Cycle stuck or done? Help

[shrive81]

Ok I know how much you guys love threads about cycling tanks so I figured I would add another one hahahaha.... so I started my cycle with dr Tim’s and his ammonia 8 days ago... I dosed as directed... in the beginning I was having problems with the amonia tests as one read high and one read none so I switched to api and the ammonia levels have been stuck around 1ppm for the last 3-4 days

I did check and had these results today
Nitrite at .25
Nitrate at 10-20ppm


not sure if I should wait it out longer or get another bottle of dr time or biosphere or add more ammonia. I’m lost hahaha

any help would be awesome

 

[lapin]

My guess you are done with the first part of cycling.
Cycling is a long process that never ends.
You can prob add a small fish or if you have some algae growing then a few snails or something.
If you are wanting corals then I would wait until yuour tank is more stable. That comes with time.

.........if I should wait it out longer or get another bottle of dr time or biosphere or add more ammonia.

You could add anything you want. If you add ammonia dont add livestock.

 

[Reef.]

You added Dr Tim’s one and only?

You want a zero ammonia reading before adding anything, I would be sure it’s zero, then to be sure add ammonia to 2ppm see if it clears after 24 hours then you can do a water change before adding anything.

 

[shrive81]

Ya my tests for ammonia have been all
Over the place depending on what test kit I use but seems like the ammonia levels have stabilized and steady at the current levels and after doing some reading sounds like one option is to do a 100% water change and then add fish does this sound crazy or should I just sit and wait for another week

 

[lapin]

Well........ by waiting a week or 2, then the big water change, you can QT your fish and let the tank become more stable before adding fish to the mix.

 

[Reef.]

Ya my tests for ammonia have been all
Over the place depending on what test kit I use but seems like the ammonia levels have stabilized and steady at the current levels and after doing some reading sounds like one option is to do a 100% water change and then add fish does this sound crazy or should I just sit and wait for another week

wait, don’t do the water change.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

API will typically register ammonia because the test is poop. Reading zero on another test means you are good to go. You can likely do a large water change to remove nitrates and add some fish.

 

[Garf]

What tank you got, any pics? I would wait and be certain it’s ready.

 

[shrive81]

Ya these are what I’m getting among three different ammonia test kits

salifert- zero to MAYBE .25
Api- 1ppm
Geismann - 1ppm

 

[shrive81]

What tank you got, any pics? I would wait and be certain it’s ready.

I have a 100 gallon mode tank with sump but total water volume is about 100 gallons

 

[shrive81]

What tank you got, any pics? I would wait and be certain it’s ready.

Tank

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I think API recently adjusted their chart so I may have to check myself before I wreck myself. I would wait a few days and recheck. The main thing I look for in a cycle is my tanks ability to process ammonia and no readable ammonia the day before adding fish.
You could absolutely do a 100% wc and drop in fish but I would be hesitant to recommend that as Lapin mentioned the bacterial populations are not stable.

 

[terraincognita]

little confused.

But just to make sure you're not operating off of other information someone gave you about the "cycle."

1. Don't do any WC's during a cycle if you have no livestock.

2. If you HAD Ammonia in your water, were not doing WC's and it has now dropped to 1ppm or less than 1ppm you are done with the "intial" cycle needed in order to support life in your tank.

3. Regarding the "cycle" the nitrification cycle and what we refer to, the intial "nitrification cycle" in your tank by converting ammonia into NO3 then NO4 is complete.

4. The "cycle" of your tank will continue as @lapin said, but I dont call that the "cycle" anymore. I refer to the cycle as the initial nitrification cycle. You will go through other stages of an establishing ecosystem within your reef tank now. including the "uglies" stage of nuisance algae growth, but you shouldn't go through another nitrification cycle, unless you have an ammonia spike due to death, or too much bioload, then resuting in a "mini cycle" in which your tank rapidly try to correct and convert the large new amount of ammonia adding etc. This Can happen but is not supposed to happen this is caused by your errors.

Also as you add more bioload, more bacteria will grow to support the bioload etc. this is probably what is meant by the ever "continuing" cycle.

 

[shrive81]

Ya I had an I tail spike in ammonia when I added based on the geismann test kit but it has since stabilized at 1ppm.... so I feel like the intial cycle is finished but obviously their is more to be done it’s crazy how nothing is ever straight forward or a right or wrong answer hahaha

 

[Garf]

Tank

Is that a massive heater in the display? I would put a couple of smaller ones in the sump, with a controller, personally. That said, it looks like you already know what you’re doing.

 

[KrisReef]

Ya my tests for ammonia have been all
Over the place depending on what test kit I use but seems like the ammonia levels have stabilized and steady at the current levels and after doing some reading sounds like one option is to do a 100% water change and then add fish does this sound crazy or should I just sit and wait for another week

Wait another week and shut the light out if they are on until then The only thing they will grow is algae.

The cycle is moving along. The cloudy tank looks like the bacteria are working. Time is your friend. Maybe by the end of next week throw out the ammonia tests and add fish!

 

[terraincognita]

Is that a massive heater in the display? I would put a couple of smaller ones in the sump, with a controller, personally. That said, it looks like you already know what you’re doing.

the secret to heaters in sumps so they fit btw is to lay them sideways.

 

[shrive81]

Is that a massive heater in the display? I would put a couple of smaller ones in the sump, with a controller, personally. That said, it looks like you already know what you’re doing.

The heater in the displa was just for the cycle to help keep the water at 84 degrees I have a 300 watt in the sump that will stay in during normal operation the one in the display will be pulled out

 

[shrive81]

Wait another week and shut the light out if they are on until then The only thing they will grow is algae.

The cycle is moving along. The cloudy tank looks like the bacteria are working. Time is your friend. Maybe by the end of next week throw out the ammonia tests and add fish!

The cloudy tank is actually from micro bubbles cause I fired up the new protein skimmer to test and make sure it is operating properly the water is crystal clear otherwise plus the iPhone camera kinda sucks hahaha

 

[shrive81]

the secret to heaters in sumps so they fit btw is to lay them sideways.

Ya see the comment above the one in the display was just to help with the elevated temps during cycle already have a 300 watt in the sump