Trying to cycle new tank and got nitrites out of sight.

[geekengineer]

So, I got some stuff at this LFS that the owner said would generate some ammonia in the tank. I think it mainly fish waste they process, but unfortunately, I think he told me to add way too much. My tank started to cycle but it seems to have stopped or isn't progressing just supper high nitrites and nitrates. He told me to do a 25% water change, but I don't think that was enouph. I just found something online saying if your nitrites are too high your cycle will stall. I went ahead and did another water change but it's still way higher than the test can tell. lol. I wish I wasn't having to make so much saltwater again. I was wondering if there is a way to filter some of it out of the water? like run it through a carbon filter etc?

 

[geekengineer]

I just was thinking would it be easier to just start over with new saltwater and recycle it vs. trying to change the tank water out 4-5 times at this point?

 

[Lavey29]

Nitrites are irrelevant and meaningless in salt aquaria. Determining cycle is based on ammonia and nitrates. If you dose ammonia and within 24 hours it reads 0 and you have measurable nitrates production then the tank is cycling. Typically do 50% water change then and add first fish. Never hurts to add some more nitrifying bacteria when fish go in too

 

[geekengineer]

Really, I didn't know that nitrites weren't an issue. my ammonia went down to zero a while ago.

 

[geekengineer]

Just for reference the API test goes to purple the highest reading right away no 5 minute delay at all. So I'm still not sure if that is too much. I was reading some other things that suggest that reading can be overly high due to how the test works?

 

[Smite]

Well if they handed you a cup full of skimmate (kinda sounds like that if they are making it themselves?) then it could have been pretty potent and sky rocketed your nutrients. Or if the rocks you used were once live and had a large amount of oraganic matter suck on and in the rocks.

API kits arent always the most accurate but sounds like you're getting some extreme colors there. Personally I'd probably do a large water change and retest. Then I'd add some ammonia and test after 24 hours to insure the tank is actually cycled.

 

[geekengineer]

My guess is that is what it was is skim mate but probably processed at some level and maybe they add some things. I saw another post that Randy replied to which gave me more confidence since I guess I didn't realize that nitrites are not as much of a concern as it freshwater. I did do a 50% water change on my 20 gal hospital tank and the nitrites still read over 5ppm. However, the nitrates read about 10ppm (before change was about 20ppm) which they said is probably higher than they really are since the test uses nitrites. My ammonia been zero so I will add some ammonia and see what happens I assume I should check to see if the nitrates increase as well as the ammonia go to zero. I did probably another 20% on my main tank cause my sump setup makes it's hard to do any bigger at one time. I didn't notice much of a change with my dip sticks, but I haven't done the API nitrate test yet on that one.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My tank started to cycle but it seems to have stopped or isn't progressing just supper high nitrites and nitrates.

How high is nitrite? Nitrate won't be accurate if nitrite is high since 1 ppm nitrite can read as 100 ppm nitrate with some kits.

Have you been tracking ammonia?

 

[geekengineer]

Well after I had put the waste product in from the LFS my ammonia went very high (on my 'saysommer' dip stick tests) after a while but went down to where I couldn't see any on the dip stick test, but then I was seeing the high nitrites and nitrates. On the API test nitrites, it goes full purple as soon as I shake it don't have to wait 5 minutes. I was seeing ~10ppm on the API nitrate test last night. The dip test strips show both nitrites and nitrates being very high, but I mainly just use those for a quick test. I hadn't started using the API tests until I wanted to verify more what was going on.

So, I guess it could mean I don't really have any true nitrates yet. My ammonia was zero before I added some more in my hospital tank last night and this morning, I'm reading about .5 ppm on the API. I think it's come down this morning from what I can tell from using test strips because I didn't measure API ammonia last night after I added some. I measured nitrates with the API and now it's very high this morning reads 160 ppm.

On my main tank I didn't do anything on that one and it is in about the same situation. The ammonia was still zero in that tank right now.

 

[geekengineer]

wow. So as an experiment I diluted my nitrite test. I had mostly distilled water with 8 drops of tank water. The test shows about 1ppm.

 

[geekengineer]

So, two drops got me to about .25ppm. So, I'm surmising I haven't got any real nitrates yet. My LFS recommended some of that turbo start 900 and that worked for the ammonia but maybe I need to add some more to get the other bacteria going, but I don't have any more left.

 

[brandon429]

Here’s how to get control over your cycle

do nothing more to the tank.
wait ten total days from today


do a full water change or as much as you can do to rid the skimmate waste they gave you, so the new tank has clean water

and you’re done. No more testing is needed here


you just added fritz in the presence of an organic waste source

you can’t not be cycled within ten days, that’s why no more testing is needed. See how easy that was = updated cycling science.

repeat- no more testing is needed for any parameter even if you can’t change all the water at the end, you’ll get more algae when the lights begin + animals, but ammonia control won’t be a problem and that’s all that matters. No more testing for any cycling param is needed, in fact using the kits you’re using will only prolong frustration, that’s old cycling science.

 

[brandon429]

it’s time to begin reading about fish disease controls in the disease forum stickies, the cycle has been set to a specific date it’s no longer a concern. Getting the cycle done is the easy part, avoiding disease isn’t. You are going to be buying common pet store fish as a first go, skipping all preps unless redirected. That’s every 8 month fish wipeout currently running in the disease forum and cycling doesn’t cause it

adding unprepped fish to a cycled tank causes it, must study the fish disease forum stickies

the entire point of updated cycling science is to re aim concern and study and detail hashing into what will kill your fish: skipping disease preps

as soon as you added Fritz all the complicated cycling prediction went out the window, we transition right into fallow and quarantine self study before fish are wasted by skipping that learning

 

[geekengineer]

For reference I started out with using ammonia chloride four weeks ago in my main tank about a month ago and the Dr Tims bacteria maybe a few days later. That didn't seem to do anything for the main tank. I started my hospital only about two weeks ago. Then, I added the waist product (in my main and hospital) two weeks ago then the fritz a week ago, so I guess I was expecting it to move a bit faster by now. I probably changed about 25% on my main tank two separate times now. On the hospital I did a 25% change four days ago and another 50% yesterday.

 

[brandon429]

It’s done right now then, but there’s no rush to speed up the ten day wait and water change, it’ll take that long to master the disease prep terminology and application

(30 days wait in any config is cycled, all charts agree)


start by reading this thread:

Has anyone done coral/inverts only and no fish at first?

Fish seem to be the main cause of disruption in a display tank, given the current circumstances in the hobby with pests (ich, velvet, parasites, etc.). I have been in this hobby for 18 years, and the amount of pests that are showing up lately is much more (could also be the fact that we have...

www.reef2reef.com

fish go in last, not first, unless you have a special replacement plan.

 

[geekengineer]

I didn't see the link on your post but you're talking about the quarantine protocol that is on here, right?

 

[geekengineer]

Yeah, that's probably a good idea just to not put in fish for a while and do inverts and corals. I wasn't planning on adding fish right ways anyhow this time because I had too many problems the last time with bacteria blooms.

 

[brandon429]

It’s easier to battle uglies and manage the new tank without them, plus you can still keep corals and have fun during the big buildup which ends in a long fallow period before the first fish are added, quarantined ones

 

[brandon429]

Can u post a pic of the tank / want to make sure it has rocks in it

 

[geekengineer]

the main tank has sand and rocks that are new. I have a few bio blocks I got from the LFS in the sump and I added some more bio blocks that were new. I have a picture on my build thread there if you want to look. The hospital tank just has some PVC pipe in there and a bio block I got from the LFS.