Tank Cycling: Scratching my head

[James Brewer]

So, I have a new tank. Its pretty sweet. Its also pretty new and I'm a freshwater guy so I need a little direction.

I am trying to fishless cycle the dang thing and for the life of me cant seem to get the nitrites to a measureable level. I used Dr. Tim's one and only and used Ammonia to "feed" the bacteria, and they are eating it at a pretty good pace, but the Nitrite bacteria seem to be slacking in this department. I am using an API test kit and the Nitrite color is bright purple.

Now I know the answer is to wait and do nothing and let the tank cycle, but what on earth was the Dr. Tim's stuff for and why do I get the feeling it was snake oil?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 5<
Nitrates: 20ppm or less
PH: 7.8

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh, it aint snake oil. look at the ammonia for proof.

When did you start the process?

 

[brandon429]

Can we see pics of your rock, the kind of growths on or missing helps us to know about your cycle

I wanted to know if the nitrate portion is from the rocks or living materials, or from the bottle dosers

 

[tankstudy]

Dr. Tim's stuff is just bottled bacteria.

With his product, you usually don't want to see nitrites go above 5 ppm nitrites. That will usually stall the cycle. If your putting in ammonia and seeing the end product nitrate, your bacteria are there and working.

Unlike the shrimp method for cycling, bacteria in the bottle requires some understanding. If you do go about it wrong, sometimes it can take you as long as a shrimp method cycle.

 

[BoneXriffic]

Nitrates would show converted nitrite, therefor good cycle. I would believe

 

[mcarroll]

So, I have a new tank. Its pretty sweet. Its also pretty new and I'm a freshwater guy so I need a little direction.

I am trying to fishless cycle the dang thing and for the life of me cant seem to get the nitrites to a measureable level. I used Dr. Tim's one and only and used Ammonia to "feed" the bacteria, and they are eating it at a pretty good pace, but the Nitrite bacteria seem to be slacking in this department. I am using an API test kit and the Nitrite color is bright purple.

Now I know the answer is to wait and do nothing and let the tank cycle, but what on earth was the Dr. Tim's stuff for and why do I get the feeling it was snake oil?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 5<
Nitrates: 20ppm or less
PH: 7.8

People would take a month to cycle a tank "naturally".

How far into that month are you using the shortcut? :)

Just relax. :cool:

Meditate on the fact that everything else in the hobby will take even longer than this unless you screw up and go fast.

(Going fast is definitely the most popular screw up we make....so this should be a serious meditation.)

Stock your tank slowly when the time comes....you will be making some mistakes as you learn.....no need to subject more than one or two fish and a few corals to your (or anyone's) leaning curve in my opinion. I'd wait until Year 2 before stocking the rest of the way...and might even let the stocking plan unfold over 2-4 years. :)

 

[mcarroll]

(And I agree about maybe already being through the cycle. I might verify that nitrite result with a test at the LFS....it may actually be zero.)

 

[Brew12]

So, I have a new tank. Its pretty sweet. Its also pretty new and I'm a freshwater guy so I need a little direction.

I am trying to fishless cycle the dang thing and for the life of me cant seem to get the nitrites to a measureable level. I used Dr. Tim's one and only and used Ammonia to "feed" the bacteria, and they are eating it at a pretty good pace, but the Nitrite bacteria seem to be slacking in this department. I am using an API test kit and the Nitrite color is bright purple.

Now I know the answer is to wait and do nothing and let the tank cycle, but what on earth was the Dr. Tim's stuff for and why do I get the feeling it was snake oil?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 5<
Nitrates: 20ppm or less
PH: 7.8

Are you sure the Dr Tims bacteria was less than 1 year old? That is about it's maximum shelf life.
Did you use Dr Tims ammonia also or a different type?

