Salt water test after 6 days

[Lex_510]

setting up a 75 gallon tank and after 6 days I decided to test using API master test kit can this be right already?
I put in some rock I’ve had wet in a bucket with a pump no heater in my house for months that looks like nothing living on it.
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite : 0
Nitrate : 0
Can this be cycled already, I think it’s way to fast??

 

[Lex_510]

Rock, no sand yet

 

[reefidiot??]

no because it isnt cycled

 

[Lex_510]

no because it isnt cycled

no because it isnt cycled

so would I have to test every week? And what would I expect to change . Thanks

 

[KrisReef]

The API test kit isn't very accurate, but being cycled would mean no (or measuring low) ammonia, low or no nitrite, and the appearance of nitrate. The presence of nitrate indicates that the ammonia has been biologically CYCLED by bacteria from ammonia, to nitrite and finally to nitrate as the end product of an established cycle.

Wait another week and try again.

Also, did you add ammonia to the tank earlier? Any bottle bacteria to jump start the cycle?

 

[reefidiot??]

No, I recommend you wait for 2 months and see if its cycled I know its exciting for your fish tank but its just a waste of money to test every week if your really paranoid just as your fish store to do it, its free.

 

[Lex_510]

The API test kit isn't very accurate, but being cycled would mean no (or measuring low) ammonia, low or no nitrite, and the appearance of nitrate. The presence of nitrate indicates that the ammonia has been biologically CYCLED by bacteria from ammonia, to nitrite and finally to nitrate as the end product of an established cycle.

Wait another week and try again.

Also, did you add ammonia to the tank earlier? Any bottle bacteria to jump start the cycle?

No I haven’t added any ammonia, just the rock I picked up from another tank and kept it in a bucket of salt water with a pump, is it ok to put some live rock from my 30 gallon tank I had set up for years

 

[threebuoys]

add ammonia or food, there's nothing in the tank to create ammonia.

 

[KrisReef]

No I haven’t added any ammonia, just the rock I picked up from another tank and kept it in a bucket of salt water with a pump, is it ok to put some live rock from my 30 gallon tank I had set up for years

If your other tank is already cycled adding rock from that tank would help get your new tank up and running.

IF you didn't add any ammonia to the tank then your API test should not be showing ammonia as it is in the picture. These tests are notorious for false positives.

The new rock shown in the tank does not appear to have any life or anything that might decay to provide ammonia, so your API test appears to have demonstrated why they are so unreliable.

There is a nice thread here that talks about API test results.

@brandon429

 

[brandon429]

Kris you found another cycling post gem, a little snippet for updated cycling rules.

I enjoyed reading how the initial assumption was on track, already cycled, but since that bucks the old rules of wait 30 days it seems bad/wrong/not possible.

question to the OP, see the rocks in this list of total skip cycles below

yours appears to be from the exact same source we have been using, is that correct

and if yours got cold that doesn't matter it wont kill the bacteria, but they can't go to solid high saltwater or freshwater either to extremes, did you at least keep topped off while holding/a reasonable salt level?

if so, I already have another post where 3 year garage bucket rocks, kept topped off, passed oxidation. not fed in three years (well not apparently fed, rocks keep organics on/in them that feed bac and the actual room contributes degrading scums too as feed. and gnats lol)

A thread tracking pure skip cycle instant reefs, no bottle bac

THE GOLDEN EXAMPLE OF A SKIP CYCLE DAY 1 REEF https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/ read that entire thread before you read ours. that's the heart of skip cycling. Everything we do going forward in this thread reflects on that ability above, in the #1...

www.reef2reef.com

theres a whole thread of your kind of tank. its immediate cycle. not any delay at all

as cycled now as it would be if you added bottle bac, not needed.

 

[brandon429]

not saying three rocks will run a tank full of fish

the takeaway is that those particular surfaces can't hold any more bac, they're full. the holdings would not have killed bacteria, it takes extremes to do so. those rocks could carry a few fish however, immediately upon filling. its being done for pages above.

 

[Lex_510]

Kris you found another cycling post gem, a little snippet for updated cycling rules.

I enjoyed reading how the initial assumption was on track, already cycled, but since that bucks the old rules of wait 30 days it seems bad/wrong/not possible.

question to the OP, see the rocks in this list of total skip cycles below

yours appears to be from the exact same source we have been using, is that correct

and if yours got cold that doesn't matter it wont kill the bacteria, but they can't go to solid high saltwater or freshwater either to extremes, did you at least keep topped off while holding/a reasonable salt level?

if so, I already have another post where 3 year garage bucket rocks, kept topped off, passed oxidation. not fed in three years (well not apparently fed, rocks keep organics on/in them that feed bac and the actual room contributes degrading scums too as feed. and gnats lol)

A thread tracking pure skip cycle instant reefs, no bottle bac

THE GOLDEN EXAMPLE OF A SKIP CYCLE DAY 1 REEF https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/ read that entire thread before you read ours. that's the heart of skip cycling. Everything we do going forward in this thread reflects on that ability above, in the #1...

www.reef2reef.com

theres a whole thread of your kind of tank. its immediate cycle. not any delay at all

as cycled now as it would be if you added bottle bac, not needed.

Yes kept top off for about 7 months with just a pump running , nothing else

 

[Lex_510]

Is it ok to dump some rocks in from my old tank

 

[KrisReef]

If there are no “pests or problems” in the old tank then it should be fine. No problem algae, or aptasia, then it’s a good idea to recycle them.