Cycling Help

[Piscean_Introvert]

Hey Everyone,

So it’s Day 9 of using MicroBacter cycling kit, and I’m a little confused about the results. I’ve attached the readings over the 9 days as well as the photos of days results. I don’t want to add any fish or clean up crew if I’m not ready.

Any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated and welcomed.

 

[Oropher]

Good your ammo is going down. Now it's time to add more ammonia, back to 2 ppm then wait until it reaches 0 again. Then add some more ammo back to 2 ppm until within a day ammo reaches back to 0.

Don't bother testing for NO2 and NO3 at the moment. Just concentrate on ammonia.

You can read a reference here:

Cycling an Aquarium

Cycling a new aquarium. One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Good your ammo is going down. Now it's time to add more ammonia, back to 2 ppm then wait until it reaches 0 again. Then add some more ammo back to 2 ppm until within a day ammo reaches back to 0.

Don't bother testing for NO2 and NO3 at the moment. Just concentrate on ammonia.

You can read a reference here:

Cycling an Aquarium

Cycling a new aquarium. One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank...

www.reef2reef.com

Thank you, the kit didn’t mention anything about re-adding ammonia, will this harm anything?

 

[Oropher]

nope.. it will grow more nitrifying bacteria

 

[BlennyTime]

Thank you, the kit didn’t mention anything about re-adding ammonia, will this harm anything?

The point of cycling is to prepare the bacterial filter in the tank to process decomposed fish poop (ammonia) into nitrate. So it will start getting added naturally anyway after you start adding fish. Think of what you are doing now as priming and kicking off the process artificially, to help that bacterial filter get ready for action.

If you add too much, a water change will always bring down the nitrates.

Have fun!!

 

[K7BMG]

No your not ready for livestock yet.
API test shows a good heap of ammonia still.
Just let it be. when the Ammonia test goes to a light cloudy yellow then test the rest.

I have not used the MicroBacter cycling kit, As you stated it does NOT say to keep adding things per the directions. So If not then I would not.
Trust the product you chose and follow its directions.

Most of the time its best to let nature do its thing.
The process takes time, 14-21 days.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Would there be of any benefit of adding any other type of bacteria other than the one provided by Microbacter?

 

[K7BMG]

Would there be of any benefit of adding any other type of bacteria other than the one provided by Microbacter?

IMO no, not in your situation as you are in the middle of your cycle.

If you started out with 2-3-4 various types of bacteria from several manufactures that's a different thing all together.

MicroBacter is good stuff let it do as it was designed.

Most of the time when there are cycling issues it is because we tend to mess with things, when there is no need.
I fell victim to thinking I knew something about adding this and that to make it better, faster more diverse, or something that got into my head when I cycled my first tank.

I created all kinds of problems for myself, and my cycle was having to deal with my influences and darn near crashed before I ever got started and took months to cycle.
I have cycled a few tanks since. Left out my interactions and and no more issue.
The subsequent tank cycles went perfect.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

IMO no, not in your situation as you are in the middle of your cycle.

If you started out with 2-3-4 various types of bacteria from several manufactures that's a different thing all together.

MicroBacter is good stuff let it do as it was designed.

Most of the time when there are cycling issues it is because we tend to mess with things, when there is no need.
I fell victim to thinking I knew something about adding this and that to make it better, faster more diverse, or something that got into my head when I cycled my first tank.

I created all kinds of problems for myself, and my cycle was having to deal with my influences and darn near crashed before I ever got started and took months to cycle.
I have cycled a few tanks since. Left out my interactions and and no more issue.
The subsequent tank cycles went perfect.

Thank you!

 

[tankstudy]

Thank you, the kit didn’t mention anything about re-adding ammonia, will this harm anything?

Do not add anymore ammonia at this time. Wait for your current levels to zero out. Adding to much ammonia on the initial run will inhibit the bacteria from working properly. It's better to go with less initial ammonia and work up once the initial amount of ammonia zeros out. Otherwise, everything based on your 9 days appears to be going smoothly.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Hey everyone these are my results from today, I’m not really seeing and change in ammonia and feels like I’ve made a mistake somewhere along the lines. Any help to a newbie like me would be great appreciated.

My son is getting more anxious about adding a fish then me

 

[tankstudy]

Run a nitrite test.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Nitrites seem to be around 0.25ppm

 

[Cell]

I'd bet it's cycled. Nitrate with no nitrite. 0.25 ammonia on API is well known false positive. I would have liked to see a nitrite reading in the first couple days but ammonia went down and nitrate went up so it was there at some point.

Isn't that kit designed to cycle a tank in like 1 week? Nitrfying bac + ammonia source?

 

[tankstudy]

There is definitely some change if you see 0.25 ppm nitrite. Depending on how much bacteria you actually added, it may take awhile. All bottled bacteria may be stocked with a certain amount of bacteria but the amount that makes it to you alive is always going to vary depending on how it was shipped and stored.

You could add more bacteria if you still have some left.

Cycled. Nitrate with no nitrite. 0.25 ammonia on API is well known false positive. I would have liked to see a nitrite reading in the first couple days but ammonia went down and nitrate went up so it was there at some point.

He has 2.0 ppm ammonia. That'll kill a lot of creatures we keep.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Thanks @Cell I’m just a little concerned that the level of ammonia is around 2ppm, and never got to the cloudy yellow stage. I know the API test is not the best and plan to upgrade to the Red Sea test soon.

I’d hate for my first fish to be the guinea pig, if I’m indeed cycled what percentage water change should I do before adding a fish?

Thanks guys!

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

I'd bet it's cycled. Nitrate with no nitrite. 0.25 ammonia on API is well known false positive. I would have liked to see a nitrite reading in the first couple days but ammonia went down and nitrate went up so it was there at some point.

Isn't that kit designed to cycle a tank in like 1 week? Nitrfying bac + ammonia source?

Yes they said about 7-12 days and I’m on day 14

 

[tankstudy]

Yes they said about 7-12 days and I’m on day 14

It's 7-12 days if you have sufficient bacteria. If the population isn't there to begin with, it'll take much longer. Your previous and current numbers are indicating a lack of bacteria and a 0.25 ppm nitrite means your under the inhibition levels. Your data suggests you don't have a ton of bacteria yet. Your bacteria are indeed present but not in sufficient numbers. You can wait for those bacteria to ramp up or you could add more bacterial product. Keep in mind that even at optimal levels, these bacteria divide about once a day, nothing like other bacteria which divide every couple or so minutes, meaning if you choose the sit and wait route, it's going to be much longer before your cycled, like possibly a few more weeks depending on how much bacteria you actually have.

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Would you suggest adding more bacteria, and if so what would you suggest and how much. I have a 55 gallon tank with a canister filter?

 

[tankstudy]

Would you suggest adding more bacteria, and if so what would you suggest and how much. I have a 55 gallon tank with a canister filter?

I would start with adding 2 times the recommended dosage. Considering you started with the recommended dosage and your only seeing 0.25 ppm nitrite after nearly 14 days.