Aquarium Will Not Cycle

[Tamberav]

Tank is definitely cycled after that much stuff and time.

I would explore other avenues.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at

 

[C12]

Im not 100% sure on this. How would I check this?

If you don't have a voltage tester, a lot of times you can just tell if you put your hand in the tank, it feels off. It's hard to explain, but you will almost feel a tingle in your hand. I've had this happen to me many times, and lost more fish than I can count. Now I run grounding probes in my tanks, they are like $10 on amazon and work great. Now, if you have a voltage tester, generally, any readings above 0.5 should be a concern. Hope this helps!

 

[cillam]

Im not 100% sure on this. How would I check this?

Use a multimeter stick the black probe in the earth hole in and electrical outlet stick the red probe in the tank, set the multimeter to AC. You should see 0. Their are also guides online.

 

[Dburr1014]

I have a 12 Gallon Bookshelf aquarium with a 3 gallon refugium full of chaeto. Tank has been running for months. Ive dosed ammonia, added media and rock, from other established aquariums, and probably used 4 500mL bottles of Microbacter bacteria. My nitrates in the tank are high, but no matter what, the tank is always perpetually sitting at 0.25ppm of ammonia. It is absolutely ridiculous, and I just lost expensive stock because of this. The refugium has all of the used MarinePure, and the rock is in the tank. The refugium has chaeto with two lights that run at night. The flow is slow on this, and there are two nano HOBs on each side of the tank as well. Ive been trying to dose prime to protect livestock as well as doing water changes. The tank is sitting at 40ppm nitrates. There is bacteria enough for that many nitrates, but the ammonia will never go below 0.25. I have 8 saltwater aquariums set up, and this is the only tank I have ever struggled with cycling. Does anyone know what I can do? Im losing my mind over this.

Your title statement is physically not possible. Bacteria will always find a way into a system.

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Your title statement is physically not possible. Bacteria will always find a way into a system.

Then read the rest of my post instead?

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Is there a possibility of lack of oxygenation being the cause of my issue? The flow is low in that tank, and the two HOBs while they are a bit higher up, they don’t do much for breaking the surface tension. I decided to take the HOB skimmer off my clownfish tank, and put it on this system instead, and it has been doing WORK.

 

[Dburr1014]

Then read the rest of my post instead?

Don't have to. Your cycled. 40 ppm nitrates is cycled.
Break surface, add a fish.

Happy reefing.

 

[Cole_Voeller]

Don't have to. Your cycled. 40 ppm nitrates is cycled.
Break surface, add a fish.

Happy reefing.

Several fish have already died. I wouldn’t have posted about this if I didn’t believe there was an issue.

 

[Fish Fan]

Actually, I wonder if adding chemicals could impact the cycle and prevent nature from taking its course?

Whatever, it is a bummer about livestock being lost in this system.

I agree, adding Prime is counterproductive to building the bacteria that naturally process ammonia. Though as mentioned it’s my go-to decorinatir for freshwater tanks.

I would argue that is certainly an overdose. It doesn’t just disappear overnight. You are raising the concentration every day you add it until you do a water change. Also, if you take a look at that thread, you will see that prime and other products that claim to remove ammonia are essentially snake oil. They don’t do squat. They are effective for dechlorination though.

And this. I think you are adding way too much Prime.

I would suggest that you stop using the Prime, do a good water change, and monitor ammonia with a more reliable test kit or bring it to a store with good quality water testing, as previously mentioned.

There’s typically no way you could stop a tank from cycling over several months. I believe it has to be the Prime affecting your system, or, does excess Prime show as ammonia on a test? Just a thought.

Good luck with your system!

 

[brandon429]

if panacur pre treatment is skipped (for reef materials to be transferred into h zosterae tank) hydroids will enter and this is lethal, thats a possibility here depending on variables.

agreed this is cycled due to materials present plus time in state. post a pic of the setup to show it's surface area as well. u need to panacur prep your surfaces if you are keeping true dwarves. hydroids are inextricably linked to anything transmitted among reef tanks, such as macroalgae, rocks, decor, other animals, corals, anything wet from a pet store saltwater section has hydroids if it wasn't panacured.

 

[Charles Zinn]

I have a 12 Gallon Bookshelf aquarium with a 3 gallon refugium full of chaeto. Tank has been running for months. Ive dosed ammonia, added media and rock, from other established aquariums, and probably used 4 500mL bottles of Microbacter bacteria. My nitrates in the tank are high, but no matter what, the tank is always perpetually sitting at 0.25ppm of ammonia. It is absolutely ridiculous, and I just lost expensive stock because of this. The refugium has all of the used MarinePure, and the rock is in the tank. The refugium has chaeto with two lights that run at night. The flow is slow on this, and there are two nano HOBs on each side of the tank as well. Ive been trying to dose prime to protect livestock as well as doing water changes. The tank is sitting at 40ppm nitrates. There is bacteria enough for that many nitrates, but the ammonia will never go below 0.25. I have 8 saltwater aquariums set up, and this is the only tank I have ever struggled with cycling. Does anyone know what I can do? Im losing my mind over this.

Have a little patience. Go Slower, tank can't hit equilibrium if you are always doodling with it. practice good husbandry. Could be too much stuff added to tank dying off.