Wierd Readings During Cycle?

Tomnerr · Jan 14, 2019

Hey all. I’m new to the forum and just set up a new Nuvo Fusion 40 on 01/06 with live sand and BRS dry rock. Using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt and distilled water. I have biopellets, gfo and carbon all running in reactors since day 1. I have been adding MB7 every day as instructed on the bottle. I have also been feeding the empty tank a pinch of pellets every day to get the cycle going. I started testing ammonia every day since 01/09 and Nitrite since 01/10. Here are the readings:
01/09- A:0.2
01/10- A:0.2, Ni:0
01/11- A:0.4, Ni:0
01/12- A:0.4, Ni:0
01/13- A:0, Ni:0

Because of these readings I added a little bit of Red Sea Bacto Start last night to get some Ammonia going. Today, I tested ammonia and nitrite again and got A:0.8 and Ni:0.1. I also decided to test the Nitrate and got around 20! I am using Red Sea test kits. Anyone have any insight on this? I wouldn’t think that I would have a Nitrate reading like that yet, especially with getting 0 Nitrite every day and then seeing the Ammonia go to 0, at least not this quickly. Thanks for reading and any ideas you may have!

NY_Caveman · Jan 14, 2019

Any Nitrites will cause a false high Nitrate reading. I believe the test kit even uses the same reagents for both of those tests.

NY_Caveman · Jan 14, 2019

See these comments.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/n...er-50-water-change.533518/page-2#post-5530012

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/n...confused-by-test-results.512732/#post-5426907

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 14, 2019

Welcome to Reef2reef!

Don’t add anything else.
Expect to not get fish til feb 9.

You’re adding bacteria with basically nothing in the tank.
So the tiny amount of ammonia being produced is turning into nitrates pretty quick.

In short. You fed some ammonia it got ate and became nitrates.

My bet is you’ll see an ammonia spike soon and it’ll drop.

Patience

KrisReef · Jan 14, 2019

Great you are setting up a reef tank. Go slow and you will do fine.
WELCOME to Reef2Reef!

Tomnerr · Jan 14, 2019

saltyfilmfolks said:
Welcome to Reef2reef!

Don’t add anything else.
Expect to not get fish til feb 9.

You’re adding bacteria with basically nothing in the tank.
So the tiny amount of ammonia being produced is turning into nitrates pretty quick.

In short. You fed some ammonia it got ate and became nitrates.

My bet is you’ll see an ammonia spike soon and it’ll drop.

Patience

Thanks for the response. So if I am understanding correctly, Don’t add any more food to the tank? What am I looking for as I am testing the water? In my previous tank (Biocube 16, still running great) I did the same method but saw a steady climb of Amm, then trites then just trates. Never seen cycle numbers like this before!

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 14, 2019

Tomnerr said:
Thanks for the response. So if I am understanding correctly, Don’t add any more food to the tank? What am I looking for as I am testing the water? In my previous tank (Biocube 16, still running great) I did the same method but saw a steady climb of Amm, then trites then just trates. Never seen cycle numbers like this before!

Yea, no more food and bacteria and stuff.
No clue why the tests are so different. It’s a mish mash so it's hard to pin point.

I do know that waht you’ve done will have a cycled tank in a couple more weeks.

Truth be told , you could put a fish in right now and it would probalt be just fine, but we like to make sure our fish to live a lot longer now and be safer.