Cycle question

markysgirl · Jan 25, 2020

Good morning ,
I started the cycle on my new tank on January 12th.
I'm using Dr. Tim's fishless cycling method.
I just want to make sure I am thinking about what I am seeing correctly because I think I have a broken Salifert NH4 test kit.
My test kit has been saying I have 1.5ppm NH4 since the first day. However, my values as of yesterday were:
Salinity 1.025
pH 8.15
NH3 1.5
NO2 .5
NO3 100
I got a Seachem ammonia badge and it is in the "alert" color so <.5

It seems to me the cycle is pretty much completed since I have a huge amount of nitrates. Am I thinking about this correctly?
I am going to go pick up another test kit as soon as I am done with my coffee so I can check with another kit.
Nitrates that high are making me itch. I am planning for a 20% water change today (all the saltwater I have today) and a 40% change tomorrow and then check values again.
Please let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Quietman · Jan 25, 2020

Sounds spot on. I think you're right, but you wanting check it anyway warms my heart and restores my faith in humanity.

Changing the water won't hurt cycle, just make sure there's enough ammonia to feed the bacteria (which there will be more than likely). Also make sure you feed bacteria ammonia every few days (1 ppm is all) once cycle is complete until you get fish in.

Good luck!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 25, 2020

markysgirl said:
Good morning ,
I started the cycle on my new tank on January 12th.
I'm using Dr. Tim's fishless cycling method.
I just want to make sure I am thinking about what I am seeing correctly because I think I have a broken Salifert NH4 test kit.
My test kit has been saying I have 1.5ppm NH4 since the first day. However, my values as of yesterday were:
Salinity 1.025
pH 8.15
NH3 1.5
NO2 .5
NO3 100
I got a Seachem ammonia badge and it is in the "alert" color so <.5

It seems to me the cycle is pretty much completed since I have a huge amount of nitrates. Am I thinking about this correctly?
I am going to go pick up another test kit as soon as I am done with my coffee so I can check with another kit.
Nitrates that high are making me itch. I am planning for a 20% water change today (all the saltwater I have today) and a 40% change tomorrow and then check values again.
Please let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance for your help.

the nitrate is not as high as you post. 0.5 ppm nitrite can show up on many nitrate kits as 50 ppm nitrate or more. I’d wait until nitrite is gone before nitrate testing.

markysgirl · Jan 25, 2020

So I went and picked up a new NH3 test this morning and after I did a 30% water change and it's at 2ppm on the new test.
I'm not sure what to think now.

markysgirl · Jan 26, 2020

Just wanted to leave an update.
I did a 20g water change and I was able to get my skimmer going for the first time yesterday afternoon and that changed a ton of stuff with the tank.
There was a gross odor off and on for about an hour after I started the skimmer and this morning the tank looks amazing!
The water has cleared up, it's not smelly and my numbers are finally moving in a direction that makes sense.
NH3 0.5
NO2 0.1
NO3 100
The little Seachem badge is turning yellow (safe) as well.
I wonder if there was inadequate gas exchange going on?
Anyway. The cycle continues, I've turned the lights on and have some macroalgea in the refugium. I'm adding phytoplankton to the sump once a day (when I remember) to feed pods.
My QT tank is continuing to cycle and I'm hoping to be able to get some next Saturday, we will see.