Cycle help needed

Fishy888 · Sep 3, 2023

A can of beans would give you a more accurate test result than API test kits, especially the ammonia test.

I’d use Hanna ammonia if you can afford it or Salifert. Just don’t use API.

brandon429 · Sep 3, 2023

The reason we don’t need testing is because this is a two month running reef tank, it’s not a cycling tank. if you were going to believe cheap test kits, you’d seek them before adding fish. That this reef can maintain fish and daily waste means it’s cycled. there are no two month stalled cycles it doesn’t occur in reefing, so no tests are needed.

Ryansi · Sep 3, 2023

brandon429 said:
Your tank is cycled due to inherent time rules already in place by updated cycling science, we didn’t need any testing from you. That kit you can see is implicated in a lot of misreads. Do a search on api accuracy see if you believe it

if it says zero, that’s fine. If it said .25 the outcome would be the same. Ammonia control is all that matters in reef cycling and your tank has ammonia control

theres no emergency, this cycle has been done for several weeks regardless of what your test kit ever said.

Its at 1.0 though.

brandon429 · Sep 3, 2023

It’s ok if it varies whatever the ammonia reads we don’t expect to be zero in a reef tank, using that kit

do a search

after the search on api accuracy, what did you find

did you see by and large in the search of people posting api readings and the crowd reminds them it’s unreliable

if you put down the test kits for cycling and never run them again on this tank you will enjoy reefing more

skipping fish disease preps was the risk, not the cycle using common bottle bac

see the fish disease forum for what slowly happens over the next few months, the cycle didn’t cause disease in the fish

no fallow and quarantine did

Dr. Reef · Sep 3, 2023

I skipped a lot of posts but saw you used live rock from an established source, which arrived wet and went into your tank.
If that's true you may never see ammonia or nitrite spike. Established rocks will carry enough bacteria over to hold your tanks nitrifying needs.
If your fish are not dying and jumping out of water then your tank is cycled and ready for the load.
If you really absolutely have to do anything, add a bottle of bacteria like fritz turbostart 900 or Dr Tim's one and only or bio Spira.
Happy reefing

@brandon429 very good at this. I would follow his advice

Garf · Sep 3, 2023

Ryansi said:
Its at 1.0 though.

Did you put a source of ammonia in the tank prior to adding the fish?
How long have the fish been in the tank?
I’m guessing you’ve used the dechlorinator because you’ve used tap water to make the saltwater.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 3, 2023

I changed the title since it wasn’t useful to just write HELP on an emergency tagged thread.

Ryansi · Sep 3, 2023

brandon429 said:
It’s ok if it varies whatever the ammonia reads we don’t expect to be zero in a reef tank, using that kit

do a search

after the search on api accuracy, what did you find

did you see by and large in the search of people posting api readings and the crowd reminds them it’s unreliable

if you put down the test kits for cycling and never run them again on this tank you will enjoy reefing more

skipping fish disease preps was the risk, not the cycle using common bottle bac

see the fish disease forum for what slowly happens over the next few months, the cycle didn’t cause disease in the fish

no fallow and quarantine did

So do

Garf said:
Did you put a source of ammonia in the tank prior to adding the fish?
How long have the fish been in the tank?
I’m guessing you’ve used the dechlorinator because you’ve used tap water

Garf said:
to make the saltwater.

No. i have used fresh water,

Jedi1199 · Sep 4, 2023

So this is pretty much covered... Your tank is cycled.

Take your ammonia and nitrite test kits, wrap them up and put them on a shelf in the attic, maybe you can pass them along to your grandkids someday. You will never need them again as long as you have a running tank.

Ryansi · Sep 4, 2023

Jedi1199 said:
So this is pretty much covered... Your tank is cycled.

Take your ammonia and nitrite test kits, wrap them up and put them on a shelf in the attic, maybe you can pass them along to your grandkids someday. You will never need them again as long as you have a running tank.

or put it in a trashcan

Jedi1199 · Sep 5, 2023

Ryansi said:
or put it in a trashcan

Pretty much.

I've been running aquariums for more years that I care to admit to. I have not tested ammonia or nitrite in decades.

Garf · Sep 5, 2023

Despite this ?;

Despite API reputation, the Chemicals in the test kits are actually good

This topic is @Dan_P 's baby - I'm just running with it. Dan will even go further than I will and use some of the API kits that I won't mess with (NO3, PO4). It's widely claimed that API tests can't be trusted and any values reported by API should be ignored until the hobbyist throws them in a...

www.reef2reef.com

Jedi1199 said:
Pretty much.

I've been running aquariums for more years that I care to admit to. I have not tested ammonia or nitrite in decades.

Ryansi · Sep 5, 2023

Jedi1199 said:
Pretty much.

I've been running aquariums for more years that I care to admit to. I have not tested ammonia or nitrite in decades.

so i shouldnt buy hanna ammonia?

brandon429 · Sep 5, 2023

But your cycle is closed we covered, so that would be a waste of money

have you read the disease forum yet

Ryansi · Sep 5, 2023

brandon429 said:
But your cycle is closed we covered, so that would be a waste of money

have you read the disease forum yet

no i havent. i dont know where to find it.

Jedi1199 · Sep 6, 2023

Garf said:
Despite this ?;

Despite API reputation, the Chemicals in the test kits are actually good

This topic is @Dan_P 's baby - I'm just running with it. Dan will even go further than I will and use some of the API kits that I won't mess with (NO3, PO4). It's widely claimed that API tests can't be trusted and any values reported by API should be ignored until the hobbyist throws them in a...

www.reef2reef.com

Why would I? Not much point in testing ammonia or nitrite in a cycled tank. Every tank I have ever started. with the exception of the very first one, has been seeded with either rock or filter media from a running tank. Come to think about it, I have never had to wait out a cycling period either.

Garf · Sep 6, 2023

Jedi1199 said:
Why would I? Not much point in testing ammonia or nitrite in a cycled tank. Every tank I have ever started. with the exception of the very first one, has been seeded with either rock or filter media from a running tank. Come to think about it, I have never had to wait out a cycling period either.

Dunno, something radical like a quarantine tank or something, perhaps just some hobby tomfoolery.

Yes, I remember your thread where you washed all your sand and rock in hot tap water, lol.

Jedi1199 said:
I have never had to wait out a cycling period either.

congrats.

Jedi1199 · Sep 6, 2023

Garf said:
Dunno, something radical like a quarantine tank or something, perhaps just some hobby tomfoolery.

Yes, I remember your thread where you washed all your sand and rock in hot tap water, lol.

congrats.

I don't run a QT tank. If I decide to start one, I have more than enough rock rubble in my sump to skipcycle a QT tank.

Hobby tomfoolery? I have plenty enough to keep me busy without testing a parameter I don't need to know.. lol

Yep.. I am the one who did the rip-clean on the 32g biocube. Washed all the rocks under hot tap water, all the sand and the tank itself with the hose and STILL skipcycled the tank.

Those interested can read the thread here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/32g-rework.861875/