Cycle Help Please-

[Luannh]

I set up my Red Sea Max E260 69 gallon on 8/21/16 with live rock and live crushed coral.
A few days later my parameters were, pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.25, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 10
On 9/8 pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.25, (added Dr. Tims ammonium chloride to bring Ammonia up to 2.0 ppm, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 10
On 9/13 - pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.50, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 40
On 9/14 Added 1 bottle of Biosphera
On 9/15 - pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.25, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 40
On 9/19 - pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.50, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 40
On 9/21 - pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.50, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 40
On 10/9 - pH - 8.0, Ammonia - 0.50, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 40
I don't know where I am on the cycle or what to do.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[CastAway]

Hmmm. Tagging along. I would expect the nitrite to take off soon then plummet. I remember waiting on it myself.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Looks like you're stalled. Using live rock without die off shouldn't result in a cycle, or at the very least a small one. It's possible the combination of live rock and ammonia ( Dr Tim's) is the reason the cycle stalled.

 

[alyee5]

What test kit are you using? Sometimes the API kit is tough to read zero for ammonia.

 

[brandon429]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

Based on that, how was your rock already not fully cycled the instant you put it in your tank? .25 and zero are same things with API most of the time

In that thread, we show that if an unverified test kit is giving .25 but the rock has living animals on it, we take it as zero

We talked about how moving rocks among tanks doesn't make a need to cycle, even from lfs to home, that's tank to tank just the same.

 

[Luannh]

I'm using API test kit.

 

[Brew12]

I'm using API test kit.

Do you have a LFS you can use to check your sample?

 

[brandon429]

based on the description of group B rocks and the ways to ID that type, Luan do you think your tank was pre cycled

id be curious to see pics of your rock
the premise of the thread is that when you move live rocks among tank, you never need to help or consider the bacteria, they remain the same. its the loss of higher animals we factor which is independent of bacteria, all the steps we take with live rock are not for bacteria, they're for care of benthic animals we paid money not to kill.

 

[Luannh]

Thanks to all for advise.
My LFS is about 1 1/2 hr. away, I'll have them test my water as soon as I can.
Meanwhile I'll post pictures of my rocks.

 

[brandon429]

Going off the avatar pics they seem to have coralline, the first identifier of established nitrifying bacteria (using one group of animals to certify another, given non-medication conditions of comparison...coralline always indicates nitrifying bacteria present as coralline takes months to accumulate)

My next q after that would be for secondary benthic animal verifications, are there any fanworms stuck to the rock? Any pods or worms or tiny starfish?

 

[Luannh]

Live rock.

 

[Luannh]

Yes Brandon I do see a few tiny worms attached to rock.
Also some tiny feathery things that flow back and forth with the water.
I'm not sure what is on the back wall, looks like short pieces of white hair, and a lot of white spots.

 

[brandon429]

Yes that kind of rock just needs to be hand guided, siphoned clean in its early stages so cyano won't take over until maturation sets in, clean up crew balances etc/light balances

It's nitrification abilities aren't different measurably now or later

 

[Luannh]

Thank you Brandon for all of your help.