Cycle question..
- Thread starter GOSKN5
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Jlobes
5000 Club Member
This +1.
Whatnow
Active Member
Give it about another week then if still up then do a 25% WC but it seemed like mine stayed up high for a while and then one day I saw it come down to .5 ppm then the next day it was 0 ppm nitrites so hang in there.
An interesting way to see that posted data is to search out the accuracy of API test kits for nitrite
They are easily adulterated (the doser prime, for example if used in tank) and really only help indicate very large abnormal shifts. Nitrite isn't particularly harmful in a cycling tank, per the nitrite threads. So from the posted data and the fact the bottle doser could have been added a few times along with verified 4ppm ammonia means it needs more time I think. If it was my tank and per this thread, I'd hit it with no water change, a boost of ammonia to 3 ish ppm, more bac and seek that digestion test outcome
http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...rimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/#post-2493698
Nitrites weren't mentioned in there for a reason
Less testing errors to mislead, and it's not important to measure I'll never own a test for nitrite as long as I reef. Only nitrate and ammonia zero down from 4 ppm, and how long that took, matters regarding the ends you want (a start date, some corals and a fish!)
They are easily adulterated (the doser prime, for example if used in tank) and really only help indicate very large abnormal shifts. Nitrite isn't particularly harmful in a cycling tank, per the nitrite threads. So from the posted data and the fact the bottle doser could have been added a few times along with verified 4ppm ammonia means it needs more time I think. If it was my tank and per this thread, I'd hit it with no water change, a boost of ammonia to 3 ish ppm, more bac and seek that digestion test outcome
http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...rimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/#post-2493698
Nitrites weren't mentioned in there for a reason
Less testing errors to mislead, and it's not important to measure I'll never own a test for nitrite as long as I reef. Only nitrate and ammonia zero down from 4 ppm, and how long that took, matters regarding the ends you want (a start date, some corals and a fish!)
OP
OP
GOSKN5
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2012
- Messages
- 974
- Reaction score
- 791
It's my understanding that nitrates won't go down without water changes or a media like biopellets etc... am i mixing up the two? Nitrites have to drop on their own as part of the cycle right? Then you perform a large water change to drop nitrates which are often mis tested by API... ???
All those summaries are accurate there's just a little variance that's all, few different ways to get to the end. That exact way you mentioned is popular and fine, testing all three. My link focuses mainly on ammonia being gauged and the other two params falling in place regardless of a water change or not. Nitrate as you said needs simple export, or plant binding, and in rare cases it can be reduced in tank. Ammonia needs to be demonstrated to be digested to true zero non API within 24 hours down from 3ish ppm or 4 again some variance is ok.
We literally ignore nitrite totally in many cycle threads only because of its non harmful ionic state (ammonia is bad) and because of low quality test kit errors we see people thinking their cycle stalled when it didn't. Nitrite is an option to test or even measure, but ammonia isn't, and nitrate is unimpactful to the cycle even if you didn't export it. That's algae fuel though, so export is common but nitrate can't retroscale a cycle so whether you leave it in or out doesn't matter to the bacteria.
We literally ignore nitrite totally in many cycle threads only because of its non harmful ionic state (ammonia is bad) and because of low quality test kit errors we see people thinking their cycle stalled when it didn't. Nitrite is an option to test or even measure, but ammonia isn't, and nitrate is unimpactful to the cycle even if you didn't export it. That's algae fuel though, so export is common but nitrate can't retroscale a cycle so whether you leave it in or out doesn't matter to the bacteria.
Yes it's all really so forgiving is the best thing about it, these bacteria begin even if we add no bottle bac
Adding bottle bac gave us a time benefit. Waiting it out might be advantageous since the water is higher in organics now and non filtration bacteria, standard contamination bacteria, not as adapted as filtration bacteria so they die and rot and become ammonia which feeds adapted filtration and biodigestion bacteria.
Eventually you'll want to care for the water because of algae not because of bacteria one way or the other
We did time alteration, speed up, by adding it but they get in, and find food, even if we add nothing but water and wait.
Ecological cross contamination natural mode
Many vectors in, and out of our tanks constantly, sharing.
Just to tie in the linked thread, even if you did a 100% water change it wouldn't hurt, the tank could just be respiked with ammonium chloride \tims and the process resumed
In this case not doing one simply saves you work. Knowing that you started an unstoppable cycle with only time as a variance gives you full freedom to do any
Being able to do the digestion test repeatedly for two solid weeks means the other two are OK even if you don't test for trite or trate. The tank could run some bioload.
Don't let a nitrite reading hold you up if your tank has processed ammonia to zero for two weeks, doubt the test and move on if levels aren't excessive, and I've never cared to measure the levels at all.
Adding bottle bac gave us a time benefit. Waiting it out might be advantageous since the water is higher in organics now and non filtration bacteria, standard contamination bacteria, not as adapted as filtration bacteria so they die and rot and become ammonia which feeds adapted filtration and biodigestion bacteria.
Eventually you'll want to care for the water because of algae not because of bacteria one way or the other
We did time alteration, speed up, by adding it but they get in, and find food, even if we add nothing but water and wait.
Ecological cross contamination natural mode
Many vectors in, and out of our tanks constantly, sharing.
Just to tie in the linked thread, even if you did a 100% water change it wouldn't hurt, the tank could just be respiked with ammonium chloride \tims and the process resumed
In this case not doing one simply saves you work. Knowing that you started an unstoppable cycle with only time as a variance gives you full freedom to do any
Being able to do the digestion test repeatedly for two solid weeks means the other two are OK even if you don't test for trite or trate. The tank could run some bioload.
Don't let a nitrite reading hold you up if your tank has processed ammonia to zero for two weeks, doubt the test and move on if levels aren't excessive, and I've never cared to measure the levels at all.
Last edited:
Po or bacterial bloom
Jlobes
5000 Club Member
im going with bacterial bloom, even though no pics. My tank went super cloudy for a day, right when it started to really process nitrites, so hopefully youre on the way!
Nice scape. I assume you have the flow going in there.
You said it was dry rock. It's Got a lot of color for dry.
You said it was dry rock. It's Got a lot of color for dry.
Yea it does look good. Have to read more on it.
I was curious. wondering if it had anything to do with your cycle. It comes seeded with bacteria already.
IMO I like to grow it.
I was curious. wondering if it had anything to do with your cycle. It comes seeded with bacteria already.
IMO I like to grow it.
