Cycling Miracle?

[Musovski]

Im a little confused.
So i use the API Test kit, just ordered a red sea ammonia test and the hanna nitrite tester.

this morning my nitrites were at 5 ppm+, i tested again just now and they are at 0ppm, i tested it 5 times to make sure. Can this be?

 

[tiggs]

It depends on how far along your cycle is. At the very beginning, you should see high ammonia, low nitrites, and low nitrates. As it progresses, you should see some ammonia, but a spike in nitrites, and some nitrates. Towards the end, you'll have no ammonia, low nitrites, and high nitrates. When it's complete, you'll have no ammonia or nitrites, then only nitrates in your system. It essentially goes through spikes in each parameter, until only nitrates are showing up on tests. The pattern you're describing would make sense if you were towards the end of your cycle.

It's also worth mentioning that it might make sense to try and return the Hanna nitrite tester if that's an option. Unless you're planning on cycling tanks on a somewhat regular basis, you'll probably never use it again once cycle is complete.

 

[Jason mack]

Hhhhmmmm anything is possible , but without knowing a little more background info .... how when was the tank started ?
What was it started with ?
Have you had ammonia sourc in the tank ?
Have you tested for nitrates which would spike after a nitrite spike ?
Here’s a link for you too read on cycling
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cycling-an-aquarium.306554/

 

[Reefing Madness]

Only if you used Fully Cured Live Rock.
Did you dose ammonia to the tank?

 

[Musovski]

Tank has been up for 2 weeks, nitrate spiked up to 160ppm. Ammonia has been dosed to 2ppm. Not everyday though. Had a nitrite spike which stayed high for about 9 days including today. Used Caribsea Life Rock and Caribsea Live sand. Dosed Colony BB about a week ago.

 

[KrisReef]

I'm not sure how you got 5ppm on the nitrite checker, the range from their site is 0-1 ppm?

"The HI3873 is a colorimetric chemical test kit that determines the nitrite concentration in samples within a 0.0 to 1.0 mg/L (ppm) range as nitrite-nitrogen (NO2--N). The HI3873 is a colorimetric chemical test kit that determines the nitrite concentration in samples within a 0.0 to 1.0 mg/L (ppm) range as nitrite-nitrogen (NO2--N). "

 

[Musovski]

I'm not sure how you got 5ppm on the nitrite checker, the range from their site is 0-1 ppm?

"The HI3873 is a colorimetric chemical test kit that determines the nitrite concentration in samples within a 0.0 to 1.0 mg/L (ppm) range as nitrite-nitrogen (NO2--N). The HI3873 is a colorimetric chemical test kit that determines the nitrite concentration in samples within a 0.0 to 1.0 mg/L (ppm) range as nitrite-nitrogen (NO2--N). "

 

[Musovski]

I thing y’all misunderstood me. I use the API tester. I ordered the Hanna and Red Sea because I heard this test kit was faulty. Which is why I’m asking if this was possible?


Edit: This wont be my first tank so i guess keeping the hanna tester should be good.

 

[KrisReef]

I thing y’all misunderstood me. I use the API tester. I ordered the Hanna and Red Sea because I heard this test kit was faulty. Which is why I’m asking if this was possible?


Edit: This wont be my first tank so i guess keeping the hanna tester should be good.

If you have not used the Hanna Nitrite Checker yet and can, I would send it back. Once the tank bacteria population are established, you will only test for ammonia and nitrate, and hopefully only find the latter.

The tank "cycle" is the establishment of various microbe populations that metabolize nitrogenous waste, with the end goal being measured as nitrate. Once you are producing nitrates, you will also have the bacteria that produce nitrites as nitrite metabolism is the middle step in the chain of removing ammonia waste products on the way to nitrate.

I agree I misunderstood your post.

I was thinking that you might have recorded your nitrate level (5ppm) in the nitrite column of a tank spreadsheet in the first measurement, or else something else had gone wrong as it does not make sense that the nitrite would disappear and you wouldn't have nitrates showing in a new set up.

 

[Musovski]

Ok. Sounds good.

 

[beaslbob]

Im a little confused.
So i use the API Test kit, just ordered a red sea ammonia test and the hanna nitrite tester.

this morning my nitrites were at 5 ppm+, i tested again just now and they are at 0ppm, i tested it 5 times to make sure. Can this be?

IME nitrItes fall like a rock once they start down. 5PPM was also the highest on my test kit so they could have actually been much higher and started dropping some time ago. You just caught them on their was down. Once at 0 they should just stay there.

my .02

 

[Musovski]

ok, so i dosed ammonia again yesterday after i saw nitrites at 0. ammonia was dosed to 2ppm. over night ammonia dropped to .25, nitrites got to 5.0ppm on this API test again and arent moving.... This being 24 hours later. i will give it the benefit of the doubt that it is like that because its a new tank. But im starting to think that this API test kit is faulty.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

2ppm of ammonia should convert to about 5 ppm of nitrite. That makes sense. If the nitrite isn't falling, just give it some time. 2 weeks for a cycle isn't that long. The bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate are slower to grow. It may take a couple of days to get the nitrite back down to 0 ppm. I would get a better test kit for ammonia and nitrate. Nitrite isn't harmful to saltwater fish in the amounts you are talking about. If your tank can cycle 2 ppm of ammonia to 0 ppm of ammonia in 24 hours using a reliable test kit, then your tank is ready for a CUC. Just start slow.