Stalled cycle?

[StealthJett]

Hey all, put up a nano 20 gallon. I put in dr Tim’s bacteria solution, no first defense, and followed the calendar instructions that are available. Did fine but on the 9th day it didn’t register 0 ammonia and nitrite, it was actually fairly high. I kind of improved from that point just adding ammonia and seeing if it would hit zero in the next 24 hours. I did that once, it eliminated like .8 mg/L so I waited 2 more days and it registered 0.2 mg/L so I added another 2 ppm. Let it rest for like 2 days and it stops at 0.2 mg/L so I’m not necessarily sure if my cycles stalled or I’m going off the rails since I’m around like day 15. Testing are as follows with red seas marine care kit

salinity: (refractometer) 1.026
Ph: 8.0
Alk: this test was weird but I think it registered at a ~7 but I definitely could have done it wrong.
Temp: 79
Nitrite: above 1 ppm for some reason, have zero clue.
Nitrates: didn’t test

pls help

 

[StealthJett]

There nitrite thing is actually a big issue so I’d love some feedback, seems like nitrite won’t go down

 

[TWiSTEDSOCiETY]

Are you running a skimmer or filter socks? What are the tank specs?

 

[StealthJett]

Are you running a skimmer or filter socks? What are the tank specs?

No skimmer, took the filter socks out the first 48 hrs like dr Tim’s says. Bio media balls came w the tank and carbon sponges. Specs? It’s a 20 gallon AIO cube from waterbox. Idk what you mean by specs though, sorry

 

[Coxey81]

Hey all, put up a nano 20 gallon. I put in dr Tim’s bacteria solution, no first defense, and followed the calendar instructions that are available. Did fine but on the 9th day it didn’t register 0 ammonia and nitrite, it was actually fairly high. I kind of improved from that point just adding ammonia and seeing if it would hit zero in the next 24 hours. I did that once, it eliminated like .8 mg/L so I waited 2 more days and it registered 0.2 mg/L so I added another 2 ppm. Let it rest for like 2 days and it stops at 0.2 mg/L so I’m not necessarily sure if my cycles stalled or I’m going off the rails since I’m around like day 15. Testing are as follows with red seas marine care kit

salinity: (refractometer) 1.026
Ph: 8.0
Alk: this test was weird but I think it registered at a ~7 but I definitely could have done it wrong.
Temp: 79
Nitrite: above 1 ppm for some reason, have zero clue.
Nitrates: didn’t test

pls help

Couple of questions.

1. Are you using Dr. Tim's Ammonia chloride? Myself and some others have discovered if you follow its 4 drops per gallon it can lead to a large overdose. Almost twice the intended 2ppm. Or are you testing after adding ammonia and reading 2ppm?

2. Have you Waited at anytime for nitrites to hit zero before adding another dose of ammonia? There are typically two different bacteria to complete the process. One to convert ammonia to nitrite (type A), and one to convert nitrite to nitrate (type B). So you may have plenty of type A, but are still building type B.

You are supposed to wait til it's fully processed both ammonia and nitrite and are only left with nitrate before adding more ammonia.

3. If it is processing the 2ppm ammonia at least to nitrite, but stopping at 0.2ppm... it sounds like you may possibly be reading a little high on your ammonia kit. It shouldn't process down to a level and then just stop.

I would try testing some clean saltwater and see what you read ammonia wise to make sure you aren't reading high.

 

[arking_mark]

No such thing as a stalled cycle.

Once your tank is able to reduce 2ppm ammonia to 0 in 24hrs your good.

If your using API tests, then note that they are pretty inaccurate and should just be used to indicate yes/no for the most part. Often times API will register a small amount of ammonia when there is none.

You never really need to worry about nitrite accept if you are interested in monitoring your cycle.

 

[Coxey81]

No skimmer, took the filter socks out the first 48 hrs like dr Tim’s says. Bio media balls came w the tank and carbon sponges. Specs? It’s a 20 gallon AIO cube from waterbox. Idk what you mean by specs though, sorry

You do have plenty of rocks, correct? 1-1.5 lbs per gallon?

Good circulation and aeration?

 

[TWiSTEDSOCiETY]

how much rock do you have in it? did you use live or dry rock? How much of a sand bed do you have and what type of sand, or did you go bare bottom?

 

[StealthJett]

Couple of questions.

1. Are you using Dr. Tim's Ammonia chloride? Myself and some others have discovered if you follow its 4 drops per gallon it can lead to a large overdose. Almost twice the intended 2ppm. Or are you testing after adding ammonia and reading 2ppm?

2. Have you Waited at anytime for nitrites to hit zero before adding another dose of ammonia? There are typically two different bacteria to complete the process. One to convert ammonia to nitrite (type A), and one to convert nitrite to nitrate (type B). So you may have plenty of type A, but are still building type B.

You are supposed to wait til it's fully processed both ammonia and nitrite and are only left with nitrate before adding more ammonia.

3. If it is processing the 2ppm ammonia at least to nitrite, but stopping at 0.2ppm... it sounds like you may possibly be reading a little high on your ammonia kit. It shouldn't process down to a level and then just stop.

I would try testing some clean saltwater and see what you read ammonia wise to make sure you aren't reading high.

