Tank Cycle question

[Dizzle26]

So I've been cycling my tank for about 8 weeks. Started with dry rock and dr tims fishless cycle. I have an IM fusion 20 tank.
I measured my water parameters yestrday:
salinity - 1.025
temp - 79.5
dkh - 11.2
ph - 7.8
ammonia - .27
nitrite - .006
nitrate - 3.2

I can't seem to get my nitrates below 3. They've been at that level for the last 3 weeks or so. And my ammonia has been going up little by little. I guess my question is what can I do to bring down my nitrates?
Should I just wait longer? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[landlubber]

Nitrates aren't your issue when it comes to cycling, Nitrites are and by the looks of things you're right on the cusp of getting over them. Once you have a zero reading for Nitrites and Ammonia you're golden. just a little longer!

 

[Fish Think Pink]

So I've been cycling my tank for about 8 weeks. Started with dry rock and dr tims fishless cycle. I have an IM fusion 20 tank.
I measured my water parameters yestrday:
salinity - 1.025
temp - 79.5
dkh - 11.2
ph - 7.8
ammonia - .27
nitrite - .006
nitrate - 3.2

I can't seem to get my nitrates below 3. They've been at that level for the last 3 weeks or so. And my ammonia has been going up little by little. I guess my question is what can I do to bring down my nitrates?
Should I just wait longer? Any help would be appreciated.

Two months - you are cycled...

Slowly add something (1 fish) that you need to feed (food) and fish pee will keep your cycle going

Suspect you aren't doing enough to get numbers to climb, though your patience is admirable!

Once your nitrate number begins to climb, then water change to remove nitrate. This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[jim_fitz]

agree with the above comments focus on ammonia and nitite first

but when they are sorted i would highly remommend these

Nano-Tech Anaerobic-Block by maxspect ​

i have about 3000 litres with losts of fish some quite big

4 of these blocks have reduced my nitrates to 3 and i cant really see any reason to go any lower

 

[Dizzle26]

@landlubber Thanks for the info. I'm in no rush...clearly.

@Fish Think Pink Thanks for the article. I'll definitely read that when I have some time.

@jim_fitz Unfortunately my tank is a small AIO tank. I don't think those bricks will fit. Any other options?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

@landlubber Thanks for the info. I'm in no rush...clearly.

@Fish Think Pink Thanks for the article. I'll definitely read that when I have some time.

@jim_fitz Unfortunately my tank is a small AIO tank. I don't think those bricks will fit. Any other options?

there are little similar balls to increase your surface area for nitrifying bacteria ... but your nitrates are fine right now as things are reading based on above.

If you think your readings are off, take sample to LFS. Most will do testing. Depending what you have tested, there might be a nominal fee to have your parameters double checked by someone/somewhere else

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I've been cycling my tank for about 8 weeks. Started with dry rock and dr tims fishless cycle. I have an IM fusion 20 tank.
I measured my water parameters yestrday:
salinity - 1.025
temp - 79.5
dkh - 11.2
ph - 7.8
ammonia - .27
nitrite - .006
nitrate - 3.2

I can't seem to get my nitrates below 3. They've been at that level for the last 3 weeks or so. And my ammonia has been going up little by little. I guess my question is what can I do to bring down my nitrates?
Should I just wait longer? Any help would be appreciated.

You were likely cycled with 3 weeks. Did you add food or ammonia chloride to assure levels came down?
The purpose of the cycle is to create bacteria that will consume ammonia and nitrite from your tank and fish, but you have to get the bacteria from somewhere initially. Its called a cycle because the tank will go through two phases in which ammonia will rise then fall, then nitrate will rise and fall. Once Ammonia reads zero and Nitrate is less than 20ppm, the cycle is complete and livestock can gradually be introduced. The bacteria population will increase with the new bioload (fish, etc), processing waste and converting it to nitrate quickly which is the reason to stock slowly

 

[JNalley]

The point of "The Cycle" is to convert Ammonia to Nitrate via Nitrifying Bacteria. So having Nitrates is a byproduct of the ammonia making it through the cycle. To reduce Nitrate into Nitrogen is a separate process...

 

[Dizzle26]

@Fish Think Pink I have plastic bio balls in the system already. Should I switch? I don't think my readings are off but I might as well have it tested by a third party. It couldn't hurt.


@vetteguy53081 I used ammonia chloride initially. But I haven't added anymore in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Should I have added more? Should I add more now or just add fish?


@JNalley I guess I thought, from what I've read, that I needed my nitrates at zero or close to it before adding any fish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@Fish Think Pink I have plastic bio balls in the system already. Should I switch? I don't think my readings are off but I might as well have it tested by a third party. It couldn't hurt.


@vetteguy53081 I used ammonia chloride initially. But I haven't added anymore in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Should I have added more? Should I add more now or just add fish?


@JNalley I guess I thought, from what I've read, that I needed my nitrates at zero or close to it before adding any fish.

No- should be good. No need to make drastic changes- as stated- safe range and addition of fish and waste will get bacteria working and doing its job. Just monitor

 

[JNalley]

@JNalley I guess I thought, from what I've read, that I needed my nitrates at zero or close to it before adding any fish.

Nope, I (and many others) keep my nitrates between 15 and 20ppm on my tanks, have run this way for decades...

 

[Dizzle26]

Thanks so much for all the helpful info. Really appreciate it. Can't thank you folks enough.

 

[Dizzle26]

Ok. So I'm gonna follow everyone's advice and add some fish this weekend. But I have one more question before I add the fish. There's a pair a clownfish at my LFS that I've had my eye on. Presuming they haven't been sold yet, can I add them both at the same time? Should I add only one of them? Or shouldn't start with a different fish?

 

[brandon429]

yes you can add them

lets see a pic of the tank

dont do bad acclimation either, losses of fish sometimes are blamed on cycling and then we find the keeper floating them in the bag two hours before letting swim free in the tank/the bad way

find out what your lfs holds the fish at/salinity

if your tank is reasonably close just net them right over into the new tank.

the reason we want to see a pic of your tank is to factor surface area, and everyone usually has plenty. any rocks stewing for eight weeks are always done. your ammonia isn't that actual level above it must be converted into reefing/that's the freshwater reading even if you're using a marine kit. report the ammonia as nh3 vs nh4/your test kit instructions have it in the chart/and it'll look way less, which is why added fish will be ok after eight weeks. you don't have a stalled cycle.

nitrite no longer factors in reef cycling, it was the old way. its chemically neutral per Randy's 2006 article on nitrite in the reef tank

nitrate has no bearing in cycling bc post-cycle reefs run at outrageously varying levels of nitrate from zero to 160 ppm (Pauls reef reported at times)