ATM colony cycle

[Alexmcm81]

Hi All.
Looking for some advice. So, I’ve recently set up a new 200 litre tank using atm colony. Tested everyday and all was good. Suddenly have readings of low ammonia, relatively high nitrites and high nitrates. Nitrites and nitrates were reading really low previously as was ammonia. Also have a pretty decent diatom bloom. Have only lightly fed since the start up. No live rock or live sand. Have 2 clownys, very small regal tang, very small coral beauty, some nassarius snails and a hermit crab. After researching the life out of it I was under the impression I would only be reading nitrates by now. Using salifert kits for testing

 

[keatonmjenkins]

Adding all that live stock to a new cycle tank with no live rock for biological filtration makes sense why you have ammonia and high nitrite. Live rock and sand is a huge biological filter.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Hi All.
Looking for some advice. So, I’ve recently set up a new 200 litre tank using atm colony. Tested everyday and all was good. Suddenly have readings of low ammonia, relatively high nitrites and high nitrates. Nitrites and nitrates were reading really low previously as was ammonia. Also have a pretty decent diatom bloom. Have only lightly fed since the start up. No live rock or live sand. Have 2 clownys, very small regal tang, very small coral beauty, some nassarius snails and a hermit crab. After researching the life out of it I was under the impression I would only be reading nitrates by now. Using salifert kits for testing

That would be a normal condition for a tank that is cycling. You have exited the ammonia (toxic) portion of the cycle and are now watching for nitrites (not toxic) to fall. Don't test for nitrates until nitrites read 0. The test kit is affected by nitrites and will not report the nitrate level correctly.

Diatoms are normal. You can wipe them off or just wait for them to disappear.

 

[Alexmcm81]

That would be a normal condition for a tank that is cycling. You have exited the ammonia (toxic) portion of the cycle and are now watching for nitrites (not toxic) to fall. Don't test for nitrates until nitrites read 0. The test kit is affected by nitrites and will not report the nitrate level correctly.

Diatoms are normal. You can wipe them off or just wait for them to disappear.

That was my understanding. After reading low nitrites for well over a week I was surprised to see them rise at this stage. They were at the low stage last Friday but rose a lot over the weekend. When should I expect these to convert to nitrates?

 

[LordofCinder]

how recently did you set up the tank? Thats a lot of livestock for a new tank. 200 litres is 50 gallons, its not that big.

Rock is very important, it the provides surface area for nitrifying bacteria to reproduce, the more rock you have the stronger the biofilter will be. Do you have any bio media in your tank?

 

[Uncle99]

No rock or sand?

 

[ReefGeezer]

That was my understanding. After reading low nitrites for well over a week I was surprised to see them rise at this stage. They were at the low stage last Friday but rose a lot over the weekend. When should I expect these to convert to nitrates?

It varies, but generally it is a little slower than the ammonia portion of the cycle. But... it really doesn't have much impact on the tank. Nitrite is not very toxic at the levels you will have. All you need to do is slow down and wait it out. You do have quite a few fish in a relatively new tank, so it may take just a little longer. I'd opt for the patience route here and not add anything else until the nitrite is gone and you have done a small water change.

 

[Alexmcm81]

It varies, but generally it is a little slower than the ammonia portion of the cycle. But... it really doesn't have much impact on the tank. Nitrite is not very toxic at the levels you will have. All you need to do is slow down and wait it out. You do have quite a few fish in a relatively new tank, so it may take just a little longer. I'd opt for the patience route here and not add anything else until the nitrite is gone and you have done a small water change.

That was the plan. As I said, the fish are all juvenile and very small. I should have added, after I had added the colony then the fish the ammonia and nitrite had sat at or close to zero for over a week. That’s why I’m confused about the ammonia slightly rising now. I thought after watching countless videos on ATM colony my ammonia would have risen and then dropped after a few days followed by nitrites. It’s almost as if what I expected to happen the first few days is happening now. I wasn’t going to carry out a water change until the ammonia and nitrites were zero. Also the fact I have a big diatom bloom is confusing me with regards to my cycle stage

 

[Alexmcm81]

No rock or sand?

Java reef rock and coral sand. No live rock or live sand

 

[Alexmcm81]

how recently did you set up the tank? Thats a lot of livestock for a new tank. 200 litres is 50 gallons, its not that big.

Rock is very important, it the provides surface area for nitrifying bacteria to reproduce, the more rock you have the stronger the biofilter will be. Do you have any bio media in your tank?

I have 20kg of coral sand and between 10-15kg of dry Java reef rock. I’m running a canister filter (fluval fx4). Went with a bigger canister for size of tank for water condition purposes

 

[keatonmjenkins]

That was the plan. As I said, the fish are all juvenile and very small. I should have added, after I had added the colony then the fish the ammonia and nitrite had sat at or close to zero for over a week. That’s why I’m confused about the ammonia slightly rising now. I thought after watching countless videos on ATM colony my ammonia would have risen and then dropped after a few days followed by nitrites. It’s almost as if what I expected to happen the first few days is happening now. I wasn’t going to carry out a water change until the ammonia and nitrites were zero. Also the fact I have a big diatom bloom is confusing me with regards to my cycle stage

Your ammonia is going up because you added to many fish to a system that has no biological filtration. You’re possibly going to have other problems when you add dry rock later to a tank that has poor biological filtration and fish keep adding to ammonia.