1. I am indeed using dr Tim’s ammonia chloride so that’s a bit of unfortunate news. I don’t test right after the ammonia addition but my test can only go up to 2 ppm

2. I haven’t been waiting for nitrite to hit zero. Can higher-ish ammonia levels impede the type B bacteria? Nitrite never seems to fall but unfortunately my nitrite test maxes at 1 ppm so I can’t see any higher than that.

3. that makes sense, I’ll test some new saltwater. I tested fresh rodi and it read a perfect zero but I haven’t tested SW, thanks for the feedback

 

[StealthJett]

You do have plenty of rocks, correct? 1-1.5 lbs per gallon?

Good circulation and aeration?

Not exactly sure of the exact Poundage but based on looks I’m pretty confident that there’s at least 1 lb per gallon. I’d say I have pretty good aeration and circulation. I have a sicce 1.0 return and a Nero 3 running between 15%-50% so between both my turnover should be great. The water breaks at the return so aeration should be great.

 

[StealthJett]

how much rock do you have in it? did you use live or dry rock? How much of a sand bed do you have and what type of sand, or did you go bare bottom?

Used old base rock I had sitting, I think probably 1.5 inches of sand, Carib sea arag alive Fiji pink, it sat in my cabinet for like a week tho so maybe something happened to the bacteria?

 

[StealthJett]

No such thing as a stalled cycle.

Once your tank is able to reduce 2ppm ammonia to 0 in 24hrs your good.

If your using API tests, then note that they are pretty inaccurate and should just be used to indicate yes/no for the most part. Often times API will register a small amount of ammonia when there is none.

You never really need to worry about nitrite accept if you are interested in monitoring your cycle.

Using Red Sea so idk the exact accuracy, I’m scared the nitrite may be at toxic levels but then again that’s at like 5-7 ppm right and my test can’t even read that high.

 

[brandon429]

We need a full picture of the tank to assess ratios of rock and sand and water, I bet you are done cycling because Dr. Reef has already charted how long your brand of bottle bac takes, plus a common cycling chart shows ammonia controlled by when you say it did too


your nh3 is .02 as reported, the nh4 isn’t a big deal. .02 is safe zone considering its moved more than once. Your cycle will be deemed ready I’ll bet, post a pic of your reef for final closure. Nitrite no longer factors in 2021 cycling. I have a few 25 page work threads using a hundred reef examples to show nitrite isn’t required to know, but first let’s close out your cycle by seeing tank pics then I’ll show how your reef links up and aligns with the other hundred samples exactly in the same state as yours.

along with never factoring nitrite we also dont expect zero ammonia we expect the levels you show, after blasting this much ammonia into the tank, five times over what was needed to both proof and feed your cycle.

you will get confusing and conflicting information on nitrite cycling, that’s the current state of affairs in the hobby, once we see a couple hundred reefs never tracking it in a few work threads that will begin to reinforce updated cycling science against the old ways. We need a pic, your total number of days with water in the setup to finalize your cycle.

**the most important step is your fish disease prevention choice, your cycle is about to be deemed ready.

 

[Coxey81]

1. I am indeed using dr Tim’s ammonia chloride so that’s a bit of unfortunate news. I don’t test right after the ammonia addition but my test can only go up to 2 ppm

2. I haven’t been waiting for nitrite to hit zero. Can higher-ish ammonia levels impede the type B bacteria? Nitrite never seems to fall but unfortunately my nitrite test maxes at 1 ppm so I can’t see any higher than that.

3. that makes sense, I’ll test some new saltwater. I tested fresh rodi and it read a perfect zero but I haven’t tested SW, thanks for the feedback

1. Well, I can almost guarantee you are overdosing the ammonia if you are using Dr. Tim's Ammonia chloride and doing 4 drops per gallon to achieve 2ppm.

I also have a red sea test kit that I discovered the over dose with that has been confirmed by others. I'll attach a pic of what that OD looks like.

2. The higher ammonia levels shouldn't impede it as long as you are staying under 5ppm. It's probably just not had time to process it after you have added the large dose and then redosed again. You should see ammonia levels go down, nitrites go up and then down (they lag behind the ammonia), and nitrates go up. Eventually getting to zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and only nitrate.

3. Cool, I'd check that for sure.

Here is my red sea overdosed to 4ppm by following Dr. Tim's 4 drops per gallon.

 

[StealthJett]

 

[Coxey81]

Not exactly sure of the exact Poundage but based on looks I’m pretty confident that there’s at least 1 lb per gallon. I’d say I have pretty good aeration and circulation. I have a sicce 1.0 return and a Nero 3 running between 15%-50% so between both my turnover should be great. The water breaks at the return so aeration should be great.

Probably good enough, but a bubbler won't hurt if you have one.

 

[StealthJett]

There’s the pic and huh nitrite not having influence is interesting

 

[brandon429]

We r almost set


how many days total has the system had water and bac stewing


you have the expected degree of surface area in play. The anti nitrite stance comes from here:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

 

[StealthJett]

Probably good enough, but a bubbler won't hurt if you have one.

I don’t have one but when I looked for saltwater salt creep essentially bursted the idea of getting one

 

[Coxey81]

I don’t have one but when I looked for saltwater salt creep essentially bursted the idea of getting one

As long as the water is getting circulated well, some small water falls, surface breakage, etc. You should be ok.