Another cycling question

[Silent]

Does ammonium hydroxide do the same thing for cycling as ammonium chloride?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, but it also raises pH and alkalinity a bit

 

[Silent]

Thank you.

 

[Silent]

It definitely raised my alk. It raised my TM pro reef salt to 11dkh using just enough to get my ammonia up to about 2ppm.

 

[Silent]

Tested phosphate with hanna checker and it was 0.95 ppm. Is that normal during the cycling process? I understand that is high for a cycled tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Depends entirely on the rock you use and how you cycle.

 

[Silent]

Rock was bleached for 2 weeks and rinsed for a week and sat dry for 4 weeks before goi g into tank. Cycled with dr tims and ammonium hydroxide. Zero tds rodi and tm pro reef salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Rock was bleached for 2 weeks and rinsed for a week and sat dry for 4 weeks before goi g into tank. Cycled with dr tims and ammonium hydroxide. Zero tds rodi and tm pro reef salt.

what sort of rock?

 

[Silent]

Mainly pukani i think. I'll take a pic

 

[Silent]

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

New, or used in a previous tank?

 

[Silent]

Used in previous tank

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Then the rock may have a lot of phosphate on it and the bleaching doesn’t remove it.

 

[Silent]

Just water changes and time will remove it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you try to keep phosphate below that 0.2 ppm, it will release phosphate to the water for a considerable period.

 

[Silent]

What would be the best route to keep the phosphate below 0.2 ppm and how long is "a considerable period" roughly?
Thank you for your help btw.