Cycling is killin me

[eqbal9947]

Okay
I’ve been cycling for a god dang month or more
Added Dr.Tim’s Ammonia went to 0 from 1.5 after 3 weeks and nitrites will not go down after waiting for a month
I added more ammonium chloride to verify that cycling was taking place and it’s gone down from 1.5 ppm to 1 ppm in a span of 3 days.
I’ve been told I can add fish but not sure if I can when nitrites won’t convert to nitrates.

 

[Garf]

Okay
I’ve been cycling for a god dang month or more
Added Dr.Tim’s Ammonia went to 0 from 1.5 after 3 weeks and nitrites will not go down after waiting for a month
I added more ammonium chloride to verify that cycling was taking place and it’s gone down from 1.5 ppm to 1 ppm in a span of 3 days.
I’ve been told I can add fish but not sure if I can when nitrites won’t convert to nitrates.

Put a pic of the tank up, if you can

 

[jrill]

What have you added bacteria wise

 

[MnFish1]

Okay
I’ve been cycling for a god dang month or more
Added Dr.Tim’s Ammonia went to 0 from 1.5 after 3 weeks and nitrites will not go down after waiting for a month
I added more ammonium chloride to verify that cycling was taking place and it’s gone down from 1.5 ppm to 1 ppm in a span of 3 days.
I’ve been told I can add fish but not sure if I can when nitrites won’t convert to nitrates.

1. What kind of tests are you using? Are you sure you're doing it correctly?
2. When you first added Dr. Tims (the first day) - did you measure your ammonia?
3. What kind of bacteria did you use to 'start the tank' after adding the ammonia?
4. How high are your nitrites? And your nitrates?

Generally - after a month - you should be cycled 'no matter what'. So the most likely possibilities:

1. Testing error or bad tests (have you verified them)?
2. If you dosed Dr. Tim;s ammonia via the directions - you could have easily overdosed - which can kill certain nitrifying bacteria (or stunt them)
3. Nitrate and nitrite tests can interfere with each other and cause false results.
4. If your nitrite really IS high - it means your ammonia is being converted.
5. Nitrite is not toxic in saltwater.

Your post was not clear exactly what you were measuring - I'm assuming you added ammonia after the ammonia went from 1.5 to 0 in 3 weeks (which is quite long) - then you added more ammonia - and it went from 1.5-1.0 in 3 days (which is also 'long'.

 

[EricR]

Personally, I'd prefer to see the expected ammonia -> nitrites -> nitrates cycle before adding livestock. (I get that some people cycle with fish but that's a different topic).

FWIW -- I didn't even use bottled bacteria the first time and saw the expected cycle happen. (I think it took 6-8 weeks in my case using the ol' decaying chunk of shrimp method)

*seems like some type(s) of bacteria aren't doing their job yet

 

[MnFish1]

Put a pic of the tank up, if you can

I don't disagree with this - but I'm curious what are you expecting to see?

 

[Garf]

I don't disagree with this - but I'm curious what are you expecting to see?

Maybe low surface area

 

[Garf]

Maybe this had an effect;

PH stability

Helloo everyone. I am cycling my tank and am having a hard time getting PH to 8.3. I bought seachem buffer and basically emptied the whole thing into my waterbox 220.6 and still at PH of 8.0 I dont think its a huge problem right now, but what should I use as a newbie day to day for when my fish...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[CallMeLloyd]

Here is my day by day, I started about 40 days ago. Maybe you can compare and know were you went wrong?

