Cycle Help

[stambo3]

Hello everyone,
I am new to marine aquarism and unfortunately have made quite a few mistakes in driving my nitrogen cycle. So if you'll allow me to explain what happened:
1. The tank is 150 gallons including the sump.
2. I added Caribsea Life Rock, ati fiji white sand and Black Sea stones, washed and disinfected several times.
3. Nitrifying bacteria DrTim's - ONE and ONLY
4. Ammonia for them - Waterlife SeAquariums BioMature 100ml - and here I was probably wrong the first time. The bottle is for 800 gallons, and I poured the entire amount in one week.
5. Salifert tests for Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite. Testing every day.
6. 2 times water change of 30% each.
Today is day 32 and the readings are as follows:
NH3 --- 0.15
NO3 >100
NO2 --- 4.0
Please advise, can I add fish, corals or at least CHAETOMORPHA SP ?
Thank you in advance !!!

 

[lmfbs]

Okay - some things to know. If you've still got any detectible nitrites, your nitrate test is likely reading wrong. So it's probably unlikely you have nitrate of over 100ppm.

In saying that, given you massively overdosed ammonia, I would wait until your tank gets to 0 ammonia, then add enough to get it to 0.5 or 1ppm ammonia. As long as it can process the 0.5 or 1ppm to zero in 24 hours, you're good to go.

In all honesty, you're probably fine now, but waiting another couple of days won't hurt anything and it can help give you some peace of mind.

Re adding chaeto or corals, macros will be fine, most likely, and adding some easy low fuss corals are likely fine too.

 

[stambo3]

Добре – някои неща, които трябва да знаете. Ако все още имате откриваеми нитрати , вашият тест за нитрати вероятно показва грешно. Така че вероятно е малко вероятно да имате нитрати над 100ppm.

Като казвам, че като се има предвид масово предозиране на амоняк, бих изчакал, докато резервоарът ви стигне до 0 амоняк, след което добавете достатъчно, за да достигнете до 0,5 или 1 ppm амоняк. Стига да може да обработи 0,5 или 1ppm до нула за 24 часа, можете да тръгвате.

Честно казано, сега вероятно сте добре, но изчакването още няколко дни няма да навреди на нищо и може да ви помогне да се успокоите.

Повторно добавяне на чаето или корали, макросите ще са добре, най-вероятно, и добавянето на някои лесни безпроблемни корали вероятно също е добре.

Okay - some things to know. If you've still got any detectible nitrites, your nitrate test is likely reading wrong. So it's probably unlikely you have nitrate of over 100ppm.

In saying that, given you massively overdosed ammonia, I would wait until your tank gets to 0 ammonia, then add enough to get it to 0.5 or 1ppm ammonia. As long as it can process the 0.5 or 1ppm to zero in 24 hours, you're good to go.

In all honesty, you're probably fine now, but waiting another couple of days won't hurt anything and it can help give you some peace of mind.

Re adding chaeto or corals, macros will be fine, most likely, and adding some easy low fuss corals are likely fine too.

Thank you !!!
And for placing fish before I do the test with the addition of new ammonia, you say it is too early?

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Thank you !!!
And for placing fish before I do the test with the addition of new ammonia, you say it is too early?

What kind of bio media are you using and how much?

 

[stambo3]

What kind of bio media are you using and how much?

Hi Outlaw Corals,
Besides the skimmer and the filter sock, I don't have any other filters to use. Please tell me what should I put extra. This is my first marine aquarium and I don't have any experience, I try to read forums and articles of experienced aquarists, but I can't understand many things and apparently I make a lot of mistakes!

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Hi Outlaw Corals,
Besides the skimmer and the filter sock, I don't have any other filters to use. Please tell me what should I put extra. This is my first marine aquarium and I ,don't have any experience, I try to read forums and articles of experienced aquarists, but I can't understand many things and apparently I make a lot of mistakes!