 

[Alexmcm81]

Your ammonia is going up because you added to many fish to a system that has no biological filtration. You’re possibly going to have other problems when you add dry rock later to a tank that has poor biological filtration and fish keep adding to ammonia.

I have rock and coral sand in the tank. They were added before I added colony to the tank. Before I added the colony I turned off my wave maker and filter for 15 minutes to allow the bacteria to settle

 

[keatonmjenkins]

I have rock and coral sand in the tank. They were added before I added colony to the tank. Before I added the colony I turned off my wave maker and filter for 15 minutes to allow the bacteria to settle

Ahh okay at first I thought you said you had no live rock or sand and added it and the fish.

 

[Alexmcm81]

Ahh okay at first I thought you said you had no live rock or sand and added it and the fish.

No live rock or sand but Java reef rock and coral sand. Plenty of surface for bacteria to settle. Both are absolutely loaded with diatoms (ugly stage)

 

[Alexmcm81]

That would be a normal condition for a tank that is cycling. You have exited the ammonia (toxic) portion of the cycle and are now watching for nitrites (not toxic) to fall. Don't test for nitrates until nitrites read 0. The test kit is affected by nitrites and will not report the nitrate level correctly.

Diatoms are normal. You can wipe them off or just wait for them to disappear.

After doing some more research I think I have a problem. It looks like what I thought were diatoms could actually be Dino. If so what can I do to solve this. Lights on 8 hours a day with whites at 20%. Will a total blackout solve this?

 

[Alexmcm81]

It varies, but generally it is a little slower than the ammonia portion of the cycle. But... it really doesn't have much impact on the tank. Nitrite is not very toxic at the levels you will have. All you need to do is slow down and wait it out. You do have quite a few fish in a relatively new tank, so it may take just a little longer. I'd opt for the patience route here and not add anything else until the nitrite is gone and you have done a small water change.

Quick update. Ammonia looks to have went down since yesterday. Nitrites still high though. Used a test strip also which is showing low PH. But then it’s also showing no nitrites and nitrates. Should I trust the salifert kits more than test strips?

 

[ReefGeezer]

Quick update. Ammonia looks to have went down since yesterday. Nitrites still high though. Used a test strip also which is showing low PH. But then it’s also showing no nitrites and nitrates. Should I trust the salifert kits more than test strips?

Salifert kits that are within their expiration date (top of box) are much more accurate.

 

[brandon429]

Alex I have some help for you

notice how your animals have been fine since the day you added them

that's not going to change. fish disease becomes a challenge in the next few months, but that's independent from cycling.


if you put away your cycling kits for ammonia and nitrite, and never run them on this tank again not ever, your ability to carry fish is the exact same as if you tediously test and post about the levels. You are already reefing

suggestion: stop testing for ammonia and nitrite in this tank permanently , only how your animals behave (fine, since day one, bc colony is good bac) matters and that's not going to change in the coming days. you did a common, x100000 posts in the internet, fish + bottle bac cycle and if they were ever harmed or burned you wouldnt be able to tell us they acted normally for a while now, exactly as the bottle promised to do.

be cleaning your diatom growths, permit no invasion. when you read posts about algae takeovers, thats from folks who allowed it, they sat back and watched the takeover happen. don't opt for that, begin cleaning now while it's easy practice.

be reading about fish disease prevention, when you get your first fish loss, don't revert to testing cycle params we said never have to be tested again

 

[Alexmcm81]

Alex I have some help for you

notice how your animals have been fine since the day you added them

that's not going to change. fish disease becomes a challenge in the next few months, but that's independent from cycling.


if you put away your cycling kits for ammonia and nitrite, and never run them on this tank again not ever, your ability to carry fish is the exact same as if you tediously test and post about the levels. You are already reefing

suggestion: stop testing for ammonia and nitrite in this tank permanently , only how your animals behave (fine, since day one, bc colony is good bac) matters and that's not going to change in the coming days. you did a common, x100000 posts in the internet, fish + bottle bac cycle and if they were ever harmed or burned you wouldnt be able to tell us they acted normally for a while now, exactly as the bottle promised to do.

be cleaning your diatom growths, permit no invasion. when you read posts about algae takeovers, thats from folks who allowed it, they sat back and watched the takeover happen. don't opt for that, begin cleaning now while it's easy practice.

be reading about fish disease prevention, when you get your first fish loss, don't revert to testing cycle params we said never have to be tested again

Thanks for the advice. Can I ask your opinion on what I am dealing with here (diatoms or dinos)?

 

[Uncle99]

Does that lift off the rock and sand when lights out, and magically reappear when lights on?

Or does it stay put?

Still can’t find tank age in the posts, can you post that again?