Cycle week 3 Question!:)

[Mity Sergio]

Hello everyone! I’m currently going on my 3rd week of cycling my tank I just wanted to reach out and see if these are normal parameters for going on the 3rd week of cycling! Thanks for the help!

Ammonia 4.0 ppm
Nitrites 0.25 ppm

 

[fishski13]

Not sure if this is normal in amount as this all depends on how you started it.

If you are keeping track of all the values of ammonia and nitrite, since you have nitrite right now, you should see a decrease in ammonia and a sharp spike in nitrite. In my experience the nitrite phase takes a couple days to get through.

 

[Mity Sergio]

The only thing I have done to the tank is add MicroBacter7, seachem stability along with ghost feeding but I’ve been stuck at this 4.0 ppm of ammonia for a few days now without seeing any surge really in my nitrites it has been these same results for about 4 days now so I was just curious if I should change something or just wait it out! But I appreciate you’re help thus far!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

4.0 ammonia does not seem normal. Did you add any ammonia source other than the fish food?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

And much more important than your nitrITE level, what are your nitrATES?

 

[Aluco]

What type of test kit? Could it be bad readings?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

What type of test kit? Could it be bad readings?

That was going to be my next question

 

[Mity Sergio]

Thank you guys so much! I have been dozing everyday seachem satiability and used about the whole bottle of MicroBacter7! I am currently using the API Saltwater Test Kit 550 Test one!

 

[Mity Sergio]

Dosing*

 

[Mity Sergio]

I’ll test my Nitrates now!

 

[Mity Sergio]

The Ammonia and Nitrite test was from a few hours ago but the Nitrate test I just did!

 

[Mity Sergio]

Looks like the 10-20 range to me kinda hard to tell though!

 

[Aluco]

The only thing I have done to the tank is add MicroBacter7, seachem stability along with ghost feeding but I’ve been stuck at this 4.0 ppm of ammonia for a few days now without seeing any surge really in my nitrites it has been these same results for about 4 days now so I was just curious if I should change something or just wait it out! But I appreciate you’re help thus far!

How big is your tank? What's in it? (Dry rock, live rock, sand etc?) How much rock? What food are you feeding the tank and how much?

For reference with my tank I used 35lbs established live rock from tanks from a local shop. I used Dr Timms along with liquid ammonia and my ammonia would be gone in 24 hrs less than 2 weeks into cycling. But if you used dry rock it may just be taking longer.

Also may be worth it to get different testing equipment but even so you definitely still have ammonia thus are still cycling.

 

[Mity Sergio]

My tank is a fluval 15 gallon tank! I used Carib sea live sand, along with live rock but it came packaged dry! I’d say I have a solid 10-15 pounds of rock!

 

[Mity Sergio]

I’ve just been using marine pellets and I’ve thrown in 1-2 every other day or so but not often enough to where I feel like the ammonia would be as high as it is

 

[Mity Sergio]

How big is your tank? What's in it? (Dry rock, live rock, sand etc?) How much rock? What food are you feeding the tank and how much?

For reference with my tank I used 35lbs established live rock from tanks from a local shop. I used Dr Timms along with liquid ammonia and my ammonia would be gone in 24 hrs less than 2 weeks into cycling. But if you used dry rock it may just be taking longer.

Also may be worth it to get different testing equipment but even so you definitely still have ammonia thus are still cycling.

Should I wait it out a few more weeks? Or maybe buy different live bacteria such as doctor tims!?

 

[Aluco]

Should I wait it out a few more weeks? Or maybe buy different live bacteria such as doctor tims!?

I can only speak to my experience there are others that can more precisely direct you here. But if you are using dry rock I would wait it out for sure, I personally wouldn't add anything else to it just yet. Nature tends to work itself out in this hobby and when we try and force it things tend to go bad. But I'm sure better advice is on its way so don't worry too much

Edit: you can always take a sample of your water to your local shop and have them test and compare with your results. At least then you will know for sure where your water stands (and your testing equiptment)

 

[Justdrew]

I wouldn’t test for nitrates until nitrite is gone. Nitrites can give false reading on nitrate tests.

 

[Mity Sergio]

I can only speak to my experience there are others that can more precisely direct you here. But if you are using dry rock I would wait it out for sure, I personally wouldn't add anything else to it just yet. Nature tends to work itself out in this hobby and when we try and force it things tend to go bad. But I'm sure better advice is on its way so don't worry too much

Edit: you can always take a sample of your water to your local shop and have them test and compare with your results. At least then you will know for sure where your water stands (and your testing equiptment)

Yes for sure! I’ll probably just wait it out another week or two and hopefully the ammonia starts to go down! Probably just a slow cycle