We all have to start somewhere and the learning process never end’s, I’m doing this for 29 year’s and I’m still learning every day, the day i stop learning is the day i should stop reefing, so you are going to need some kind of bio media to put in your sump or your tank is never going to cycle completely and you were going to keep running into problems, your bio media is a place for all your beneficial bacteria to colonize to eat up all the ammonia and ammonium byproducts, that being nitrite and nitrate, so you need to get some good bio media in there ASAP, I like the ceramic balls from Ice Cap, they had some new ones come out about six months ago, they are very porous, which creates a lot of surface space for your beneficial bacteria to colonize, I got mine, right off of bulk reef supply

 

[Outlaw Corals]

We all have to start somewhere and the learning process never end’s, I’m doing this for 29 year’s and I’m still learning every day, the day i stop learning is the day i should stop reefing, so you are going to need some kind of bio media to put in your sump or your tank is never going to cycle completely and you were going to keep running into problems, your bio media is a place for all your beneficial bacteria to colonize to eat up all the ammonia and ammonium byproducts, that being nitrite and nitrate, so you need to get some good bio media in there ASAP, I like the ceramic balls from Ice Cap, they had some new ones come out about six months ago, they are very porous, which creates a lot of surface space for your beneficial bacteria to colonize, I got mine, right off of bulk reef supply

That being said, I think that should be your main focus right now. Don’t worry about stocking your tank yet. You use the **** load of ammonia in that tank so it’s gonna take a while for it to get right now, so for now if I was you, I would just get some bio media And some more beneficial bacteria and let all year bacteria colonize then you will be good to go

 

[Dan_P]

Hello everyone,
I am new to marine aquarism and unfortunately have made quite a few mistakes in driving my nitrogen cycle. So if you'll allow me to explain what happened:
1. The tank is 150 gallons including the sump.
2. I added Caribsea Life Rock, ati fiji white sand and Black Sea stones, washed and disinfected several times.
3. Nitrifying bacteria DrTim's - ONE and ONLY
4. Ammonia for them - Waterlife SeAquariums BioMature 100ml - and here I was probably wrong the first time. The bottle is for 800 gallons, and I poured the entire amount in one week.
5. Salifert tests for Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite. Testing every day.
6. 2 times water change of 30% each.
Today is day 32 and the readings are as follows:
NH3 --- 0.15
NO3 >100
NO2 --- 4.0
Please advise, can I add fish, corals or at least CHAETOMORPHA SP ?
Thank you in advance !!!

Did you measure the ammonia level after you added it?

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Did you measure the ammonia level after you added it?

I know there used to be a problem with that Dr. Tim is ammonia a while back and I don’t know if they ever strange it out in the directions they tell you used two drops per gallon but it’s only supposed to be one drop per gallon so a lot of people were running into some big problems whoever was using that Dr. Tim’s

 

[stambo3]

Измерихте ли нивото на амоняка, след като го добавихте?

Did you measure the ammonia level after you added it?

Hello,
I measure every day! After addition, ammonia was held at 1.5 for 20 days. I did two 30% water changes each week after the 20th day and these results are from yesterday after the second water change.

 

[stambo3]

That being said, I think that should be your main focus right now. Don’t worry about stocking your tank yet. You use the **** load of ammonia in that tank so it’s gonna take a while for it to get right now, so for now if I was you, I would just get some bio media And some more beneficial bacteria and let all year bacteria colonize then you will be good to go

Hello,
If I have to wait a whole year and look at some ugly stones, tomorrow I will go to the garbage can and throw it all away!

 

[stambo3]

I know there used to be a problem with that Dr. Tim is ammonia a while back and I don’t know if they ever strange it out in the directions they tell you used two drops per gallon but it’s only supposed to be one drop per gallon so a lot of people were running into some big problems whoever was using that Dr. Tim’s

Hello,
The prescription of Dr. Tim with the ammonia is completely wrong. Everything is so overdosed that after changing 60% of the water I still have a lot of ammonia. I will do a few more water changes and hopefully the problem will be fixed.

 

[Dan_P]

Hello,
I measure every day! After addition, ammonia was held at 1.5 for 20 days. I did two 30% water changes each week after the 20th day and these results are from yesterday after the second water change.

What was the result of your measurement of ammonia right after you dosed ammonia?

 

[lmfbs]

Hello,
If I have to wait a whole year and look at some ugly stones, tomorrow I will go to the garbage can and throw it all away!

I don't think you need to worry about waiting a year - but I know you don't want to put fish at risk so I think waiting until you have zero ammonia and you can get your nitrate to good levels, which means waiting until you have no nitrite so you can accurately test.

 

[stambo3]

I don't think you need to worry about waiting a year - but I know you don't want to put fish at risk so I think waiting until you have zero ammonia and you can get your nitrate to good levels, which means waiting until you have no nitrite so you can accurately test.

