Cycle question..

[tankstudy]

I would recommend waiting for the nitrites to come down below 5 ppm and witnessing the cycle working again,with water changes. 50% water changes are fine but don't do complete water changes. We do not want to drop your 5 ppm to 0 ppm in one go. You still need the nitrites to continue building your nitrite bacteria population.

In this situation we see 0 ammonia and 0 nitrates because the bacteria to break down nitrites is no longer converting it to nitrate because above 5 ppm nitrite as per Dr.Tim, it inhibits those bacteria and the nitrogen cycle stops. As per the instructions, until ammonia and nitrite are both 0 within 24 hours, your cycle isn't complete. If you are seeing nitrite but not nitrate, your cycle is stuck, especially if your testing and your nitrites are above the 5 ppm. Your bacteria for breaking down nitrite maybe there but if nitrite levels are too high, they will stop working/dividing/growing and as a result you are not seeing the waste product they produce, nitrate.

A finished cycle will result in 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite in 24 hours and nitrate as the final product of the cycle but we are seeing 0 ammonia, 5 ppm nitrite and 0 nitrate.

I would recommend sticking to Dr. Tim's instructions but at the end of the day, its really your call.

 

[brandon429]

what test kit brand is used to assess the nitrite, and is nitrite critical when other factors exhibit is my q

also read earlier about this rock being pre seeded in some way before beginning
http://reefbuilders.com/2014/03/13/life-rock-caribsea-purple-reef-rock/



take for example the threads that show the additive prime contributing to false api nitrite readings, various skews...we left nitrite off our cycling thread for this reason, its an unimpactful reading among good ammonia and nitrate readings but I agree opinions vary there. We can find posts of aged tanks getting transient nitrite readings via searches for various reasons and it causes nothing to the tank and much concern to the poster.

 

[tankstudy]

If your concerned that the test kits can't hit 0 or aren't accurate, you can always test them against new salt water which this individual did for ammonia. He was getting numbers with ammonia present but 0 with new water. You can do the same for nitrite. If hes getting 5 ppm for nitrite, he should get 0 with new salt water That is a good way to check your test kits.

 

[GOSKN5]

I am getting nitrates.. and have been since ammonia zeroed out...

I took the gfo offline.. will mix some fresh salt water and test it for nitrites as well...

 

[GOSKN5]

Fresh mixed SW tests nice and blue.. zero nitrites...

 

[GOSKN5]

Changed another 40 gallons or so tonight.. Tested nitrites immediately after and they were definitely lower on the API...

 

[brandon429]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

your tank is cycled in the exact terms of being able to manage an initial regular bioload, and any extra amount of time taken is simply optional. a regular bioload is under 1ppm contributions raw ammonia to the tank, so the tanks are driven to 3x that typically before starting and yours seems to be

the water can simply be large changed again and begin, or begin now since nitrite isn't a large deal/

in addition to the work above I was noticing on any googled aquarium cycling chart the nitrite is in between the ammonia and the nitrate, which is why we were basing our completed cycles on them, nitrite is both an optional test and an optional holdup based on the number of weeks here and the ammonia digestion + nitrate measure.




You cannot have a condition within a cycle where bacteria that reduce ammonia to zero occur for weeks and the nitrate and nitrite versions are missing. Both the original seed source for these nitrifiers and the feed sources (other dying heterotrophic bacteria for one) are all part of the same mix, all you have to know is a timeframe and a starting feed amount (ammonia) and how that metabolizes within 24 hrs using a loading 3x what we'll submit to the actual running tank.

Its no doubt spiking ammonia or other additives can render nitrite higher and seemingly out of whack, but what does a regular bioload do to it after a clean start water change? no spike. even the original spike wasn't a holdup per the article.

under two weeks, sure, things are ironing out. past three and its digesting 3ppm for another week or two proofed, all in 24 hours, done.

 

[GOSKN5]

I'm agreeing that it has cycled to the point of slowly adding livestock.. I am doing the water changes to clear up the water and hopefully lower the nitrites... I'm not planning to add anything before Christmas anyway..

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Im glad it progressing Brother.

I wish learning curves weren't so sharp.

 

[GOSKN5]

Im glad it progressing Brother.

I wish learning curves weren't so sharp.

Haha yea really.. the funny thing is I have had some "successful" tanks in the past... just never started with dry rock.. so I feel like a noob..

Few of my tanks.. nothing amazing.. but working..

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No. those are amazing.
I think it was the rock being seeded.
It happens to all of us. Trust me. There's a reason Ive been on the boards. And finished a tank transfer yesterday.

 

[GOSKN5]

There is definitely some bacterial stuff going on too... cleaning the glass yesterday lots of long stringy slimy looking stuff came off.. mostly attached to the silicone seams

 

[twon8]

I'll give you a rock with some pods and brittlestars and worms. Good to add that before any livestock.

 

[GOSKN5]

Cleared up a bunch and nitrites were finally lower... not zero but lower...

After last water change they didn't drop.. so hopefully this is progress and we are moving along haha..

Planning one more WC to clear water up more.. probably sunday to let settle some...

 

[GOSKN5]

Nitrites finally blue!!! Dropped overnight...

Told yall just needed to be patient

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

 

[GOSKN5]

Soo cloudiness is back.. all parameters are good...

 

[GOSKN5]

Soo cloudiness is back... all levels still good... nitrites 0 ammonia 0 nitrates 5ppm or so... I can see a "powder" moving around in the water column..

I put a sock on my return (couldn't run on drain) and this is what it looked like after about 2 hours.. (was clean) also had a smell to it... fishy algae like smell...

Any thoughts? Bacterial make sock turn brown?

I did a water change about a week ago and it was much clearer.. then about 3 days later cloudy overnight...

 

[GOSKN5]

Any thoughts? Water change or let it go?

 

[GOSKN5]