just a clown fish? They 8 cycling. Temp low?

[Lavey29]

The OP is using Dr. Tim’s. The instructions specify testing nitrites. Dr. Tim has a video talking about how high NITRITES will stall the cycle with his product. The literature that comes with the product the OP is using instructs you to do a water change if Nitrites and ammonia climb above 5ppm.

He said he has 10 nitrates so his tank is processing ammonia which means it's cycling which means it's not stalled and nitrites are irrelevant. Never tested them never will. They are meaningless in reef aquaria but deadly in freshwater tanks.

 

[NanoNana]

He said he has 10 nitrates so his tank is processing ammonia which means it's cycling which means it's not stalled and nitrites are irrelevant. Never tested them never will. They are meaningless in reef aquaria but deadly in freshwater tanks.

And that’s fine. My point is the product he is using says very specifically that it will stall the cycle and gives instructions to test on certain days. Most people using a product for the first time will do what the instructions say.

Dr. Tim, the manufacturer of the product goes pretty in depth as to how and why nitrites can stall a cycle. I don’t know if it’s specific to his product or if he’s a quack. I do know that opinions vary on this as they do on most things in this hobby. It isn’t about it being harmful to fish, it’s only during cycle and I’m not qualified to determine if Dr Tim is correct or not.

 

[Lavey29]

And that’s fine. My point is the product he is using says very specifically that it will stall the cycle and gives instructions to test on certain days. Most people using a product for the first time will do what the instructions say.

Dr. Tim, the manufacturer of the product goes pretty in depth as to how and why nitrites can stall a cycle. I don’t know if it’s specific to his product or if he’s a quack. I do know that opinions vary on this as they do on most things in this hobby. It isn’t about it being harmful to fish, it’s only during cycle and I’m not qualified to determine if Dr Tim is correct or not.

Ok you do bring up a valid point of always following the directions for the product you are using.

 

[Ballyhoo]

He said he has 10 nitrates so his tank is processing ammonia which means it's cycling which means it's not stalled and nitrites are irrelevant. Never tested them never will. They are meaningless in reef to go been to aquaria but deadly in freshwater tanks.

i only did one dose of Dr Tim. I think i prefer to go back to Microbacter 7 which isn't so complicated.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

i only did one dose of Dr Tim. I think i prefer to go back to Microbacter 7 which isn't so complicated.

Tests have been made with Dr. Tim's - if 2-ppm is added each day the tank fully cycles in about 25-days. If the ammonia is lowered the tank can take 30-days + to fully cycle.

2.4.1. Dr. Tim’s Cycling Method – Aquarium Science

www.mantablog.nl

 

[Ballyhoo]

that shows the misadvertising since the say within 7 days.

am i ever gonna get Nemo?

 

[reef’r]

People are probably not going to agree with this, but you have 10ppm nitrate, your tank has BB and is cycling/carrying out the nitrogen cycle and converting Ammonia into nitrate. Do a water change, 10% or 25% or whatever you’re capable or comfortable doing and then add your clown. The fish plus you feeding it will then be the ammonia source. If you’re really,really worried continue to test ammonia for a week. If the level gets too high, change water. Add your clown and start enjoying your tank, if you added real live rock from a system at your lfs it had BB on it from the start and usually there isn’t much if any at all die off from fish store to your tank as long as it was transported wet

 

[aSaltyKlown]

People are probably not going to agree with this, but you have 10ppm nitrate, your tank has BB and is cycling/carrying out the nitrogen cycle and converting Ammonia into nitrate. Do a water change, 10% or 25% or whatever you’re capable or comfortable doing and then add your clown. The fish plus you feeding it will then be the ammonia source. If you’re really,really worried continue to test ammonia for a week. If the level gets too high, change water. Add your clown and start enjoying your tank, if you added real live rock from a system at your lfs it had BB on it from the start and usually there isn’t much if any at all die off from fish store to your tank as long as it was transported wet

Agree - starting off with the LR from the LFS, you've been done. Do a water change and add a fish or two.

 

[NanoNana]

that shows the misadvertising since the say within 7 days.

am i ever gonna get Nemo?

I just got done with a Dr. Tim’s cycle and dead rock. I could have probably just put the dead rock in as the ammonia source and left everything sit and accomplished the same thing without the bottle bac. Ammonia finally started clearing to zero in 24 hours after 35 days. I read so much conflicting information that I hesitated on doing the water change he recommended if nitrites got over 5ppm. I finally did it and was clearing 2ppm ammonia in 24 hours afterwards. Idk what the answer is with all that do they stall you, do they not. I do know that it took 35 days to get it where I wanted it. I can’t really blame the product though because I did not do the recommended water change when nitrites exceeded 5ppm so I kind of nullified my right to complain.

Cycle Troubleshooting - 13 things you need to consider. | DrTim's Aquatics

It is important to realize that bacteria are living organisms that respond, positively or negatively, to the conditions you put them in. To cycle your tank quickly please review the points below preferably before you set-up the tank. Also download our step-by-step recipe card to help guide your...

www.drtimsaquatics.com

 

[Ballyhoo]

thanks but what about the ammonia being .25? is that what the what change is for?

 

[NanoNana]

thanks but what about the ammonia being .25? is that what the what change is for?

