Nano reef cycling

[willy00]

I have a 16 gal AIO tank set up with dry rock and live sand. Been fishless cycling for 10 days using Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride and Fritz turbostart 900. I've been testing with API kit and parameters for the last 4 days have been the same:
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 120+
pH 8.0
Wondering if now would be appropriate for first water change or wait it out until nitrite goes down further?

 

[Subsea]

I see little reason to change the water. Ammonia should drop to zero when you stop adding it.

Note: API kit is not very reliable. I suggest getting LFS to test your water.

what are your goals for this tank?

 

[Subsea]

@willy00

I notice this is your first post. Welcome to the hobby.

in general, nitrification bacteria in an oxygen rich environment double in population density every 20 minutes but denitrification bacteria are much slower to multiply and consume the NO3 molecule as it requires much more energy to break apart the oxygen component of the nitrate molecule and free up the N2 gas as a natural nutrient export mechanism.

 

[willy00]

Thanks for the response,

My goal is a pair of clowns and some LPS/soft corals as it is my first tank.

I think I will get LFS to test the water as I have heard similar things about the API test kit. My main concern was the nitrate being so high, and no change in the nitrite levels for the better part of the week. I think the explanation of the denitrifying bacteria could explain this though.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

I have a 16 gal AIO tank set up with dry rock and live sand. Been fishless cycling for 10 days using Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride and Fritz turbostart 900. I've been testing with API kit and parameters for the last 4 days have been the same:
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 120+
pH 8.0
Wondering if now would be appropriate for first water change or wait it out until nitrite goes down further?

I would keep the Alk up above 7 dKH and stop the ammonia and use a little food.

'https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/6-2-biofiltration/'

"Very slow growing autotrophic (“autotrophic” means it eats chemicals like ammonia) bacteria growing on the surface of the biomedia in the filter oxidize toxic ammonia into nitrate.

At the same time rapid growing heterotrophic (“heterotrophic” mean basically “eats normal food”) bacteria on the surface of the biomedia in the filter will break down the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compounds (such as carbohydrates and amino acids from waste food) in the water into carbon dioxide and ammonia."


Here is some of the best information I have seen on tank cycling;

'https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/2-aquarium-cycling/'

Probably happens !

 

[jda]

Nitrite interferes with nitrate test kits. When nitrate goes down near zero, the nitrate will test more accurately.

.5 of ammonia is with the error range with the test kit. You could have zero, or near zero. When nitrite gets close to zero, then you are likely fine to slowly and smartly add some things to the tank.

You will not be cycled... as in done. You are just through the first and second phase of the cycle and there are 3 phases, plus getting dynamic. Your tank will be able to handle a bit of fish waste and convert it from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. It will not be able to handle a lot of this... this is where you need more time to get dynamic where the tank could handle a mass event (usually bad). You are progressing, so progress slowly and smartly.

 

[willy00]

Nitrite interferes with nitrate test kits. When nitrate goes down near zero, the nitrate will test more accurately.

.5 of ammonia is with the error range with the test kit. You could have zero, or near zero. When nitrite gets close to zero, then you are likely fine to slowly and smartly add some things to the tank.

You will not be cycled... as in done. You are just through the first and second phase of the cycle and there are 3 phases, plus getting dynamic. Your tank will be able to handle a bit of fish waste and convert it from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. It will not be able to handle a lot of this... this is where you need more time to get dynamic where the tank could handle a mass event (usually bad). You are progressing, so progress slowly and smartly.

Appreciate the input,

I will probably wait for nitrite reading to decrease further and then add pair of clowns as the only livestock for at least a month.

 

[JohnNYC8]

Appreciate the input,

I will probably wait for nitrite reading to decrease further and then add pair of clowns as the only livestock for at least a month.

Putting an inexpensive soft coral in first isn't a bad move. It's not going to react to ammonia like fish would but it'll be a decent barometer for your other parameters. If you have a big swing in something important the coral will likely react.

Also, a lot of people have had success adding copepods and feeding them phytoplankton early to make the inevitable ugly phase less bad. Algae Barn is a good place (not a cheap place though) to buy pods and live phyto. I dose 5ml live phyto every day to keep the pods happy. You only have to add the pods once in a tank your size to have a healthy population. I added galaxy pods (mix of different pods), bumble bee snails, and astrea snails to my tank at the first sign of algae. At day 81 my ugly phase seems to be winding down without any major issues. I wouldn't add a ton of snails like some recommend. 5 bumble bee and 7 astrea were enough for my 26 gallon.

Also, the test kits aren't great a measuring ammonia at low levels. Unless you just dosed you probably don't have a harmful level in there.

 

[willy00]

Putting an inexpensive soft coral in first isn't a bad move. It's not going to react to ammonia like fish would but it'll be a decent barometer for your other parameters. If you have a big swing in something important the coral will likely react.

Also, a lot of people have had success adding copepods and feeding them phytoplankton early to make the inevitable ugly phase less bad. Algae Barn is a good place (not a cheap place though) to buy pods and live phyto. I dose 5ml live phyto every day to keep the pods happy. You only have to add the pods once in a tank your size to have a healthy population. I added galaxy pods (mix of different pods), bumble bee snails, and astrea snails to my tank at the first sign of algae. At day 81 my ugly phase seems to be winding down without any major issues. I wouldn't add a ton of snails like some recommend. 5 bumble bee and 7 astrea were enough for my 26 gallon.

Also, the test kits aren't great a measuring ammonia at low levels. Unless you just dosed you probably don't have a harmful level in there.

That's a good idea, I have thought about adding copepods, but with this being my first tank I'm also trying to keep things simple. I only added the initial ammonia to 2.0 ppm and have not added any since starting 10 days ago.

 

[jda]

If you have to add something right away, buy a bit of real live rock. It will have the critters on it and stuff for them to eat. This is way better than stuff from a bottle. A 16g tank cannot need much live rock.

 

[JohnNYC8]

That's a good idea, I have thought about adding copepods, but with this being my first tank I'm also trying to keep things simple. I only added the initial ammonia to 2.0 ppm and have not added any since starting 10 days ago.

Then I’m +1 on the advice to add small amount of food. That’ll keep the cycle going.

 

[Subsea]

If you have to add something right away, buy a bit of real live rock. It will have the critters on it and stuff for them to eat. This is way better than stuff from a bottle. A 16g tank cannot need much live rock.

@willy00
Diver collected live rock would be your best investment for establishing stability thru bio-diversity.

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Gulf Live Rock.com

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