Cycle is never ending. Have I done something wrong?

[ReefKing101]

It’s been 5 weeks now since I added water, dry sand and dead live rock. Currently there’s no ammonia but the nitrites have been extremely High for a while now and don’t seem to be going down. My theory is the dead live rock starting breaking down and it’s stalled the cycle. Just today I’ve added a bottle of Red Sea nitro bac to try help speed things up bit. I added a bit of it when I started the tank to but didn’t seem to do a thing.

any suggestions and if this is a normal cycle? I’m trying to be patient but it’s hard looking at an empty tank lol.

 

[TripleTruble]

Dead live rock. So did you cure the rock first? Like a bleach bath?

 

[RiversideReefer]

way i see it is regardless of what you have in the tank if there are nitrites then there must have been a source of ammonia from somewhere, and if there are nitrites then nitrates are soon to follow... maybe give it some more time?

 

[ReefKing101]

Dead live rock. So did you cure the rock first? Like a bleach bath?

Nah all i did was hose it off like my lfs said to

 

[ReefKing101]

way i see it is regardless of what you have in the tank if there are nitrites then there must have been a source of ammonia from somewhere, and if there are nitrites then nitrates are soon to follow... maybe give it some more time?

Defiantly was ammonia i was ghost feeding and im pretty sure there was algae die off on the rock ammonia was sky high but has been 0 for weeks now

 

[Plecosam]

Uh oh, you are going to be challenged by the cycle Guru, never ever mention the words cycle and stall, you will meet his wrath. He will be along shortly and my guess will suggest the following, you are done and have been for some time.

Are you testing any Nitrate?

Nitrites in my experience take the longest to be processed but no ammonia means you are done, I don't have his experience though.

 

[lpsouth1978]

Nitrites can take a long time to come down! I would guess that you will see them drop pretty soon, just keep at it. When they drop, it will go to zero almost overnight, it happens FAST.

 

[K7BMG]

What test kits are you using?
Have you taken samples to your lfs for a comparison?
How high was your amonia at its peak?

 

[ReefKing101]

What test kits are you using?
Have you taken samples to your lfs for a comparison?
How high was your amonia at its peak?

Ive been using API master test kit and Also red sea test kit both show high nitrites maybe around 5ppm. No i havent taken a sample to my LFS. My ammonia peak was around 1.5-2ppm i think there abouts. Its been 0 for a few weeks now and nitrates have also been present for a while now but ive heard high nitrites will affect nitrate reading? Could i add fish yet or is it still deadly ?

 

[ReefKing101]

Nitrites can take a long time to come down! I would guess that you will see them drop pretty soon, just keep at it. When they drop, it will go to zero almost overnight, it happens FAST.

Hopefully! i did see them go almost overnight in my pond that also had high nitrites for a while. Nothing like this long though

 

[K7BMG]

I think you have cycled.
Easy test is purchase a bit of ammonia solution.
Bring the ammonia level up to 1.0 and within 24 hours it should be gone.
Ghost feeding or adding a shrimp will take to long to decay and you may never see a amonia spike that way.

Most of the time the nitrites part of the cycle is missed as it spikes and drops to 0 in a blink. But you say you have high Nitrite so ??
Testing error maybe?

I am sure you can find a bottle of pure amonia at the hardware store.

 

[K7BMG]

Just a few questions

What are you using for water? Tap, RO, RO/DI, store bought distilled?
Any water conditioning additives like Prime?
What salt mix?
Do you have any algae growth?
Its running at or close to 78?

 

[ReefKing101]

Just a few questions

What are you using for water? Tap, RO, RO/DI, store bought distilled?
Any water conditioning additives like Prime?
What salt mix?
Do you have any algae growth?
Its running at or close to 78?

Yes RODI water
only additive was Nitro bac (bottle bac)
Oceanforest Reef salt to a salinity of 0.026
there seems to be some algae but i think its old die off from the rock. looks like some wavy thing?
its set at 80f

 

[K7BMG]

Well, like I said your probably cycled.
80 is a bit high for livestock in my opinion.
Would have no effect on cycle.

So besides ghost feeding and I assume toping off evaporation with your RO/DI What have you been doing to the tank anything?
Have you been running your lights?

A lot of times I have found people who do this and that thinking its helping things out.
Most of the time it just delays things.

 

[R&SLreef]

I would direct you to the thread I'm attaching. Use the advice or not it gives good info about what is actually going on during the cycle.

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com