Hi guys! I hope I’ve posted this in the right forum section. It seems I have ammonia coming off some dry rocks that have been previously cured (I thought), but not cycled. I am getting off the charts ammonia levels with no nitrate or phosphate detectable. I’m puzzled because while I understand that my rock could contain organic material that would decompose and release ammonia and I also understand that I have not added any nitrogen consuming bacteria which explains the no nitrates, but shouldn’t I also be getting some phosphates too? If organic material is decomposing, surely phosphates would also be present, yet they are not, according to my Hannah Checker for low range phosphates. I am wondering if this is normal and if others have seen this situation? Do I still have organic matter in my rocks and should I continue to cure them before setting up the tank and starting the fishless cycle? I am in no hurry at all, so time is not an issue, nor am I trying to cut any corners. I am torn between bleaching/curing the rock further, or adding bacteria and using the ammonia from my rock to start my fishless cycle. Any suggestions?
Other info; this is for a 10 gallon IM Nuvo Fusion I am using as a chance to try new methodologies. Of interest here is that this is my first time using dry base rock and a fishless cycle. The rock in question is about 13 pounds of CarribSea base rock I purchase from a local store. I have also purchased the Reef Saver rocks from BRS and even some budget base rock I found on Amazon (these are for a different project) and for what it’s worth all three rocks *look* the same to me; all are very clean looking. To be honest, I didn’t think this rock needed much of a curing process because of how clean it looked, but because I wanted to try new things I subjected this rock to about a 48 hour bleach bath, rinsed well with RODI, then acid washed, rinsed, soaked in bleach again for about a week, rinsed, then placed in heated, circulated salt water for about three months while I was busy with a job change. I changed the saltwater out maybe three times, which I know weekly would have been better. I did no testing during this time because I figured all that bleach would certainly oxidize any remaining organic material in the rock.
Now I’m ready to start my fishless cycle with Doc Tim’s bottled ammonia and Bio-Spira, I have fresh saltwater and the rock and my sand (I did, in fact, subject the sand to my bleach/acid/bleach/cure process as well) going in the DT. Before adding Bio-Spira I decided to test the water for ammonia using an API brand test kit, and it was off the chart, way over the max 8 mg/L. I thought it might be the test kits, so I ordered the Red Sea and Salifert kits, and though I haven’t yet tried the Salifert kit the Red Sea ammonia kit is also off its chart. I’m getting zero nitrates with the API kit and with the Red Sea kit. I got zero nitrites with the API kit. I’m getting zero phosphates on the Hanna LR Phosphate Checker and an ATI phosphate Kit. Is this right that I’m getting no phosphates at this point, yet sky high ammonia?
Does anyone have any thoughts as to what’s going on? Again, I’m mostly confused by the lack of phosphates, and the best way to proceed from here.
Thank you very much for your time and help!
Other info; this is for a 10 gallon IM Nuvo Fusion I am using as a chance to try new methodologies. Of interest here is that this is my first time using dry base rock and a fishless cycle. The rock in question is about 13 pounds of CarribSea base rock I purchase from a local store. I have also purchased the Reef Saver rocks from BRS and even some budget base rock I found on Amazon (these are for a different project) and for what it’s worth all three rocks *look* the same to me; all are very clean looking. To be honest, I didn’t think this rock needed much of a curing process because of how clean it looked, but because I wanted to try new things I subjected this rock to about a 48 hour bleach bath, rinsed well with RODI, then acid washed, rinsed, soaked in bleach again for about a week, rinsed, then placed in heated, circulated salt water for about three months while I was busy with a job change. I changed the saltwater out maybe three times, which I know weekly would have been better. I did no testing during this time because I figured all that bleach would certainly oxidize any remaining organic material in the rock.
Now I’m ready to start my fishless cycle with Doc Tim’s bottled ammonia and Bio-Spira, I have fresh saltwater and the rock and my sand (I did, in fact, subject the sand to my bleach/acid/bleach/cure process as well) going in the DT. Before adding Bio-Spira I decided to test the water for ammonia using an API brand test kit, and it was off the chart, way over the max 8 mg/L. I thought it might be the test kits, so I ordered the Red Sea and Salifert kits, and though I haven’t yet tried the Salifert kit the Red Sea ammonia kit is also off its chart. I’m getting zero nitrates with the API kit and with the Red Sea kit. I got zero nitrites with the API kit. I’m getting zero phosphates on the Hanna LR Phosphate Checker and an ATI phosphate Kit. Is this right that I’m getting no phosphates at this point, yet sky high ammonia?
Does anyone have any thoughts as to what’s going on? Again, I’m mostly confused by the lack of phosphates, and the best way to proceed from here.
Thank you very much for your time and help!
