How's my cycle going ?

[BiKes100g]

So I added water and live sand 7-14 , waited a few days 7-17 and got Turbo Start and 2 Clowns. I've been testing everyday since I've added them and the Turbo Start -
Day 2- Ammonia 15 - No2 0 - No3 5
Day 3- Ammonia 0 - No2 .25 - No3 5
Day 4 - Ammonia 0 - No2 .50 - No3 5
Day 5- Ammonia 0 - No2 .50 - No3 5
Day 6- Ammonia 0 - No2 .50 - No3 10
Day 7- Ammonia 0 - No2 .50 - No3 5
Day 8- Ammonia 0 - No2 .50 - No3 5
I'm using Salifert for Ammonia and Nitrates and using an API test for Nitrites. ( I have a Red Sea test kit in the mail on the way) Is my end goal here still to get to 0 No2 ? This is a Waterbox 100.3 system.
Also should I be cleaning my filter socks out ? I have some redish brown algae starting to grow on the glass at the sand bed and on some of the dry rock and a few spots on the sand. Should I vacuum it out and let or let it ride? Should I turn on my protein skimmer now ?

 

[MaxxuM]

I don't have experience with Turbo Start, but your tank looks stalled. I typically use BIO-Spira and by day 7 I have zero nitrites and thirty to fifty nitrates. By day 12 nitrates are at 5-10 and day fifteen all three are at zero.

It's my exerience not to run filter socks because it will just populate there and during your next cleaning will be removed. IMO I'd get more bacteria in there. Something like Stability which is dosed slowly over time and I'd get the socks out while you're doing it. Also, no skimmer while doing bacteria. I'd also target feed your fish every other day, vs every day. I typically only feed like 3-4 pellets per fish soaked in aminos. I'd skip on the sand cleaning for a few days to see what happens.

 

[Kryptonian]

I agree with Maxxu that your cycle seems stalled. Don't worry about a filter sock until you're fully cycled and ready to start adding inhabitants. 15 ammonia on day 1 is shockingly high unless you meant to put 0.15. Even with that ammonia, you should really see a representation of the cycle through nitrites and nitrates. Your nitrite should've spiked at .5 (maybe higher) and quickly dropped around .1 if the bacteria you added was efficient. Your nitrates should've gone up in the 30-40 range especially if your skimmer is off. During cycling of all of my tanks there was a very clear nitrate spike in the 30-50 range showing that the ammonia and nitrite was being processed out of the system. My most recent on the Waterbox 180.5.

You're correct that you want nitrite at 0 but nitrate needs to have some response. There's something else playing a role if that nitrite is not being converted to nitrate.

I've used TruboStart and BioSpira and both worked pretty well for me. On the most recent tank, I used both. You really can't overdose a system with nitrifying bacteria so feel free to drop another bottle in there if it seems like the first one was a dud (it happens)

If you don't have any livestock, feel free to keep the skimmer off to keep the bacteria rotating.

 

[BiKes100g]

When you add a startup batch of bacteria, I'd suggest keeping skimmer off for no more than a day.

I agree with Maxxu that your cycle seems stalled. Don't worry about a filter sock until you're fully cycled and ready to start adding inhabitants. 15 ammonia on day 1 is shockingly high unless you meant to put 0.15. Even with that ammonia, you should really see a representation of the cycle through nitrites and nitrates. Your nitrite should've spiked at .5 (maybe higher) and quickly dropped around .1 if the bacteria you added was efficient. Your nitrates should've gone up in the 30-40 range especially if your skimmer is off. During cycling of all of my tanks there was a very clear nitrate spike in the 30-50 range showing that the ammonia and nitrite was being processed out of the system. My most recent on the Waterbox 180.5.

You're correct that you want nitrite at 0 but nitrate needs to have some response. There's something else playing a role if that nitrite is not being converted to nitrate.

So do you think I should add more or a different bacteria ?

 

[BiKes100g]

Also doesnt something have to be going correctly if I have 0 Ammonia ?

 

[BiKes100g]

So do you think I should add more or a different bacteria ?

and it was 0.15 Ammonia which I thought was weird this entire time that I never actually saw an ammonia spike really.

 

[Kryptonian]

Sorry, re-read post and see you have two clowns. So, yes, ammonia is being created and turned to nitrite but nitrite is building too quickly. You really want to get that .5 down. Water changes are best int he short term. If you already have algae, it's possible (unlikely) but totally possible that the algae is keeping nitrates down.

 

[Kryptonian]

Bacteria primarily operates converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. The algae can eat nitrate. So the problem exists when nitrite is not being efficiently converted. That will start to happen as the tank properly cycles. Cycling can take weeks.

I'm far from an expert so hoping others will chime in Just doing my best to help out where I can.

 

[BiKes100g]

Sorry, re-read post and see you have two clowns. So, yes, ammonia is being created and turned to nitrite but nitrite is building too quickly. You really want to get that .5 down. Water changes are best int he short term. If you already have algae, it's possible (unlikely) but totally possible that the algae is keeping nitrates down.

Ok I will do a 10% change tomorrow morning and test again.

 

[Kryptonian]

If nitrites are too high, it can make it difficult for fish to breathe. Luckily, clowns are some of the toughest fish when it comes to nitrite so at .5, they'll most likely be unaffected. Just know that prolonged exposure to nitrite can worsen the problem. (talking like 2 months, not a week of two while you cycle, clowns should be a-ok)

 

[Letterkenny]

I wouldn’t get other bacteria. Turbostart 900 is the best.

 

[BiKes100g]

@brandon429 I would like to get your input on my cycle. I will be your test subject ! Except I already have 2 fish

 

[BiKes100g]

@brandon429 I would like to get your input on my cycle. I will be your test subject ! Except I already have 2 fish

Also I did a 10% change this morning and will check parameters once I’m home.

 

[brandon429]

The final assessment on your cycle is reflected in fish health, not test readings. I wouldnt accept those readings as accurate during cycle assessment, however most readers would. The reason I wouldnt is because of test error in these kits vs the rate of error from seneye ammonia kits which show ammonia in safe levels when fish act normally

the nitrite is not factored in my cycle threads though it’s ok to wait for it, some prefer to wait but we don’t.

irritated fish in any way won’t feed, skirt around, hover at the top from gill irritation and they die in 48 hours

if you have fish longer than 48 hours, a bac product was in place to support them and per dr reefs bac test thread, all strains are fully adhered in place within a week. You’ve been longer than a week.