I used BioSpira, which was developed by Dr Tim, and never saw nitrites at a level that were detectable, so his products do work. The bacteria in a bottle just can't have been exposed to high or low temperatures or be over 1 year old. After a year the bacteria don't die, but they do slow their process down significantly and take much longer to recover and start breaking down ammonia/nitrite again.

 

[cmcimino]

I just finished cycling my first salwater tank. Started with dry rock, and dry sand. My nitrite test was dark purple for about 4-5 weeks, full cycle took around 7-8 weeks. I used Seachem Stability as my "supplemental bacteria", I'm not sure if it made a difference or not. I'm assuming you're experience a "stall" similar to mine.

 

[Romeo007]

Use vodka sugar vinegar mix to speed up the process

 

[tankstudy]

Use vodka sugar vinegar mix to speed up the process

I think that is carbon dosing for a different type of bacteria, one that consumes/uptakes phosphates and nitrates. To speed up the cycle process even faster, he/she could just dump more bottled bacteria in.

 

[Romeo007]

There are no gaurantee those bottles are still alive. Here the agenda is eating the nutrients and make sure enough of bioload is handled not create anymore ammonia

 

[tankstudy]

There are no gaurantee those bottles are still alive. Here the agenda is eating the nutrients and make sure enough of bioload is handled not create anymore ammonia

You can test the bottles with ammonia. If you get any digestion, it means the bottle is good. I've used a few that were several months beyond the expiration date and were still digesting ammonia.

 

[James Brewer]

So I rolled home from work and tested again, now at hour 48 since Dr. tims, and 2 weeks since setup. I got even weirder measurements.

Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite: 5ppm or greater...still
Nitrate: 160ppm or above

I wonder if my nitrite test kit is bad...

 

[cmcimino]

So I rolled home from work and tested again, now at hour 48 since Dr. tims, and 2 weeks since setup. I got even weirder measurements.

Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite: 5ppm or greater...still
Nitrate: 160ppm or above

I wonder if my nitrite test kit is bad...

Check it with RO/DI water. Should be light blue. Liquid bacteria will not drop your nitrites over night. It takes time. Just be patient and let the tank cycle on its own. Mine took 4-5 weeks for my nitrite to drop.

 

[limbhanger]

I am also starting a new tank 240g. Been up and running for 3 weeks now just took readings a bit ago

PH 8.2
Ammonia .50
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0

Mine is just starting 3 weeks into it. I know that every tank is different but just be patient that's the best advice I've ever gotten in this hobby. Patients truly is a virtue in this business

 

[tankstudy]

So I rolled home from work and tested again, now at hour 48 since Dr. tims, and 2 weeks since setup. I got even weirder measurements.

Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite: 5ppm or greater...still
Nitrate: 160ppm or above

I wonder if my nitrite test kit is bad...

If your nitrates continue to go up then your nitrite bacteria are doing their job. I would just wait atm.

 

[beaslbob]

On my first tank nitrites pegged the test kit (5ppm) for a several weeks (6+) after I added the first fish.

Then they dropped to 0 after a few days of not adding food. And never were measureable again.
So try not adding food, ghost feeding, adding ammonia, and see if they drop down.

my .02

 

[James Brewer]

Ran home after the work and tested (again) and came up with the following:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 1,000,000
Nitrates: 160ppm <

I'm gonna go dark for a week and see what happens...

 

[beaslbob]

I presume the nitrItes are pegging the test kit. LOL

stop adding what ever you're doing for the fishless cycle. NitrItes will come down very rapidily.

Nitrates are pretty harmless for fish. adding macro algaes will help that.

once nitrItes drop down, and if you have added macro algaes (or even just have an algae bloom), try adding a single male molly acclimated to salt water. And don't add food for a week. Once you have a molly in the tank for 3 weeks, the tank should be ready for more expensive marine only fish.

IMHO don't go dark yet. The algae growing will (eventually) consume the nitrates. Going dark and killing off the algae is not a good idea with a system that has no macro algaes in a refugium or an algae turf scrubber.

my .02