Ammonia?

ajwalker261985 · Jun 3, 2013

How long is it after starting a new tank that ammonia and nitrite should spike? I'm a week into it and plenty of brown algae growth but no sign of ammonia or nitrite yet??

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mike007 · Jun 3, 2013

Hard to say it really depends on what you are using to cycle. If you are using live rock it will depend on how much die off you get from it. Some cured rock has very little die off and you may not get a spike. Just keep a eye on it for a few weeks before adding anything.

ajwalker261985 · Jun 3, 2013

Yeah it is cured live rock I have,tgere has been a tiny increase in ammonia from a week ago,I'm asking because I'm using test strips for ammonia and I'm not sure just how accurate they are? Thanks anyway.

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ajwalker261985 · Jun 3, 2013

I won't be adding anything until iv done at least a 4 week cycle anyway then I will add stock after that if readings are zero.

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SeahorseKeeper · Jun 3, 2013

I would ghost feed the tank a pinch or two of food and monitor the readings. If there is a spike, then the tank is not quite ready.

ajwalker261985 · Jun 3, 2013

I won't do that just yet because I'm leaving the tank 3 more weeks anyway,if still no change when I test next week ill take a sample to my lfs.thanjs anyway mate.

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glb · Jun 3, 2013

I wouldn't use test strips. They're not very accurate and you need precision in readings before you add livestock. API makes a marine test kit that has ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph. Red Sea tests are good for magnesium and calcium. API makes a KH test that IMO is easier to read than other alkalinity tests. Good luck!

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12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

Mike J. · Jun 3, 2013

Something you may or may not know - if denitrifying bacteria have nothing to eat they will die. Example - say you put in a whole large shrimp to get the cycle going, the bacteria that is produced by that will be enormous, enough to start stocking any fish. Then say you don't feed the tank for a month after that, you won't have a cycle established because the denitrifying bacteria reduced in population due to no food. That, put in very simple terms, is why everyone says, "go slow, wait another month to put in another fish". There will only be enough bacterial to support the bio-load that is established. I hope that makes sense.

ReeferBob · Jun 4, 2013

Mike J is correct and also the reason why you should "ghost" feed the tank if it has no fish in it. You are feeding the bacteria. This is also why you do not add a lot of stock at once. Add fish 1 or 2 at a time to allow the bacteria colonies to increase to absorb the increased bioload. Wait 2-3 weeks between new fish.

Also test strips are fine for testing ammonia. Ammonia is really "it's there or it's not". The strips are accurate enough for that.