Aquarium Cycling QUESTION!!!!

[grimreefer001]

Hello, so I have an aquarium currently cycling. Its a 57 gallon with a sump. Total amount of water in the aquarium and sump is 57 gallons total. So I added the correct amount of microbacter quickcycl to raise the ammonia up, which is did and then caused my nitrite to go up. My ammonia is at 0 ppm and my nitrite is at about .25 ppm. The ammoia cleared up in about 2 weeks. The nitrite has been at this level for about 3, going on 4 weeks now. About two days ago I through in a filter pad from my running aquarium to see if that would help level out the levels but nothing yet. Any ideas on what I should do?

I did mix in the microbacter quickstart withe the quick cycl like it says and i continued to add 3 capfuls a day of that quickstart until the bottle was gone to help add good bacteria.

Any suggestions>??

Im ready to throw some starter fish in there and get all my current fish in the new tank but i know its a process and i dont want to rush it.

********I also do not have any lighting on on any filer socks or pads in the sump or filter.

 

[dvgyfresh]

nitrite to nitrate bacteria take longer to colonize but I think you are ready for soem starter fish - damsels or clowns. Keep adding bacteria per instructions it is working

 

[grimreefer001]

nitrite to nitrate bacteria take longer to colonize but I think you are ready for soem starter fish - damsels or clowns. Keep adding bacteria per instructions it is working

I ran out of the microbacter quickstart to add. I was adding it until I ran out of it. I was thinking about buying more and just continue adding three caps full every day until it drops to zero. But shouldnt nitrite be at 0? I tested my nitrate and and its very high but it says after the nitrite drops to 0 then i should do a 25% water change but it has not dropped yet. So the water change will help the nitrate but I still need the nitrite down.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I ran out of the microbacter quickstart to add. I was adding it until I ran out of it. I was thinking about buying more and just continue adding three caps full every day until it drops to zero. But shouldnt nitrite be at 0? I tested my nitrate and and its very high but it says after the nitrite drops to 0 then i should do a 25% water change but it has not dropped yet. So the water change will help the nitrate but I still need the nitrite down.

As long as your tank can process ammonia , I would consider it cycled, nitrite will mess up the nitrate test if there is any present , so you can potentially have 0 nitrate still. However , nitrite is not harmful to saltwater fish. Maybe do another wc and add another bottle of bacteria but I think you are goood for some starter fish

 

[Lavey29]

Just add some ammonia and check 24 hours later. If you get a 0 reading then you know your tank is cycling. You can add some dr. Tim's nitrifyling bacteria to help also if you are concerned.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

If you are using API, it might just be misreading the color.

Are you showing high nitrate readings? That is the best indicator if your nitrite to nitrate bacteria is colonized.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hello, so I have an aquarium currently cycling. Its a 57 gallon with a sump. Total amount of water in the aquarium and sump is 57 gallons total. So I added the correct amount of microbacter quickcycl to raise the ammonia up, which is did and then caused my nitrite to go up. My ammonia is at 0 ppm and my nitrite is at about .25 ppm. The ammoia cleared up in about 2 weeks. The nitrite has been at this level for about 3, going on 4 weeks now. About two days ago I through in a filter pad from my running aquarium to see if that would help level out the levels but nothing yet. Any ideas on what I should do?

I did mix in the microbacter quickstart withe the quick cycl like it says and i continued to add 3 capfuls a day of that quickstart until the bottle was gone to help add good bacteria.

Any suggestions>??

Im ready to throw some starter fish in there and get all my current fish in the new tank but i know its a process and i dont want to rush it.

********I also do not have any lighting on on any filer socks or pads in the sump or filter.

maybe could add starter fish, more sensitive fish and adding multiple fish at a time should be avoided

 

[grimreefer001]

If you are using API, it might just be misreading the color.

Are you showing high nitrate readings? That is the best indicator if your nitrite to nitrate bacteria is colonized.

