Beginner cycling mistakes - am I in trouble?

[Apayson]

I’m on day 7 of using the Red Sea Reef Mature Starter kit on a 13.5 gallon tank.

However, I’d love some input from the pros out there on the mistakes I’ve made already.
Images + video attached below of my tank...Hope y'all like my first aquascape!


Mistakes:
-Dr Tim’s one and only - I poured the entire bottle in on the day I added my saltwater. I realized on day 7 of my Red Sea cycling journey that my dr Tim’s bottle says FOR FRESHWATER AQUARIUMS. ;Dead
-I added Chemo-Pure Elite on the day I added my saltwater….then removed it four days later as I realized that the reef mature pro kit says not to use any products that remove phosphates ;Walkingdead
-Cycling the tank with pre-cycled real reef Dry Rock…The Red Sea Reef Mature kit says to use live rock…I’m still dosing the Kh-Coralline Gro

Am I doomed?

My tank looks great, but I’m wondering if I’ve severely f*cked up this cycling process already.

Here’s the log I’ve kept:

Feb. 11th
- Added 13.5 gallons saltwater 35 ppt 79 degrees F
- Added Full bottle Dr Tim’s One & Only (Wrong kind…Freshwater bottle ;Dead)
- Added Chemi Pure Elite ;Walkingdead

Feb 12th
Testing:
- Ammonia: .4
- Nitrate: 3.5
- Nitrite: .2

Feb. 15th - Day 2 of Red Sea reef mature
Set up Protein Skimmer
Removed Chemi Pure Elite ;Walkingdead
Testing:
- Temp: 26.5 c
- Salinity: 35 ppt
- PH: 8.2
- kH: 7 dkh

Dosing 
Red Sea Reef Mature Kit for 13.5 gallon tank
- kH Coralline Gro: 1.96 mL
- Nitro Bac: 10.8 mL
- Bacto Start: 5.4 mL
- N03P04-X: 1.6 mL

Lights On - as instructed from Red Sea

Feb. 16th - Day 3 of Red Sea reef mature
Testing
- Temp: 27.6 C
- Salinity: 35ppt
- Ammonia: 1.2
- Nitrite: .5
- Nitrate: 20

Dosing
- Nitro Bac: 5.4 mL
- N03P04-X: 1.62 mL

Feb. 17th - Day 4 of Red Sea reef mature
Dosing
- N03P04-X: 1.62 mL

Feb. 18th - Day 5 of Red Sea reef mature
Dosing
- N03P04-X: 1.62 mL
Added 3 cubes of Sport Bio Cubes below skimmer (filter media)

Feb. 19th - Day 6 of Red Sea reef mature
Testing:
- pH: 7.6
- kH: 5.5 dKH

Dosing:
-N03P04-X: 1.62 mL

Notes: Calculate dosage of kH-Coralline Buffer to reach 8.4 dKH - divide dosage over 4 days
= 3.9mL / Day

Feb 20th - Day 7 of Red Sea reef mature
Water change - 5% of saltwater…Salinity 35ppt
Ammonia: .2 ppm
Nitrite: 1.2 ppm

Notes: the instructions say that my levels should be: ammonia <.25ppm Nitrite <.05ppm

Dosing:
- Bacto Start: 5.11mL
- Nitro Bac: 2.56 mL
- N03P04-X:: 1.53 mL
- kH Coralline: 3.9 mL

Notes on aquarium appearance:
-Tiny orange spots are growing on the rock (image below)
-Mild cloudy water, likely sue to unwashed dry sand I added to the tank
-Small spots of clear jelly like stuff growing (image below)

Have I totally messed up my tank?
I want to keep going, but am I working with a non-starter tank given the steps I’ve messed up already?

For me, this is a personal case study in the woes of following instructions on difference cycling processes & the downfalls of using a smaller tanks…mistakes are bigger

Thanks y'all! Would love some expert advice

Link to a video of my aquascape

 

[boacvh]

no. You havent. Not an expert by any means but I think you are trying to do too much. If you are just cycling and there is nothing in there, and you are afraid you put the wrong stuff in your tank, just do a large water change, as large as you can, stop dosing all that stuff and then just sit back and let things happen.
Love the aquascape! That going to be a great looking tank.

 

[Dave1993]

Get a bottle of bacteria for saltwater i recommend fritz turbo start 900 heard its the best make sure its for saltwater the 1 you order cause they have FW ones aswell

 

[Garf]

I’m on day 7 of using the Red Sea Reef Mature Starter kit on a 13.5 gallon tank.

However, I’d love some input from the pros out there on the mistakes I’ve made already.
Images + video attached below of my tank...Hope y'all like my first aquascape!


Mistakes:
-Dr Tim’s one and only - I poured the entire bottle in on the day I added my saltwater. I realized on day 7 of my Red Sea cycling journey that my dr Tim’s bottle says FOR FRESHWATER AQUARIUMS. ;Dead
-I added Chemo-Pure Elite on the day I added my saltwater….then removed it four days later as I realized that the reef mature pro kit says not to use any products that remove phosphates ;Walkingdead
-Cycling the tank with pre-cycled real reef Dry Rock…The Red Sea Reef Mature kit says to use live rock…I’m still dosing the Kh-Coralline Gro

Am I doomed?

My take looks great, but I’m wondering if I’ve severely f*cked up this cycling process already.