Hello,
I do not want and will not knowingly put any living organism at risk. If something goes wrong in the aftermath, which unfortunately often does, I hope it's not entirely my fault.

 

[stambo3]

Did you measure the ammonia level after you added it?

1,5 ppm ammonia.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hello everyone,
I am new to marine aquarism and unfortunately have made quite a few mistakes in driving my nitrogen cycle. So if you'll allow me to explain what happened:
1. The tank is 150 gallons including the sump.
2. I added Caribsea Life Rock, ati fiji white sand and Black Sea stones, washed and disinfected several times.
3. Nitrifying bacteria DrTim's - ONE and ONLY
4. Ammonia for them - Waterlife SeAquariums BioMature 100ml - and here I was probably wrong the first time. The bottle is for 800 gallons, and I poured the entire amount in one week.
5. Salifert tests for Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite. Testing every day.
6. 2 times water change of 30% each.
Today is day 32 and the readings are as follows:
NH3 --- 0.15
NO3 >100
NO2 --- 4.0
Please advise, can I add fish, corals or at least CHAETOMORPHA SP ?
Thank you in advance !!!

I would wait for all to read 0 like people said. Also I would take water to LFS that doesnt use API and see the readings they get. Also that sea chem ammonia badge is TRASH. I tried one and it always reads good when the levels are dangerous! Would just take it off it it were me. Lead me astray too many times. And when your levels are 0 try some baby clowns! They are great first fish. Not aggressive (yet) very hardy and can handle parameter swings while you are still learning. Thats what I started with when I first started, then added fish too fast and my whole tank came down with velvet and had to go fallow (without fish) for 6 months.

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Hello,
If I have to wait a whole year and look at some ugly stones, tomorrow I will go to the garbage can and throw it all away!

Patience is a must in this hobby, and there are no guarantees that’s for sure, but if you do things right things will work out, so don’t worry about it. We will have to start somewhere and we’ve all been in similar situation and got past it.

 

[stambo3]

Patience is a must in this hobby, and there are no guarantees that’s for sure, but if you do things right things will work out, so don’t worry about it. We will have to start somewhere and we’ve all been in similar situation and got past it.

Hello,
I completely agree with you, but the patience for a whole year really came in handy. I appreciate you trying to help me, but the sight of your beautiful aquariums and mine looking like rocks after an earthquake and the idea of the whole year looking like this really stresses me out. Once again, thank you all for helping me!!!

 

[stambo3]

I would wait for all to read 0 like people said. Also I would take water to LFS that doesnt use API and see the readings they get. Also that sea chem ammonia badge is TRASH. I tried one and it always reads good when the levels are dangerous! Would just take it off it it were me. Lead me astray too many times. And when your levels are 0 try some baby clowns! They are great first fish. Not aggressive (yet) very hardy and can handle parameter swings while you are still learning. Thats what I started with when I first started, then added fish too fast and my whole tank came down with velvet and had to go fallow (without fish) for 6 months.

I would wait for all to read 0 like people said. Also I would take water to LFS that doesnt use API and see the readings they get. Also that sea chem ammonia badge is TRASH. I tried one and it always reads good when the levels are dangerous! Would just take it off it it were me. Lead me astray too many times. And when your levels are 0 try some baby clowns! They are great first fish. Not aggressive (yet) very hardy and can handle parameter swings while you are still learning. Thats what I started with when I first started, then added fish too fast and my whole tank came down with velvet and had to go fallow (without fish) for 6 months.

Hello,
My plan for populating with living organisms:
1. Allow sufficient time for the nitrogen cycle to complete and water parameters within acceptable limits to accommodate fish or corals.
2. Once everything is in order, releasing 2nd Amphiprion Ocellaris and 1-2 starter corals. Waiting a few weeks and strictly monitoring the environment parameters.
3. If all is well, gradual settlement with other organisms.
Here in Bulgaria, very few people grow marine organisms in an aquarium. The supply of equipment and living organisms is severely limited. There are about 5-6 sea life stores in the entire country, and ordering from Amazon or eBay is expensive in terms of shipping.
Advice on growing your marine aquarium is also hard to come by. I have to ask here, since just reading and watching YouTube seems to be doing nothing.
A successful day and many smiles to all !!!