Cycling, ammonia at 8 ppm 0 nitrites?
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Use of prime causes compounding ammonia readings but binds actual free ammonia, have you used it
Also, interestingly based on your two weeks timeframe, I bet your tank is cycled and can demo that in an ammonia test but you'd have to run it a different way, your current water table is poor for testing. You'd change it all back to known zero
Wait another day then take ammonia reading in what you are certain to be zero ammonia water. This color it reads is calibrated zero.
Dose liquid ammonia in tiny increments, until a water test shows your ammonia slightly risen, say one ppm. A tiny bit only.
Stop dosing
Wait twenty four hours and retest, it's back to calibrated zero and is proof you are cycled (ammonia performance and submersion time are what closes a cycle, no other testing required)
The microbiology of cycling thread says no level of ammonia you accidentally spike is going to harm your cycle, so that's why the stated 8 ppm isn't an alarm. It's either prime or a quad dose from the start, which isn't harmful. The thread also states at three weeks cycle is done using known boosters like bottle bac and ammonia so your two weeks puts you just shy of the timeframe. The timeframe was written conservatively lol I bet your tank passes a calibrated test. All chips in leave with entire weekend comped vegas style bet it'll pass.
Also, interestingly based on your two weeks timeframe, I bet your tank is cycled and can demo that in an ammonia test but you'd have to run it a different way, your current water table is poor for testing. You'd change it all back to known zero
Wait another day then take ammonia reading in what you are certain to be zero ammonia water. This color it reads is calibrated zero.
Dose liquid ammonia in tiny increments, until a water test shows your ammonia slightly risen, say one ppm. A tiny bit only.
Stop dosing
Wait twenty four hours and retest, it's back to calibrated zero and is proof you are cycled (ammonia performance and submersion time are what closes a cycle, no other testing required)
The microbiology of cycling thread says no level of ammonia you accidentally spike is going to harm your cycle, so that's why the stated 8 ppm isn't an alarm. It's either prime or a quad dose from the start, which isn't harmful. The thread also states at three weeks cycle is done using known boosters like bottle bac and ammonia so your two weeks puts you just shy of the timeframe. The timeframe was written conservatively lol I bet your tank passes a calibrated test. All chips in leave with entire weekend comped vegas style bet it'll pass.
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That prob did spike nicely, you can remove the shrimp if you want and just let it cruise another week if you want then change all that water and begin with a light bioload. I'm assuming you added bottle bac is that right
Was it dry rock you used
Was it dry rock you used
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That depends on where you get your cycling info. In my thread we only measure time plus ammonia, and never by the wastewater. Others have you test the waste water and test for all three. Choose a way and proceed either way is ok.
Did you use bottle bac and was your rock dry when you installed it
Did you use bottle bac and was your rock dry when you installed it
Tyguy35
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Sorry I’m a bit confused. I thought that my ammonia was suppose to spike then go down while the nitrites spikes then as they go down my nitrates level it all out. Then do a water change.
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Hey that's a really neat kind of cycle, it's using only natural complement Bac. Filter bac get in the tank all kinds of ways.
I might owe a room fee and dinner tab lol admit that's funny
You should wait the full month on that type of cycle since only natural systems are providing bac
Shrimp degrading produces all kinds of different readings vs liquid ammonia use, so triple testing will be ripe for misreads. I use another way to cycle, it's simpler. If your tank was mine I would put another shrimp in but only after changing this current water and prime mix. Don't use prime on next round. Make new water, shrimp, and wait two weeks then change out that water and it will be ready for testing or a light start.
Nitrite and nitrate are predictable off ammonia and # days underwater, we can see from all cycling charts online. You can solve portions of a cycle like an equation if you know ammonia and time, that's the trick we are using.
Testers didn't state on the directions that prime causes misreads, it's why I won't use the old way anymore. Using shrimp is different than clean cycling with bottle bac and liquid ammonia, so the recommend for your tank comes from a custom recommend. Can't wait to see how it does on day 30 / ready date.
I might owe a room fee and dinner tab lol admit that's funny
You should wait the full month on that type of cycle since only natural systems are providing bac
Shrimp degrading produces all kinds of different readings vs liquid ammonia use, so triple testing will be ripe for misreads. I use another way to cycle, it's simpler. If your tank was mine I would put another shrimp in but only after changing this current water and prime mix. Don't use prime on next round. Make new water, shrimp, and wait two weeks then change out that water and it will be ready for testing or a light start.
Nitrite and nitrate are predictable off ammonia and # days underwater, we can see from all cycling charts online. You can solve portions of a cycle like an equation if you know ammonia and time, that's the trick we are using.
Testers didn't state on the directions that prime causes misreads, it's why I won't use the old way anymore. Using shrimp is different than clean cycling with bottle bac and liquid ammonia, so the recommend for your tank comes from a custom recommend. Can't wait to see how it does on day 30 / ready date.
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Good, seed is a good product. Really there's nothing left to do but wait, nothing can prevent your cycle from happening by the dates listed on common cycling charts, you've arranged all the stuff correctly. How it all tests in the interim doesn't matter. Change water at the end, 3-4 weeks is ok your choice, and that's cycled. To prove it you'd have to use liquid ammonia for exact control and the calibration steps above
