So I added salt to my tank on Friday and add some leftover Imagitarium nitrifying bacteria. On Saturday I ghost fed and on Sunday read 0.2 ppm ammonia. I also tried to find bio spira, but they were out of stock so I bought another bottle of Imagitarium nitrifying bacteria. I dumped it all in and ghost fed. Monday I read 0.4ppm ammonia 0ppm nitrite. 0ppm nitrate. I ghost fed again. Tuesday it was .25 ppm 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. Today I fed 0-0.1 ppm ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. What happened to all my ammonia, why do I have 0nitrite, 0 nitrate? I also ghost fed again today. Is my cycle done? Should I ghost feed more? Should I add a fish. All tests were done with the API. The tank is a 29gallon + 10 gallon sump.
Weird reef tank cycle.
- Thread starter John A!10
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I would prob test with different test kits, it doesn't seem rite.
proof of ammonia control is the critical measure for calling a cycle complete. if your added bac was viable, a one day start isnt unheard of, its common.
lets verify ammonia real quick if you want to be sure
show a test kit pic from your tank/zero ammonia. then dose to 1 ppm ammonia, show that change.
show the pic in 24 hours, this w verify the cycle simply. we have several one day starts on file, if yours did this not a surprise. verifying it is the right move. we look for the movement down overnite, not absolute zero on the kit. easy calibration. here is why the other two params dont matter:
nitrite, neutral in reefing, the reading doesnt matter.
nitrate, we can find zero nitrate systems right now that are years old, and they're cycled
zero nitrate happens in reefing, not related to cycling. basing a cycle on nitrate might make you think its stalled. this leaves only ammonia to verify.
lets verify ammonia real quick if you want to be sure
show a test kit pic from your tank/zero ammonia. then dose to 1 ppm ammonia, show that change.
show the pic in 24 hours, this w verify the cycle simply. we have several one day starts on file, if yours did this not a surprise. verifying it is the right move. we look for the movement down overnite, not absolute zero on the kit. easy calibration. here is why the other two params dont matter:
nitrite, neutral in reefing, the reading doesnt matter.
nitrate, we can find zero nitrate systems right now that are years old, and they're cycled
zero nitrate happens in reefing, not related to cycling. basing a cycle on nitrate might make you think its stalled. this leaves only ammonia to verify.
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I'd wait to see Nitrate. Yes, ammonia at 0 after being positive is a good sign and not unheard of if you're adding bacteria...but to be sure seeing nitrate going up is also important.
Also eliminates testing error.
Also eliminates testing error.
NeonRabbit221B
2500 Club Member
How much are you ghost feeding? Typically you want to see a higher measurable ammonia at the start to verify the system can process 2 ppm in 24 hours. Do one more large ghost feed with 3x what you were putting in before and once you see nitrate above a zero I would say you are set.
It’s not the rising to .5 that matters, it’s the return back down. You are using an ammonia tester not designed to work with low ppm readings, that will add to confusion as well. Once it goes back down, that is re proofing ammonia control / showing bac are in place. Ghost feeding works to feed bac, but measuring ammonia from it with that tester is hard, it’s why the steps listed above on post 2 show a different way to proof ammonia. If the first ammonia movement isn’t sufficient proof, then you’ll have to use liquid ammonia so you can control the dose, and show the pics before during after of your ammonia verification.
not anything is abnormal or different about your cycle, they’re all just like this when .25-.5 numbers are in play.
not anything is abnormal or different about your cycle, they’re all just like this when .25-.5 numbers are in play.
the best thing for you to do is measure it with liquid ammonium chloride from post 2 above, that method inputs a specific amount your tester can read, and then you can see if it goes down in 24 hours
if your current reading of .5 goes down by tomorrow that is the same proof. The cycle is assumed already there due to bottle bac added and already fed.
if your current reading of .5 goes down by tomorrow that is the same proof. The cycle is assumed already there due to bottle bac added and already fed.
You’ll have to pick someone who cycles tanks and work whatever method they recommend. In my cycling threads we only factor ammonia control, I know it’s confusing/more than one way to cycle. We don’t factor nitrite or nitrate in my threads, testing accurately for them in the hobby is so rife with misreads, we don’t use them.
if ammonia is being oxidized then nitrate is being produced, even if a cheap test can’t indicate it. From post #2, once you show the dosed ammonia test, if it holds overnite without going down it means you aren’t ready. If it goes down, you are. Really clear cut measure there.
if ammonia is being oxidized then nitrate is being produced, even if a cheap test can’t indicate it. From post #2, once you show the dosed ammonia test, if it holds overnite without going down it means you aren’t ready. If it goes down, you are. Really clear cut measure there.
Agreed, for measurement purposes it’s exacting, not associated with littering the tank with waste organics. The fish food has been feeding bac for sure, but whether it breaks down fast enough for those kits to detect its variations ranges tank to tank. Liquid AC makes clear discerned changes instantly on kits, then if it goes back down to calibrated zero overnite, proofed.
ive been reefing online twenty years, not once have i seen a reef tank with rocks and sand (plenty of verified surface area) and a booster (bottled bac) fail to cycle. This is why in cycling threads I’m always the one assuming it’s done, and every other poster is coming from the angle it’s stalled, and we need more time and proof.
when I match these details to the fact that marine aquarium conventions always manage to start on time for decades, none of the tanks stall past the money date, I become even more resolved. Was your sand above wet pack caribsea
ive been reefing online twenty years, not once have i seen a reef tank with rocks and sand (plenty of verified surface area) and a booster (bottled bac) fail to cycle. This is why in cycling threads I’m always the one assuming it’s done, and every other poster is coming from the angle it’s stalled, and we need more time and proof.
when I match these details to the fact that marine aquarium conventions always manage to start on time for decades, none of the tanks stall past the money date, I become even more resolved. Was your sand above wet pack caribsea
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