Cycling is weird

[Slocke]

So I bought a used tank with live rock and and the surviving clean up crew from someone who gave up. I refilled it 3 weeks ago and added the rocks and cleanup crew. Everything in the tank seems healthy but my test results don’t make sense.
I test the water each day and every day I get the same results: ammonia 0.25 ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate started at 0 increased to about 7 ppm.
This seems wrong, why is everything constant except nitrate?

I added a bottle of Tims bacteria on day 1 and have fed the mostly empty tank since. Two weeks in added another small bottle of Tim’s. Algae and coral began growing when I first turned my lights on and 2 days ago I got diatoms in the sand. I use 0 tds rodi water.
What is happening? Is this normal??

 

[Cell]

False positive ammonia test. You are cycled. Dr. Tim's takes about 10 days.

 

[BanjoBandito]

So it's pretty typical to get an ammonia reading constantly from test kits. It can't distinguish between the two types of ammonia. Sounds like you are starting your journey into the "ugly phase" as the diatoms work to build a biome for you. If it's showing nitrates and no nitrites/ammonia, you are most likely cycled. Did you keep the live rock submerged and/or cured? If not, it could be nutrient spikes from die off that is causing the confusion.

 

[Slocke]

The live rock was out of water for an hour or so.
Everything in the tank acts really healthy so I’m hoping you both are right

 

[Cell]

If you have doubt, just wait another week and you will have gone 4 weeks, which is enough time to cycle a tank with just a shrimp and no bottled bac or boosters of any sort.

 

[Slocke]

Thank you!!

 

[Slocke]

So I tested ammonia on some fresh rodi saltwater and got the exact same .25ppm!!!
That’s a massive relief.

it did get a 0ppm of my very established freshwater aquarium though. So I’m not sure what’s happening but as long as it matches very clean saltwater I’m happy

 

[Danroo]

So I tested ammonia on some fresh rodi saltwater and got the exact same .25ppm!!!
That’s a massive relief.

it did get a 0ppm of my very established freshwater aquarium though. So I’m not sure what’s happening but as long as it matches very clean saltwater I’m happy

Check the tds on Your Rodi unit.

 

[Cell]

The other workaround is to measure ammonia and record the number which becomes your new baseline. Then dose a known and measurable amount of ammonia and retest to verify the increase. Wait a day, and test again. If the level dropped back to your 'new baseline' you are good to go.

 

[Dburr1014]

So I tested ammonia on some fresh rodi saltwater and got the exact same .25ppm!!!
That’s a massive relief.

it did get a 0ppm of my very established freshwater aquarium though. So I’m not sure what’s happening but as long as it matches very clean saltwater I’m happy

Let me guess, API test kit.
Always wrong, you're cycled.

 

[Slocke]

Check the tds on Your Rodi unit.

0tds

 

[Slocke]

Let me guess, API test kit.
Always wrong, you're cycled.

Yes

 

[Slocke]

Now the question is why does my API “saltwater master test kit” work on freshwater but not saltwater

ah well thanks as always

 

[Dburr1014]

Now the question is why does my API “saltwater master test kit” work on freshwater but not saltwater

ah well thanks as always

They are just cheap kits.
When you get some money and time invest some better kits.

 

[Azedenkae]

Now the question is why does my API “saltwater master test kit” work on freshwater but not saltwater

It is very common to read 0.25ppm ammonia when it is basically none. Some people see this for years then suddenly 0, or vice versa.

Some see 0 in one tank but 0.25 in another, both established. Sometimes it's freshwater, sometimes it's saltwater. It is literally just a thing that people basically ignore if ammonia does not actually climb higher than 0.25ppm.

 

[Slocke]

Saga is complete. Went to LFS. Got water tested it all looks good. No ammonia. Bought my first fish and a new and different ammonia test kit

 

[Spare time]

API ammonia test causes some precipitation of the sample which can lead the sample to look like 0.25 to some. It's more of a reading error rather than a "false positive" in my opinion because it very repeatable across api ammonia tests. An experienced api user can tell a true 0 or not. Its just not a friendly kit for those who haven't used it before. It seems most of the people who complain about api havent used their test kits thoroughly (ive done their ammonia test several hundred times). The rock was probably fine out of water for an hour and combining that with one and only means you shouldn't see any spike in ammonia or nitrite. This is why I always recommend testing nitrite during a cycle, because it tells you what is going on with ammonia and nitrate indirectly.