55 Gallon Breeder
I am using a RODI system, 45 lbs of dry rock & 40 lbs of sand

*Temp 78.4-79.2 on all days
***Water volume in tank 45-48 gallons
(4/26/22)
DAY 1: Added whole bottle of Dr. Tims "One & Only" Bacteria & 2 Teaspoons (200 Drops) of Ammonia
DAY 2: pH 7.8, Ammonia 1.0, Nitrite 0-0.25, Nitrate 0
DAY 3: pH 7.8, Ammonia 2.0, Nitrite 0-0.25, Nitrate 0 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
DAY 4: pH 7.8, Ammonia 2.0, Nitrite 1.0, Nitrate 20
DAY 5: pH 7.8, Ammonia 1.0, Nitrite 2.0, Nitrate 20
DAY 6: pH 7.8, Ammonia 1.0, Nitrite 2.0, Nitrate 20 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
DAY 7: pH 7.8, Ammonia 1.0, Nitrite 5.0, Nitrate 20
DAY 8: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 5.0, Nitrate 20
DAY 9: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 2.0, Nitrate 40
DAY 10: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.5-1.0, Nitrate 40
DAY 11: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.25-0.5, Nitrate 40
DAY 12: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0-0.25, Nitrite 0-0.25, Nitrate 40 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
DAY 13: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0.5, Nitrite 1.0-2.0, Nitrate 40 (Installed Canister Filter & Added about 3 gal of water)
DAY 14: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 1.0, Nitrate 40 (Noticed brown spots on sand & a few rocks)
(Noticed I was not performing the API tests correctly) *READ DIRECTIONS*
DAY 15: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0-0.25, Nitrite 0.5, Nitrate 40
DAY 16: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia, Changed rocks around, Stirred sand) *Helped with bubble issue*
Day 17: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 0.5-1.0, Nitrate 40 (Added more Dr. Tims "One & Only")
Out of town Day 18-20
Day 21: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 48-80 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 22: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0.25, 1.0 Nitrite , Nitrate 40-80
Day 23: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.25, Nitrate 40-80 (5:11pm)
Day 23: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40-80 (10:26pm) (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 24: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.50, Nitrate 40-80 **Ammonia went to 0 in 24 hours after a dose**
Day 25: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 26: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0.25, Nitrite 0.50, Nitrate 80
Day 27: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0-0.25, Nitrate 80 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 28: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.25, Nitrate 80 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 29: pH 7.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.50-1.0, Nitrate 80
Day 30: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80-160 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 31: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.50-1.0, Nitrate 80-160
Day 32: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80-160 (Added 2 pinches of fish flakes)
Day 33: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80-160 (Added 2 teaspoons Ammonia)
Day 34: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 1.0, Nitrate 160
Day 35: DID NOT TEST
Day 36: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 160 (Did a 35% WC/15 Gallons)
Day 37: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 80 (Did a 45% WC/20 Gallons)
Day 38: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20-40 (ADDED 2 EXTREME ONYX PICASSO CLOWNFISH)
Day 39: pH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20
Day 40: 6/3/22 *Have not tested today yet*

 

[EricR]

Just a question out of my own ignorance (since I've never done the liquid ammonia + bottled bac method):

Is the purposeful 2nd ammonia spike "recommended" on the bacteria instructions or do people do that just to double-check that the bacteria is acting as expected?

 

[KStatefan]

Just a question out of my own ignorance (since I've never done the liquid ammonia + bottled bac method):

Is the purposeful 2nd ammonia spike "recommended" on the bacteria instructions or do people do that just to double-check that the bacteria is acting as expected?

It is on Dr Tims

 

[dvgyfresh]

Fritz turbo start , can add livestock after one day

 

[Cell]

0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, since day 32. You wanted to wait for nitrite to process and it is. What am I missing here?

Nitrite is not harmful to saltwater fish. You are ready to start stocking slowly. You could have started stocking around day 11. Moving forward, no need to waste money on cycle starter bacteria if you are going to wait a full month anyway.

 

[EricR]

0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, since day 32. You wanted to wait for nitrite to process and it is. What am I missing here?

Nitrite is not harmful to saltwater fish. You are ready to start stocking slowly. You could have started stocking around day 11. Moving forward, no need to waste money on cycle starter bacteria if you are going to wait a full month anyway.

Post #9 was a user showing their (tracked) cycle for reference -- which is what I think would be "expected"

OP hasn't ever seen nitrite converted to nitrate yet -- which is what I think the concern is.

...although I could have easily missed something

 

[Cell]

Ah you are right, I didn't realize that was a different poster, thanks!

 

[CallMeLloyd]

Okay
I’ve been cycling for a god dang month or more
Added Dr.Tim’s Ammonia went to 0 from 1.5 after 3 weeks and nitrites will not go down after waiting for a month
I added more ammonium chloride to verify that cycling was taking place and it’s gone down from 1.5 ppm to 1 ppm in a span of 3 days.
I’ve been told I can add fish but not sure if I can when nitrites won’t convert to nitrates.

I am very new as well but from what I have read, I wouldn't add any more Ammonia until your Nitrites drop to almost 0. Because you're adding more Ammonia it's just piling up the Nitrites?

 

[Cell]

Bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate takes the longest to establish. You can safely stock in the presence of nitrite, it is not harmful to saltwater fish at the levels we experience.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Yes I think overdosing, just do not add any more ammonia and let it ride out to balance, just leave it alone, API test kits great for around about figure but salifert more accurate so look into buying.
Don't add any more chemicals and give it a few days/ week then test again

 

[MnFish1]

The problem is that you (I think) added way too much Dr. Tim's at the start. the recommended dose is 4 drops per gallon - which for a approx 50 gallon tank would be - 200 drops as you said. (or 2 teaspoons). Assuming you used a 2 ounce bottle - that is supposed to cycle 100 gallons - and you only have 45-48 gallons.
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding 'what you did' - but you

Yes I think overdosing, just do not add any more ammonia and let it ride out to balance, just leave it alone, API test kits great for around about figure but salifert more accurate so look into buying.
Don't add any more chemicals and give it a few days/ week then test again

Do we know this is an PI test?

 

[MnFish1]

From the OP - its completely unclear exactly where 'anything' is. BUT - I agree with everyone else - after 30+ days - barring an error - the tank should be cycled - and no more fish added.