Red Sea Mature kit day 10, numbers way off, don't know what to do!

[citymouse]

I'm using the red sea mature kit to cycle my 215g tank, I've been adding everything exactly as instructed every day. It's Day 10, Ammonia and Nitrites are supposed to be 0, nitrates 10. My ammonia is 25, nitrites .50 and nitrates 40! I don't know what to do, I'm supposed to add everything again today, it's a big day, I've already added my cleaning crew (I know, I should have tested first) but everything has been going smoothly until now.
The kit gives no instructions on what to do if the numbers aren't as expected, it just moves on through the steps assuming nothing can go wrong, no help at all. I have searched the internet for help but found nothing.

I don't want to skip the day's instructions but I also don't want to add to the problem, Can anyone help?

I'm not using live rock, I started with dry rock, I don't have a skimmer yet.

Ph is 8.06. Salinity 1.025, water temp 80 Not sure if any of this info is needed.

 

[citymouse]

Should I remove the snails and hermit crabs?

Also, The last time I checked my ammonia etc. was 3 days ago as instructed. Ammonia was 0, nitrites were 0 and nitrates 20, but amm. should have been approx .25 and nitrites 0.05, I figured it wasn't a big deal that they were off a little.

 

[Jayp5117]

If you have a place to put your cuc until the tank is done cycling it would be best. Or you will have snail bombs adding to your levels. I'd start by getting a skimmer and do a water change and give the tank a little more time to do it's thing. And if you know anyone with a some filter media or a piece of good live rock you could borrow it would help get your filtration going. I have zero patience and it's hard for me to say this but time is the only thing that can really help.

 

[Water Dog]

How big of a clean up crew did you add? Are you sure that all of your snails are alive? I’m guessing that adding life prior to completion of the cycle is adding the excess ammonia readings, as the system can’t process it yet, especially if you have a dead snail in there.

 

[Rottinggore]

You need a skimmer to use the nopox

 

[Water Dog]

You need a skimmer to use the nopox

The OP isn’t carbon dosing with Nopox... he’s using the Red Sea Mature initial tank cycling kit.

 

[citymouse]

How big of a clean up crew did you add? Are you sure that all of your snails are alive? I’m guessing that adding life prior to completion of the cycle is adding the excess ammonia readings, as the system can’t process it yet, especially if you have a dead snail in there.

Adding the cleaners is part of step 10, but I have a tiny crew, barely enough to affect anything. I have a 75g tank that I'm switching over from, so I had some in there and just threw them in the new tank a few hours before it was time to add more red sea products, I doubt they made any of the levels change very much.

 

[Jayp5117]

The OP isn’t carbon dosing with Nopox... he’s using the Red Sea Mature initial tank cycling kit.

The red sea mature kit has nopox with it and yea if he isn't skimming while using that it could defiantly screw up his cycle and is going to end up with a bacteria bloom in the tank

 

[citymouse]

If you have a place to put your cuc until the tank is done cycling it would be best. Or you will have snail bombs adding to your levels. I'd start by getting a skimmer and do a water change and give the tank a little more time to do it's thing. And if you know anyone with a some filter media or a piece of good live rock you could borrow it would help get your filtration going. I have zero patience and it's hard for me to say this but time is the only thing that can really help.

I'm actually looking at skimmers now, I was told they weren't required and I waited because of expense, this tank has been one step at a time for months, talk about having to have patience, lol. My cuc is tiny, it was part of step 10 to add them, but I didn't have many. The kit also tells you when to do water changes, but it's looking like I can't wait a couple more days..however, I do have to mix the salt, so it's going to be at least a day before it's even tank ready. I have live rock in my current tank but I won't add it because it's covered in hair algae, I purposely avoiding using it, that's why I bought all new rock and dry rock was cheaper.

 

[citymouse]

The red sea mature kit has nopox with it and yea if he isn't skimming while using that it could defiantly screw up his cycle and is going to end up with a bacteria bloom in the tank

I assume the Nopox is the No3 Po3 solution? I'm looking at skimmers now, also not an easy thing to figure out.

 

[Jayp5117]

I'm actually looking at skimmers now, I was told they weren't required and I waited because of expense, this tank has been one step at a time for months, talk about having to have patience, lol. My cuc is tiny, it was part of step 10 to add them, but I didn't have many. The kit also tells you when to do water changes, but it's looking like I can't wait a couple more days..however, I do have to mix the salt, so it's going to be at least a day before it's even tank ready. I have live rock in my current tank but I won't add it because it's covered in hair algae, I purposely avoiding using it, that's why I bought all new rock and dry rock was cheaper.

I mix my salt and use it pretty much right away, just let it sit until it's nice and clear. I use Fritz salt and it mixes really good.

