Another noob needing help with cycling :)

[That Bingo]

Hello all, first i just want to thank everyone in this community. This is my first post but i have learned so much by reading through the forums.

Ok so here is my situation.
I have a 5 gallon fluval evo completely stock. I am currently on day 20 of a fishless cycle using pure ammonia from ace and seachem stability. I used carib sea live sand and dry rock. (i think its the reef saver, it was super clean).I am testing using the API kits. My base test were as follows. Specific Gravity: 1.025, Ph:8.1, Ammonia: .25ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 0ppm. temp: 77f. I filled my tank with distilled water and instant ocean but since about day 7 i have been topping off with RO water from my LFS. I also bumped the temperature up to 84f after a few days as i read it helps the bacteria populate better.

Ok so here is what i have done. I dosed my tank to 2ppm ammonia on the first day and haven't added any since. I used seachem stability as per the instructions for 7 days then stopped. I stayed at 2ppm ammonia levels until day 12 where it dropped to about 1ppm but no nitrites or nitrates. it stayed there then it seemed to be back up to about 2ppm on day 14 then the next day back down to 1ppm. That was probably just a testing error. It is now day 20 and i am still stuck at 1ppm ammonia and zero nitrites. I have not seen any nitrites during the whole process. I seem to have 5ppm nitrates but i can not be for certain and would error to the side of not having any just because i have not seen any nitrites and it is probably me just creating fake nitrates in my head to make it seem like it is progressing haha. Ph is still 8.0 and salinity is 1.025.

I am kind of stuck here. I just cant figure out how my ammonia went from 2ppm to 1ppm without nitrites and why it has just been floating around 1ppm for a little over a week now.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I am not in a super rush or anything, i just want to do this right and it seems like i should have better results by now since i am dosing pure ammonia and using stability. Hopefully everything made sense.

 

[KJ]

.https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cycling-an-aquarium.306554/

image via @rusticgirls

In a freshwater aquarium you can add some flake food, wait a couple weeks, and then you can add fish. In the ocean there is much more involved than mechanical filtration. In fact, 70% of your aquariums filtration relies on the maturity of the live rock. A combination of bacteria, algae, and various invertebrates compose the “live” part of the rock. It takes quite a while to establish an ecosystem, even on a microscopic level. Without a proper understanding of the Marine Cycle, you will be in for a long term battle with parameters and algae. There are six main stages to a properly cycled tank. Follow this guide and you cannot mess up. You will need your basic test kit to test the progress.

Stage 1: Ammonia Cycle

Ammonia is the first thing that forms when something rots. It is a waste product in nearly all creatures as well. Instead of using a fish to start the cycle just use some food. Anything that is all natural and uncooked works just fine. Table shrimp that is uncooked works great. Drop it on the sand so it is in view. The shrimp should begin to rot within a couple hours or more. Let this shrimp rot until it is completely gone. If you are curious what your ammonia levels are, go ahead and take some tests. Keep track of the results as the shrimp rots. The smaller the food gets the more ammonia should be present in your water column and pretty soon should be off the charts. This will stay high for a while, but then start to drop. As soon as the ammonia starts to drop you will see a rise in Nitrite, you are now on the next stage.

Stage 2: Nitrite Cycle

Ammonia when broken down by bacteria becomes Nitrite, which is still a toxin. As your Nitrites rise your Ammonia will drop, drop, and keep dropping as long as you haven’t added any animals. Keep up with testing to observe your progress. Eventually your Ammonia will be very low and your nitrites will peak out until it starts feeding a different type of bacteria that turns it into Nitrates. Once your first signs of Nitrates are seen you are on the next stage.

Stage 3: Nitrate Cycle

Nitrates are removed within the live rock deep inside in all of the deep pours. This hidden bacteria consumes the nitrate and creates nitrogen gas as a byproduct. The nitrogen gas rises in the water column and escapes into the air. When one gas leave, another enters. Oxygen is then infused into the water. After the Nitrates start to dissipate your oxygen will increase and you will be ready for the intermission:

 

[That Bingo]

Thank you, i have already read about the nitrogen cycle many times. Just trying to figure out why my ammonia dropped to 1ppm overnight and then just sit there for a week..

 

[Jesterrace]

I am having a serious case of Deja Vu with this thread.

 

[That Bingo]

I am having a serious case of Deja Vu with this thread.

hahaha thought id get it out there

 

[Jesterrace]

We are all guilty of that at some point or another.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Seachem prime is not a bacteria. It’s a binder. It chemically removes(binds) the ammoina , among other things.

You can grab a bottle of Bacteria, or just let the bacteria form naturally with the ammoina.
(Like the shrimp method).

 

[That Bingo]

Thank you for your reply, I’m not using prime, I’m using stability which is bacteria. I guess I just need to wait it out.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thank you for your reply, I’m not using prime, I’m using stability which is bacteria. I guess I just need to wait it out.

Ah got it. Yep. Patience.

 

[WVNed]

Get some new bacteria. If nothing has happened in 20 days it's not going to. I used Dr Tims, Seachem Pristine and Microbe lift special Blend. All of them at separate times.

 

[jayala12]

Throw some flake food in the tank every other day

 

[That Bingo]

Get some new bacteria. If nothing has happened in 20 days it's not going to. I used Dr Tims, Seachem Pristine and Microbe lift special Blend. All of them at separate times.

Hey man i took your advice and went and got some IO bio spira. I just tested today the next morning and my ammonia is 0, nitrite, .75-1, and about 20 nitrates. Thank you so much for the advice, my tank is finally going somewhere!

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r!!