Cycling Question - possible 2nd cycle?

[smoothie7]

Tank is 6 weeks running. On 5/14 ammonia was .08 and Nitrite was .02. I really thought we were at the end of the cycle. Each week, the numbers were falling. Keep in mind, these were using Hanna Testers. I'm sure on API, using the color tests, people would have all said they were both at zero.
Now this weeks tests shows ammonia at .14 and nitrite .06. Both have risen since last week. It seems like its going through another cycle? I have heard some people using Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter7. Looking for thoughts and opinion the tests as well as the product. Thanks.
*Side note, I have a second tank that was set up a week after this one and it is showing the same type of behavior.

 

[brandon429]

Not a recycle. This is the normal flux for a running, stocked and fed reef.

The tell in your description isn't the test ranges provided, I'd have said the same thing if you posted higher readings, it's the clue: six weeks.

There are no failed cycles at six weeks in a stocked, running tank, ever. Nobody can link us an example of a failed six week cycle, that means there aren't any. Test kit readings at the hundredths level on any kit you're using at six weeks are fine. They'll change and find new baselines, sometimes it's the test kit and not the reef tank changing.

Cease testing for ammonia for the life of this reef, strong recommendation. It'll save you concerns for things that won't happen. No more testing for nitrite either, time to move on to other parameters to test but no more ammonia or nitrite- those will be fine given normal running conditions. If things get abnormal, such as a power outage, tracking ammonia isn't going to help/a back up power supply is what will help... meaning the testing isn't used for anything after six weeks time, in a reef tank display specifically.

 

[TX_REEF]

ammonia shouldn't rise unless you added something to the tank or if something died - what's in the tank now/did you add anything?

 

[Garf]

Tank is 6 weeks running. On 5/14 ammonia was .08 and Nitrite was .02. I really thought we were at the end of the cycle. Each week, the numbers were falling. Keep in mind, these were using Hanna Testers. I'm sure on API, using the color tests, people would have all said they were both at zero.
Now this weeks tests shows ammonia at .14 and nitrite .06. Both have risen since last week. It seems like its going through another cycle? I have heard some people using Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter7. Looking for thoughts and opinion the tests as well as the product. Thanks.
*Side note, I have a second tank that was set up a week after this one and it is showing the same type of behavior.

Probably just normal ups and downs. Still very low anyway.

 

[Dan_P]

Tank is 6 weeks running. On 5/14 ammonia was .08 and Nitrite was .02. I really thought we were at the end of the cycle. Each week, the numbers were falling. Keep in mind, these were using Hanna Testers. I'm sure on API, using the color tests, people would have all said they were both at zero.
Now this weeks tests shows ammonia at .14 and nitrite .06. Both have risen since last week. It seems like its going through another cycle? I have heard some people using Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter7. Looking for thoughts and opinion the tests as well as the product. Thanks.
*Side note, I have a second tank that was set up a week after this one and it is showing the same type of behavior.

The accuracy of the Hanna ammonia Checker is >0.05 ppm which means 0.06 ppm and 0.14 ppm are probably too close to claim they are different. It seems your system is just not quite clearing all ammonia yet, but very close. When I set up a nitrifying bacteria population, I have gotten 0-0.02 ppm ammonia on the Checker.

 

[smoothie7]

ammonia shouldn't rise unless you added something to the tank or if something died - what's in the tank now/did you add anything?

I have a couple of clownfish and several corals. I did have a royal gramma that died but I got him out of the tank within the hour of death and did a larger water change roughly 8 gallons hoping to not cause any harm.

 

[TX_REEF]

I have a couple of clownfish and several corals. I did have a royal gramma that died but I got him out of the tank within the hour of death and did a larger water change roughly 8 gallons hoping to not cause any harm.

that could have added some ammonia. If everything looks happy, I wouldn't worry!

 

[brandon429]

Can we see tank pics, that's the determinant in my opinion

What the tank looks like in ratio of rocks vs water I think matters most, we already have the timeline of the tank stated.

 

[smoothie7]

Can we see tank pics, that's the determinant in my opinion

What the tank looks like in ratio of rocks vs water I think matters most, we already have the timeline of the tank stated.

Here are both of my tanks.

 

[brandon429]

that sure is really nice!

also another standout detail from the pic above:
the blood shrimp, uber sensitive creature. it could never tolerate bad ammonia control, I like when those are present in cycle troubleshoots. made a thread about that incidence/pattern-

Name top weakest reef organism that will not tolerate bad params

1. (subject to modification if we find a weaker occupant of #1) Lysmata cleaner shrimp 2. Crinoidea (salinity drift intolerants) 3.? if there's better 1 and 2 let me know I'll update. everything will die in reefing if params drift far enough which ones go first which ones go and then...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[brandon429]

if the tank is running with normal circulation and heat, the biofilter will not degrade from here on out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Tank is 6 weeks running. On 5/14 ammonia was .08 and Nitrite was .02. I really thought we were at the end of the cycle. Each week, the numbers were falling. Keep in mind, these were using Hanna Testers. I'm sure on API, using the color tests, people would have all said they were both at zero.
Now this weeks tests shows ammonia at .14 and nitrite .06. Both have risen since last week. It seems like its going through another cycle? I have heard some people using Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter7. Looking for thoughts and opinion the tests as well as the product. Thanks.
*Side note, I have a second tank that was set up a week after this one and it is showing the same type of behavior.

None of those levels are any concern.

Ammonia has to be much higher to be toxic (much above 0.5 ppm), and nitrate needs to be tens to hundreds of ppm.

 

[smoothie7]

I appreciate all the thoughts and opinions here. It has eased my mind a little bit on the tests.