 

[Jayp5117]

I assume the Nopox is the No3 Po3 solution? I'm looking at skimmers now, also not an easy thing to figure out.

Yes that's the stuff it needs a skimmer or you will end up with a nasty bacteria bloom once you start skimming it will help out alot

 

[citymouse]

The OP isn’t carbon dosing with Nopox... he’s using the Red Sea Mature initial tank cycling kit.

The kit has Po3 No3-X (not sure if this is the same thing), Bacto start, Nitro bac and KH Coroline gro. I'm a she

 

[citymouse]

I mix my salt and use it pretty much right away, just let it sit until it's nice and clear. I use Fritz salt and it mixes really good.

I use Instant Ocean, it seems to take some time but I also have to heat it because the RODI water is in the garage and it's been cold. I used to mix it in 5g buckets for the smaller tank and QT a day or 2 in advance, now I mix it in 20g brute barrels, but I do have a pump to move the water now and heaters.

 

[citymouse]

BTW, despite having a saltwater tank for the last 7 or 8 years, this is my first time using a sump. So this is new to me too and cycling this way is new to me...I feel like I don't know what I'm doing all over again!

 

[smokin'reefer]

Fwiw, I started my tank using the Mature kit and also noticed everything off a bit. I still barreled thru it and added fish just a few days later than called for. Everything turned out fine for me.
Try adding pods also. They help things cycle and are a great welcome home snack for your fish.

I know others will disagree but my limited experience says not to sweat the small stuff.

 

[DLHDesign]

BTW, despite having a saltwater tank for the last 7 or 8 years, this is my first time using a sump. So this is new to me too and cycling this way is new to me...I feel like I don't know what I'm doing all over again!

Isn't learning "fun"?!? ;-)

I'd say that you'll want to delay the next major step. The kit you are using (I used it myself) makes general assumptions - such as that the tank has live rock in it. Since you do not have live rock, things will take more time to develop as the food source is lower. The lack of a skimmer will also slow things down some.
Note that the KH-Coralline Gro formula included with the kit does not include corralline algae in in; just the supplements that help it grow. The expectation is that the algae will exist on the live rocks in the tank. You may want to think about adding a live rock or two into the tank as a "seed" (which you could remove once the algae shows up on the dry rocks you have). (Note that I assume by "dry rock", you don't mean "dry live rock" - in the case of the latter, you'll be fine without any seed rocks.)

Also, just to check - how many kits are you using? Each kit is scaled for 25gal, so I would expect you to be using 8 or 9 kits?

 

[Rottinggore]

The first time I used this kit to cycle a tank I didn't have a skimmer yet and had the same exact problem as you. I luckily had nothing in the tank yet and just did a lot of water changes over the week to get to normal. Ive used it two more times since with a skimmer from day 1 and it has gone smoothly. It also will tank longer with dry rock.

 

[citymouse]

Isn't learning "fun"?!? ;-)

I'd say that you'll want to delay the next major step. The kit you are using (I used it myself) makes general assumptions - such as that the tank has live rock in it. Since you do not have live rock, things will take more time to develop as the food source is lower. The lack of a skimmer will also slow things down some.
Note that the KH-Coralline Gro formula included with the kit does not include corralline algae in in; just the supplements that help it grow. The expectation is that the algae will exist on the live rocks in the tank. You may want to think about adding a live rock or two into the tank as a "seed" (which you could remove once the algae shows up on the dry rocks you have). (Note that I assume by "dry rock", you don't mean "dry live rock" - in the case of the latter, you'll be fine without any seed rocks.)

Also, just to check - how many kits are you using? Each kit is scaled for 25gal, so I would expect you to be using 8 or 9 kits?

Is there any other way to boost the growth of Coralline? I have live rock in my current tank but I also have a hair algae problem and I don't want to introduce anything from that tank, into my new tank (other than the fish one day). Yes, it's Florida reef rock, dry. I'm shopping for Skimmers right now, reading reviews etc. I like Deltec for easy cleaning, but Tunze is looking good too, I'll be buying one by this evening. The kits are for 65g, so I bought 4 of them.

Setting up this tank has been one issue after another, from plumbing leaks to this..I wish I hired someone to come in and just get it all set up for me months ago, making it fish ready!

 

[citymouse]

The first time I used this kit to cycle a tank I didn't have a skimmer yet and had the same exact problem as you. I luckily had nothing in the tank yet and just did a lot of water changes over the week to get to normal. Ive used it two more times since with a skimmer from day 1 and it has gone smoothly. It also will tank longer with dry rock.

I can take the crabs and snails out and put them back in my 75g tank if needed. I'm buying a skimmer by end of day!