Yes i am showing very high nitrate readings. What would it look like when its colonized? n(if it looks like something)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Once you fill up your aquarium with saltwater, powerheads, a heater and perhaps add sand for substrate, the next step is to "cycle" your tank. The purpose of a cycle is to create bacteria that will be consuming ammonia and nitrite from your livestock, but you have to get the bacteria from somewhere initially. Why is it called a cycle? Because the tank will go through three phases: ammonia will rise and fall, then nitrite will rise and fall even quicker, and lastly nitrate will rise and fall (but dont get concerned with nitrite unless Sky high). Once Ammonia reads 0 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, processing waste and converting it to nitrate rapidly. However, it is important to note that overloading the aquarium with too many fish initially can exceed what the bacteria can handle. This is why it is best to add new fish slowly over the next few months. The bacterial levels will adapt if you don't overload the system with too many mouths to feed.
How long does the cycle generally last? Using test kits to measure results daily, you'll likely see the process takes up to 21 days.

 

[grimreefer001]

nitrite to nitrate bacteria take longer to colonize but I think you are ready for soem starter fish - damsels or clowns. Keep adding bacteria per instructions it is working

i havent been adding micro bacterstart sfor about two weeks now since i ran out. i will probably get some now.

 

[brandon429]

The bacterial levels will adapt if you don't overload the system with too many mouths to feed.



that is patently false Vette.

after cycling, the surface area becomes the limitation as the surfaces have as much bacteria as they can hold.

bacteria does not ramp up and down on surfaces to carry a stronger bioload relative to number of fish present, you have to spread new bacteria out on new surface area to increase bioload carry. wet rocks in the flow path of food and water, maintain their own bacteria levels on rocks with or without fish…the surface area stays full of working communities that reduce ammonia with or without fish present and this isn’t even counting photosynthetic uptake developed in 30 days wait.


Fallowing a reef with fish does not strip down bacteria to any degree a person can measure and post about using digital gear, reintroducing the fish after 90s days fallow doesn’t produce a temporary drop in nitrification rates or any overload in seneye tests.


Good thing hanna just released a $59 nh3 digital tester, we are about to get some new measures to support or refute that claim.




Op your cycle is done. Done, completed and met all times from a cycling chart as a fed, dosed and boosted ramp up.

the only reason you’re in doubt is from not owning a digital ammonia kit. Thankfully, the ammonia drop line on a cycle chart tells you as a stand in how long ammonia control takes in a boosted cycle, you can solve by number of days wait minus any accurate testing to solve the common way.

 

[grimreefer001]

As long as your tank can process ammonia , I would consider it cycled, nitrite will mess up the nitrate test if there is any present , so you can potentially have 0 nitrate still. However , nitrite is not harmful to saltwater fish. Maybe do another wc and add another bottle of bacteria but I think you are goood for some starter fish

I may do a 25% water change and add some bacteria and test the levels then before adding some starter fish. Id rather be safe and not have any fish die because I have a running tank that has stuff that will be put into this new tank eventually and that tank is running smoothly.

 

[brandon429]

Grim here is your exact next step:


cease testing for ammonia and nitrite, you’re done with cycling. Post a pic so we can assess your surface area compared to all other reefs and check for the repeated surface area stacks.


then read the disease forum and select a fish disease prep protocol from Jays forum, because you’re cycled.


if you skip that part, and add fish, they’ll live and act fine. But that will skip a core step in disease prep. Disease in eight months is your test, not a cycling test.


any further adding of bacteria and or testing for ammonia and nitrite is the result of misleading training. Your cycle is done for the degree of rock/surface area that’s sat feeding and stewing for the entire length of a cycling chart. Not day ten, all thirty days. All your params are in control, your test kits are the issue. This thread is now added to page 31 of our false cycle stall collection. It’s not to track Grim’s tank, it’s to track the evolution of cycle umpires and what measurements they require to give a solid, resolved answer. Getting an exact start date vs a maybe is the #1 thing we study in our false cycle stall thread, you‘re way past your start date.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

I may do a 25% water change and add some bacteria and test the levels then before adding some starter fish. Id rather be safe and not have any fish die because I have a running tank that has stuff that will be put into this new tank eventually and that tank is running smoothly.

