Need cycling help

[T4ylor]

Need advice on how to finish my cycle and what to do.
I’m 8 days into my cycle and my readings are Ammonia - 0.25ppm, nitrite - 4+ (highest my test kit reads), nitrate - 100+ (highest it reads)
it took about 3 days for ammonia to drop from 2+ppm to 0.25ppm after redosing on day 3.
Nitrites also started rising on day 2 and nitrates on day 4.
Do i leave it for nitrite to drop to 0 and then water change for the nitrates or add more ammonia since its not breaking down quick enough?

 

[lapin]

I’m 8 days into my cycle and my readings are Ammonia - 0.25ppm, nitrite - 4+ (highest my test kit reads), nitrate - 100+ (highest it reads)
it took about 3 days for ammonia to drop from 2+ppm to 0.25ppm after redosing on day 3.
Nitrites also started rising on day 2 and nitrates on day 4.

Do i leave it for nitrite to drop to 0 and then water change for the nitrates or add more ammonia since its not breaking down quick enough?

I would add more ammonia. Cycling time can vary. Depending on what bacteria you used . You only need to change out a lot of water before you add livestock.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

It’s always good to be safe and wait 3-4 weeks imo

 

[T4ylor]

It’s always good to be safe and wait 3-4 weeks imo

won’t the bacteria die off ?

 

[officialreefbros]

What test kit are you using? When I used API it never showed 0 for ammonia! I tested by adding some more in to make sure it went down right away

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

When I used API it never showed 0 for ammonia

Of course it didn't. It measures total ammonia, not just free (toxic) ammonia.

 

[T4ylor]

What test kit are you using? When I used API it never showed 0 for ammonia! I tested by adding some more in to make sure it went down right away

i’m using api for ammonia and salifert for nitrite and nitrate, if ammonia won’t ever show 0 how will i know when its done?

 

[brandon429]

I made a fifty page thread solely dealing with that answer.

so far, we're at ten days.

that means, any reef cycle we ever ran via testless methods (or audited by any seneye owner, please) is fine by day ten wait, in your condition above and since you've tested so well already, we can see why ten days is a fine wait period.

so, in 48 hours you're like any other tank here

=

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

agreed on the api post above. the reason that is a no-test cycle thread with about 120 jobs completed is because we don't want all the guessing. we want an easy, calculated way to know if any tank is ready. we attributed a certain number of day's wait time to handle all common reef cycling approaches. yours is a ten day wait.

any owner of a calibrated seneye please audit these findings and post back.

you can see, they're all actually done well before day 10, that's just a safe wait time (your first ammonia drop was sufficient, no need to do more, the wait time is what mattered most)

 

[T4ylor]

I made a fifty page thread solely dealing with that answer.

so far, we're at ten days.

that means, any reef cycle we ever ran via testless methods is fine by day ten wait, in your condition above and since you've tested so well already, we can see why ten days is a fine wait period.

so, in 48 hours you're like any other tank here

=

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

but my levels still aren’t right bro

 

[brandon429]

then I urge you, urge you, not to read a testless cycling thread running four straight years turning out completed cycle after cycle.

we talk extensively how people are misreading their kits, and expecting certain readings when those readings aren't due. if you'd rather wing it / no prob but you're missing out on the big thing that saves your fish if u miss out on updated cycling science studies.

 

[T4ylor]

then I urge you, urge you, not to read a testless cycling thread running four straight years turning out completed cycle after cycle.

we talk extensively how people are misreading their kits, and expecting certain readings when those readings aren't due. if you'd rather wing it / no prob but you're missing out on the big thing that saves your fish if u miss out on updated cycling science studies.

so ten days using this method and only dosing the ammonia at the start gives enough growth to convert 2ppm ammonia into nitrates within 24 hours by day 10? or am i misunderstanding what needs to happen

 

[KrisReef]

What needs to be done is the growth of bacteria that will consume ammonia when there are fish putting ammonia into the tank.

We can’t generally see the microbes attached to the rock and we don’t have hobby test kits to see or detect the microbes either. Brandon’s thread shows how much time is needed for the microbes to be present in large enough quantities to handle a few fishes at the start.

Corals and clams also use ammonia for nutrition and they don’t need a cycled tank

 

[reef’r]

so ten days using this method and only dosing the ammonia at the start gives enough growth to convert 2ppm ammonia into nitrates within 24 hours by day 10? or am i misunderstanding what needs to happen

This is how I did my first reef “cycle” and every freshwater “cycle” I’ve ever done which has been many… I never used bottled bacteria or any cycle starter. So here it goes, I filled my tank with water and dry sand and rock. Ran the tank for a week, added 7-8lbs of good coralline covered live rock from an operating system. Two days later I put in a hermit crab and started adding small amount of food. A week later I added two clowns and another piece of live rock, been feeding clowns daily and adding 1/2 dose of phytoplankton for tank volume about every other day. Test kit for ammonia and nitrate are salifert, also tested twice with api test kits just to compare. I’ve never got a readable level of ammonia or nitrate, and have been enjoying livestock in my tank after just one week of having it wet. Go to your lfs and buy however much live rock you can/want to pay for and you too can start enjoying your tank