No. It’s to lower nitrites because Dr. Tim says they interfere with his product. He also says that live sand and RO/DI water (soft water in general ) increase the cycle time. I’ll use fritz next time. Lol

 

[Ballyhoo]

No. It’s to lower nitrites because Dr. Tim says they interfere with his product. He also says that live sand and RO/DI water (soft water in general ) increase the cycle time. I’ll use fritz next time. Lol

it looks like i'm getting a nitrite spike now

 

[reef’r]

it looks like i'm getting a nitrite spike now

That is an indicator that your nitrogen cycle is doing as it should, and nitrite isn’t a huge deal in saltwater tanks. The water change would be to lower the .25 amm by the percentage of the water change. I’ve never used an api test kit nor a bottled method of cycling a tank but I know from reading a lot it’s easy to get it wrong, at least somewhat. I still say you’d be just fine to add a clown fish

 

[NanoNana]

it looks like i'm getting a nitrite spike now

It’s up to you if you want to follow the instructions for the product you’re using or not. I chose to listen to the posts that said not to even measure nitrites and I had a 35 plus day cycle and it’s still iffy. I know what Dr. Tim says to do to make his product function optimally and I know what r2r says do and they are completely opposite. For that reason I’ve been lost through the whole process. Lol. At this point all you can do is be patient. I have just quit and let it sit and am frustrated enough that I may just start over with a different product. I tested this morning and I have nothing. No ammonia, no nitrites and no nitrates. I do wonder what would have happened if I had followed the instructions on the Dr. Tim’s to the letter but that ship has sailed.

 

[Ballyhoo]

It’s up to you if you want to follow the instructions for the product you’re using or not. I chose to listen to the posts that said not to even measure nitrites and I had a 35 plus day cycle and it’s still iffy. I know what Dr. Tim says to do to make his product function optimally and I know what r2r says do and they are completely opposite. For that reason I’ve been lost through the whole process. Lol. At this point all you can do is be patient. I have just quit and let it sit and am frustrated enough that I may just start over with a different product. I tested this morning and I have nothing. No ammonia, no nitrites and no nitrates. I do wonder what would have happened if I had followed the instructions on the Dr. Tim’s to the letter but that ship has sailed.

I was also told buy LFS, that the live rock and live sand They sold me would be enough to cycle the tank. they Sold me microbacter7 and ammonia only after I asked if there's anything else I could do.

 

[Ballyhoo]

for a reef tank 41 gallons, are two clown a good choice? Given the limited number of fish to have.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

It’s up to you if you want to follow the instructions for the product you’re using or not. I chose to listen to the posts that said not to even measure nitrites and I had a 35 plus day cycle and it’s still iffy. I know what Dr. Tim says to do to make his product function optimally and I know what r2r says do and they are completely opposite. For that reason I’ve been lost through the whole process. Lol. At this point all you can do is be patient. I have just quit and let it sit and am frustrated enough that I may just start over with a different product. I tested this morning and I have nothing. No ammonia, no nitrites and no nitrates. I do wonder what would have happened if I had followed the instructions on the Dr. Tim’s to the letter but that ship has sailed.

When we cycle a tank we are trying to grow ammonia oxidators - AOA and AOB.

We feed these ammonia oxidators some form of ammonia - so they can reproduce and double every 24 to 40 hrs on surfaces. Temperature dependent ?

We can use fish food / waste to cycle a tank - heterotrophic bacteria - break down the normal food and waste to ammonia - heterotrophic bacteria can double in numbers every 20-minutes in the water. Cloudy water ?

We wait until the total number of ammonia oxidators - AOA and AOB can handle a normal small load we will put on the system with livestock that will create ammonia directly and through waste.

It is not if we have a partial cycle at 10-days - it is how fast the system as a whole can handle the input we place on the system in minutes or a couple of hours for the health of the livestock.

 

[Ballyhoo]

well i got a pair of Nemos this morning and they appear happy but IDK im concerned ammonia approaching .25.. Also the food the LFS recommended im concerned it's too small. Will Clowns eat very small granules?

Thanks all, as i go through my exciting reef experience. i'm thinking about maybe a major water change tomorrow if I'm still getting a .25 ammonia.

 

[NanoNana]

When we cycle a tank we are trying to grow ammonia oxidators - AOA and AOB.

We feed these ammonia oxidators some form of ammonia - so they can reproduce and double every 24 to 40 hrs on surfaces. Temperature dependent ?

We can use fish food / waste to cycle a tank - heterotrophic bacteria - break down the normal food and waste to ammonia - heterotrophic bacteria can double in numbers every 20-minutes in the water. Cloudy water ?

We wait until the total number of ammonia oxidators - AOA and AOB can handle a normal small load we will put on the system with livestock that will create ammonia directly and through waste.

It is not if we have a partial cycle at 10-days - it is how fast the system as a whole can handle the input we place on the system in minutes or a couple of hours for the health of the livestock.

I understand the premise behind the cycle. I’m speaking solely to the instructions that come with a single product. Not the process as a whole.

 

[NanoNana]

well i got a pair of Nemos this morning and they appear happy but IDK im concerned ammonia approaching .25.. Also the food the LFS recommended im concerned it's too small. Will Clowns eat very small granules?

Thanks all, as i go through my exciting reef experience. i'm thinking about maybe a major water change tomorrow if I'm still getting a .25 ammonia.

Hope it works out for you. Did you quarantine your clowns?