U can add a hardy fish like a damsel or clown the fish will produce a lil ammonia but if u have tank up for 4 months then add 1 fish and it’s time to start enjoying your tank! Just don’t add a big one or 1+ and wait 2 months til u add the second. Unless u want to throw in clown pair at the start then I would seek advice from more knowledgeable people. But if u have a tank with ammonia introduced and it’s been up for 4 months and u have surface area then you ready for a fish

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Grim here is your exact next step:


cease testing for ammonia and nitrite, you’re done with cycling. Post a pic so we can assess your surface area compared to all other reefs and check for the repeated surface area stacks.


then read the disease forum and select a fish disease prep protocol from Jays forum, because you’re cycled.


if you skip that part, and add fish, they’ll live and act fine. But that will skip a core step in disease prep. Disease in eight months is your test, not a cycling test.


any further adding of bacteria and or testing for ammonia and nitrite is the result of misleading training. Your cycle is done for the degree of rock/surface area that’s sat feeding and stewing for the entire length of a cycling chart. Not day ten, all thirty days. All your params are in control, your test kits are the issue. This thread is now added to page 31 of our false cycle stall collection. It’s not to track Grim’s tank, it’s to track the evolution of cycle umpires and what measurements they require to give a solid, resolved answer. Getting an exact start date vs a maybe is the #1 thing we study in our false cycle stall thread, you‘re way past your start date.

Yes also QT new fish so u don’t run into problem year from now great point I missed oopsie

 

[brandon429]

Grim can you post your full tank shot


we closed out the last ten suspect cycle stalls off a pic of the tank and an actual pic of your ammonia test kit in front of its test card (so we can then apply nh3 conversion approximation to the reading)


nitrite won’t factor because of everything Randy Holmes-Farley has written about nitrite.


your api test kits nitrate also won’t help much since among nitrate test kits, all brands compared across a water sample by hobbyists range fifty ppm on average.


your exact start date / already passed/ was assigned because you completed a fed and boosted cycle using a stack of rocks in water for the entire timeframe of a common cycling chart. none of those fail, it’s how they’ve honed the charts down to agree across all web sites and books from the fifties.

 

[grimreefer001]

Grim here is your exact next step:


cease testing for ammonia and nitrite, you’re done with cycling. Post a pic so we can assess your surface area compared to all other reefs and check for the repeated surface area stacks.


then read the disease forum and select a fish disease prep protocol from Jays forum, because you’re cycled.


if you skip that part, and add fish, they’ll live and act fine. But that will skip a core step in disease prep. Disease in eight months is your test, not a cycling test.


any further adding of bacteria and or testing for ammonia and nitrite is the result of misleading training. Your cycle is done for the degree of rock/surface area that’s sat feeding and stewing for the entire length of a cycling chart. Not day ten, all thirty days. All your params are in control, your test kits are the issue. This thread is now added to page 31 of our false cycle stall collection. It’s not to track Grim’s tank, it’s to track the evolution of cycle umpires and what measurements they require to give a solid, resolved answer. Getting an exact start date vs a maybe is the #1 thing we study in our false cycle stall thread, you‘re way past your start date.

 

[grimreefer001]

Can you also tell me what that white stuff floating in my return filter area is? is that just calcium build up?

 

[grimreefer001]

U can add a hardy fish like a damsel or clown the fish will produce a lil ammonia but if u have tank up for 4 months then add 1 fish and it’s time to start enjoying your tank! Just don’t add a big one or 1+ and wait 2 months til u add the second. Unless u want to throw in clown pair at the start then I would seek advice from more knowledgeable people. But if u have a tank with ammonia introduced and it’s been up for 4 months and u have surface area then you ready for a fish

It has been running for about 44 days.

 

[brandon429]

Grim thank you for posting that.




aquarists tend to copy one another in terms of overall surface area. You have ideal surface area as arches, in the direct center swirl of the main display plus sand surface area. All cycling charts, and digital test owners, see ammonia control within 30 days and all parameters in place by that long, in every fed cycle.


what regulates the # and timing of your initial fish won’t be bioload carry ability, it can carry ten clownfish for example. But behaviorally, and disease-wise that may not be an ideal initial loading.


the point is, a normal bioload you want to begin with can be added the tank is laser clear and perfectly ready, and not rushed.

well done I’m impressed at how it looks even before corals deck it out.