Sustaining Bacteria

[fernalfer]

I have cycled my 120 gallon tank. Dosing 2ppm ammonia within 12 hrs. ammonia-0 and Nitrate-0. Nitrates are about 50ppm which i will do a big water change to bring down.

Now i'm in no hurry to stock with fish so i've been ghost feeding flake food to help keep bacteria happy. Problem i have is i've been ghost feeding 2 times a day for the last 4 days but never get an ammonia or nitrite reading. They remain 0.

Does this mean my bacteria are dieing off because of lack of food?

OR are they just consuming it as fast as it rots leaving a 0 reading?

Just afraid to break the cycle.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

They are consuming..... unless you're not feeding enough. A 120 gallon tank is pretty big for a pinch of flake food. You're feeding some bacteria, but possibly not all which you created.

Can you put food in a container or netting so you can remove it? All that food it just creating detritus that can encourage nuisance algae growth in the future.

 

[brandon429]

You do not have to ghost feed at all, for months, and they remain just the same after verified establishment. No support is needed after cycling, since myriad food inputs still occur even if we stop and since your tank has vast amounts of active surface area beyond what's needed, as we all do

When we feed we aren't starting the feed input, we are adding to it already happening and the natural incursions are such that unfed, contaminated surfaces in a reef tank never go back to sterility unless we dose medications

The test kit variance among test kits is such that your reading is an approximation... read by three other tests it would be three other levels.

No post support of established bacteria is required but the biosystem will handle feed input just fine should they get fed anyway.

 

[Diesel]

If you have a sump put a small fish in there in order to promote your eco balance even more or if you find the right fish just put one in your tank.
Of course the advice is after you QT them.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Probably consuming/growing.. Usually takes a good month to get a decent population.