thoughts on next step that should be taken?

[reef tank 2.0]

I was going to continue on the thread I started a little while back on my cycle process, but I feel a lot of the details would have been skipped.
so I will summarize everything here, and get suggestions on how much longer I wait, or what I should do at this point.

34 days ago, I started the cycling process with dry rock, dry sand, and raw shrimp. About 2 weeks into that process, the shrimp started to deteriorate, so I removed it.
I was testing my ammonia up to this point, and a few days after. Wasn't getting any readings whatsoever (Ammonia).

I then decided to add Fishless fuel. After dosing per instructions, I couldn't get the ammonia up to 2.0. Few days after, I decided to dose more of the fishless fuel per the instructions, in order to get it up to 2.0ppm. I never hit the 2.0, but rather 1.5. My salifert test kits at this point, were hitting the 1.5ppm mark. (water was orange-ish)

I let it go for awhile, but continued to test. Took the water to the LFS, and they were getting the same readings as well.

Since day 30 or so, I swear my ammonia is near zero, water is white/cloudy. Testing the nitrites, its around 3-4ppm. that hasn't changed much.
Tested today, day 34, and same results.

I really don't want to add any live stock to this tank until I know FOR SURE that the cycle is completed. I thought about doing a 40-50 gallon water change, but I don;t know what that would do for me, if anything. Don't want to waste water if I don't need to.

so any opinions / suggestions on my next step?

 

[The_Paradox]

Add ammonia again and check to make sure it goes down. If it does you’re good to go.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would not focus on the nitrite.

What organisms would you add if it were not there?

 

[reef tank 2.0]

well, at this moment, nitrites are all I am able to pick up when testing.
a couple weeks ago, when I took my water to the LFS, their ammonia test results read 2.0. when I tested the water on my end I was getting white / cloudy. I could not tell if I was getting any ammonia reading at all. So I went with the nitrites. at least that was purple. as it is now.

I assume your questions was directed towards me, but, what do you mean by that?
"What organisms would you add if it were not there?"

I added what I had left of fishless fuel last night, but there wasn't enough to get it up to the 2.0 that I'd hoped, I only had half the dose. I will need to get another bottle tomorrow to track the results.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

ignore this post

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I assume your questions was directed towards me, but, what do you mean by that?
"What organisms would you add if it were not there?"

I mean exactly that. If you saw no nitrite and thought cycling was done, what would you add? I'm close to saying just add it, but if it is something very expensive or especially sensitive or special to you for other reasons, I'd wait primarily out of concern of whether ammonia capacity is present adequate.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

ahhh, you meant livestock......I didn't want to assume.

definitely not adding nothing crazy. 2 clowns, a starry blenny, and maybe one other fish. But those will be in my QT tank first. so I do have time. BUT, those will be the first residents.

I have a 29 gallon QT, so not sure how many fish I can add there at one time, but that's a whole nother conversation .

 

[Reign1]

I mean exactly that. If you saw no nitrite and thought cycling was done, what would you add? I'm close to saying just add it, but if it is something very expensive or especially sensitive or special to you for other reasons, I'd wait primarily out of concern of whether ammonia capacity is present adequate.

I tend to agree. Unless you plan to add a huge amount of fish or sensitive stock I just dont see fixating on fishless cyle and their parameters. From the build photos you look like you have a very decent amount of water volume. Only issue I could see if you fed heavily/irresponsibly. What you are adding to tank is much than livestock would produce.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

if I were to do a 40-50 gallon water change, would that help anything, or would it be a waste of time / money?
obviously I would test the water for ammonia, trites, and trates.....but what could I expect to happen if I did this? if anything

I understand what you are all leaning towards, but I'm trying to get a better feeling at where my tank is currently at. I like 0's when it comes to test results. I have dealt with high nitrates in the past, so I can work with that. the ammonia and nitrites are what I don't want to see any of.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

the partial dose of fishless fuel that I added yesterday, did nothing. I will buy another bottle and dose, in hopes of getting it to 2.0ppm.

I know when I first did this a few weeks ago, it took double the amount required but it did get close to 2.0ppm.

we'll see how it goes this time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally see no reason for a large water change, bit it won't hurt anything either.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

with me adding more ammonia into this tank to try and determine if the cycle has completed..........at what point does adding all this extra ammonia cause harm to the tank? i will be on my second bottle of fishless fuel tonight. adding all this ammonia concerns me. but nothing a water change can't fix. but i haven't done that yet.

I will be adding more ammonia tonight, hoping to get it up to 2ppm.

im still waiting for these nitrites to level out at 0, but after last nights test, im still at 4ppm. Unless it hit 0 a long time ago, but i never saw it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You should only add ammonia twice, IMO. I don't think there's harm in doing more, but also no benefit.

I see no reason to wait on nitrite.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

thanks for chiming in.
i'll dose the ammonia, and see what happens.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

amount of fishless fuel recommended for my tank is 6tsp in order to get it to 2ppm. I decided to go with 8tsp for good measure......... I dosed that last night. 24 hours later (tonight), the salifert reading is still cloudy / white (0ppm?) I will test again tomorrow and then on Friday hoping for an orange color of some sort. I'll report back each time

 

[reef tank 2.0]

day two - still at 0ppm
my total volume is about 150 gallons. which requires 6tsp of fishless fuel. I added 8 as I mentioned above......
do I dump what's left of this bottle in hopes I get to the 2ppm that is needed?

the struggle is real

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don’t know anything about fishless fuel.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

I can only assume at this point, that I need to start the cycle process over by using the ammonium chloride followed by the one and only nitrifying bacteria?

just to get this tank cycled or at least to a point I can feel comfortable about the state that it's in?

 

[ScottJ]

amount of fishless fuel recommended for my tank is 6tsp in order to get it to 2ppm. I decided to go with 8tsp for good measure......... I dosed that last night. 24 hours later (tonight), the salifert reading is still cloudy / white (0ppm?) I will test again tomorrow and then on Friday hoping for an orange color of some sort. I'll report back each time

You dosed ammonia, then 24 hours later, ammonia was testing 0ppm, correct? That means the tank processed the ammonia, ie, cycled!

 

[reef tank 2.0]

yes, but that reading is not making me feel all warm and fuzzy. I know @Randy Holmes-Farley mentioned to not focus on nitrites so much, but I haven't once seen them fall to 0ppm. when I test ammonia, I see cloudy white. when I took the water sample to the LFS, they get an ammonia reading of 2ppm. I don't know who to believe. my salifert, or their API test kits.

I don't know if I truly have 0ppm of ammonia.