Here’s the log I’ve kept:

Feb. 11th
- Added 13.5 gallons saltwater 35 ppt 79 degrees F
- Added Full bottle Dr Tim’s One & Only (Wrong kind…Freshwater bottle ;Dead)
- Added Chemi Pure Elite ;Walkingdead

Feb 12th
Testing:
- Ammonia: .4
- Nitrate: 3.5
- Nitrite: .2

Feb. 15th - Day 2 of Red Sea reef mature
Set up Protein Skimmer
Removed Chemi Pure Elite ;Walkingdead
Testing:
- Temp: 26.5 c
- Salinity: 35 ppt
- PH: 8.2
- kH: 7 dkh

Dosing 
Red Sea Reef Mature Kit for 13.5 gallon tank
- kH Coralline Gro: 1.96 mL
- Nitro Bac: 10.8 mL
- Bacto Start: 5.4 mL
- N03P04-X: 1.6 mL

Lights On - as instructed from Red Sea

Feb. 16th - Day 3 of Red Sea reef mature
Testing
- Temp: 27.6 C
- Salinity: 35ppt
- Ammonia: 1.2
- Nitrite: .5
- Nitrate: 20

Dosing
- Nitro Bac: 5.4 mL
- N03P04-X: 1.62 mL

Feb. 17th - Day 4 of Red Sea reef mature
Dosing
- N03P04-X: 1.62 mL

Feb. 18th - Day 5 of Red Sea reef mature
Dosing
- N03P04-X: 1.62 mL
Added 3 cubes of Sport Bio Cubes below skimmer (filter media)

Feb. 19th - Day 6 of Red Sea reef mature
Testing:
- pH: 7.6
- kH: 5.5 dKH

Dosing:
-N03P04-X: 1.62 mL

Notes: Calculate dosage of kH-Coralline Buffer to reach 8.4 dKH - divide dosage over 4 days
= 3.9mL / Day

Feb 20th - Day 7 of Red Sea reef mature
Water change - 5% of saltwater…Salinity 35ppt
Ammonia: .2 ppm
Nitrite: 1.2 ppm

Notes: the instructions say that my levels should be: ammonia <.25ppm Nitrite <.05ppm

Dosing:
- Bacto Start: 5.11mL
- Nitro Bac: 2.56 mL
- N03P04-X:: 1.53 mL
- kH Coralline: 3.9 mL

Notes on aquarium appearance:
-Tiny orange spots are growing on the rock (image below)
-Mild cloudy water, likely sue to unwashed dry sand I added to the tank
-Small spots of clear jelly like stuff growing (image below)

Have I totally messed up my tank?
I want to keep going, but am I working with a non-starter tank given the steps I’ve messed up already?

For me, this is a personal case study in the woes of following instructions on difference cycling processes & the downfalls of using a smaller tanks…mistakes are bigger

Thanks y'all! Would love some expert advice

Link to a video of my aquascape

You’ll be OK. Don’t understand why your adding NOPOX though.

 

[polyppal]

The orange is prob brown algae growth and the fuzz is probably mold from something organic that deteriorating. You shouldn’t be dosing nopox or whatever this ‘coralline’ stuff is. Adding these suggest you don’t quite understand their purpose, id suggest reading the thorough cycling articles pinned in the ‘new to saltwater’ section. If your water is cloudy, it’s prob due to a bacterial bloom from adding nopox.

If the water has ammonia in it, just leave it alone and test it until the ammonia is gone. Might take a week, might take two. Then add one small hardy fish and take it slow.

It sounds like you are impatiently running in a bunch of different directions and that’s a surefire way to quick expensive failure in reefkeeping

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Great advice here already, but patience is the one thing you need in this hobby in excess! Better to learn now that slow and steady is the way to go rather than later when you have some serious money in livestock in your tank.

 

[X-37B]

Slow down buddy.
Like above said I would change all the water and start again. No need to add anything when cycling.
Add a piece of shrimp and turbo start and relax.
If SG is off adjust all at once.
If dkh is off adjust all at once.
When ammonia and nitrite are zero and you get a nitrate number your tank is cycled.

After that focus on keeping your desired parameters stable. This is the golden rule, imo.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Id agree , you may be over doing things. Its mostly just a time thing with cycling. Time for the tank to settle in.

alot of extra work for negligible results

Expert advice from a non expert here, id go with the flow a bit more. No pun intended.

nothing good happens fast

All of those sayings are wise

 

[Lyss]

For some reason I think this Red Sea mature kit has you add bottled bac, nopox, and the coralline stuff. It’s not at all necessary — like even at all.

If you’re using that kit, do what it says/use those products and don’t do extras like dr Tim’s.

But the kit is not at all necessary.

 

[MaxTremors]

If you used pre-cycled dry rock (as in it was put into an established system for several weeks/months), there is no reason to add bottled bacteria, your tank is likely already cycled and ready for fish. You’ll want to think about your approach to disease management (whether you want to quarantine or try to manage diseases). Also keep in mind that a cycled tank is not a mature or established tank, just means it’s capable of nitrification.

 

[PatW]

The nitrogen cycle bacteria are everywhere. If you start with saltwater, dry rock, and maybe a bit of flow and add no bacteria, eventually bacteria will get in, multiply and cycle the tank. Without adding a bacteria culture, it just takes longer. As long as you do not add anything toxic to the tank, it is pretty hard to go wrong.

Once all of your ammonia is converted to nitrogen, it is a good idea to add a bit more and see how long the new ammonia is converted. A tank should be able to take a small amount of ammonia and convert it to nitrate overnight. You do not want ammonia accumulating after you add fish and invertebrates. If you do not add livestock, you need to add a bit of ammonia regularly to keep the bacteria populations up. Many people “ghost feed” a tank to do just that.