread on non digital kits

EMERGENCY - Crazy Ammonia spike

Hey all, This tank has been up for 1+ year and its been doing great with SPS, LPS etc. Today I had 1 sps peel out and I thought maybe it was the new carbon I changed out, went to rent out a par meter to make sure had them test the water just for ***** and giggles as I test it myself x2 weekly...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[taricha]

Sand/rock from a live system can be slow to start. The bottle bacteria used can be slow too. When I checked, my substrate could process around 0.1-0.2 ppm ammonia per day.

If what was dosed was 2-3ppm, and it dropped to 1.5-2ppm over a few days - that would be really hard to detect on a color test kit.

@Kershaw do you have API (or other brand) nitrite kit? that's very sensitive and much easier to see an NO2 production than a small ammonia decrease. It'll confirm that things are moving, even if you can't see them yet in the ammonia test.

I'm sure things are moving, sometimes it just starts slower than people think it should. If you want test evidence that it's progressing, then that's what I'd do.

 

[Kershaw]

Ok pictures as promised. The ones along the back of tank are the live rock. They even came with an unknown algae. The other picture is the rest of live rock I have to put in

 

[Kershaw]

Sand/rock from a live system can be slow to start. The bottle bacteria used can be slow too. When I checked, my substrate could process around 0.1-0.2 ppm ammonia per day.

If what was dosed was 2-3ppm, and it dropped to 1.5-2ppm over a few days - that would be really hard to detect on a color test kit.

@Kershaw do you have API (or other brand) nitrite kit? that's very sensitive and much easier to see an NO2 production than a small ammonia decrease. It'll confirm that things are moving, even if you can't see them yet in the ammonia test.

I'm sure things are moving, sometimes it just starts slower than people think it should. If you want test evidence that it's progressing, then that's what I'd do.

I have Hannah nitrate, Hannah alk and api ammonia at the moment. Rebuilding my stock from the break I took in hobby.

 

[brandon429]

Excellent

that is true skip cycle live rock, has coralline, benthic cues we use to identify skip cycle live rock, it’s casting periphyton/detritus onto the bare glass / it’s legit

it doesn’t matter if you change the water or not that’s not a stalled cycle setup at all and it never needed any bottle bac.


your live rock is lined on the back wall vs the center scape which is slightly less contact efficiency but it’s also enough rock to handle any basic bioload given typical tank current

do a decent water change to export wastewater from cycling so you’ll have less uglies, that bright white lighting is about to bring some work on in the next few weeks. Any animals you add will live, that’s a sufficient skip cycle setup.

 

[Kershaw]

Excellent

that is true skip cycle live rock, has coralline, benthic cues we use to identify skip cycle live rock, it’s casting periphyton/detritus onto the bare glass / it’s legit

it doesn’t matter if you change the water or not that’s not a stalled cycle setup at all and it never needed any bottle bac.


your live rock is lined on the back wall vs the center scape which is slightly less contact efficiency but it’s also enough rock to handle any basic bioload given typical tank current

do a decent water change to export wastewater from cycling so you’ll have less uglies, that bright white lighting is about to bring some work on in the next few weeks. Any animals you add will live, that’s a sufficient skip cycle setup.

Thanks for your help and sorry for posting something that has been posted 4k times.
I through in the rest of the rock here is picture under whites for anyone else that needs help

 

[Urka]

Hello, quick question.
Tank 140gal
Dry rock
Testing with API.
This is my first tank I have started with dry rock.

I added a small bottle of MicroBacter Start XLM. Then used dr Tim’s ammonia and brought tank up to 2ppm. After the second day. Friend gave my live rock from his tank about 20lbs. So I put that in there to help speed things up. It’s been about 5 days since ammonia added and 3 with live rock. I’m not expecting it to be ready for fish but it has not dropped at all. Is this normal?

I am currently in the middle of a fishless cycle with my 75 gallon tank. Ammonia was gone by day 12. I am on day 22 and the Nitrite is still at 5.

 

[Kershaw]

I am currently in the middle of a fishless cycle with my 75 gallon tank. Ammonia was gone by day 12. I am on day 22 and the Nitrite is still at 5.

Yeah, I guess I expected to actully see the change in the test.. my first tank was 180gal full of live rock and every tank after was started with that live rock so I never really cycled a tank. This was the first and I was not expecting to use any live rock. And for some reason I thought you had to cure and cycle dry rock before you add live.