Cycling question

[beginner_reefer]

I'm probably rushing things her and I know we have to have patience in this hobby. New tank has been cycling since 3/1/2021. 90 gallon with 40 gallon refugium. Dry rock and live sand. No livestock. Dosed Dr. Tim's on set up and ammonium chloride by the schedule Dr. Tim's recommends. As of yesterday, Amonia 0, Nitrites 1 and Nitrates 20-50. These parameters have been like this for at least 4 days now. Continue to wait, do a water change, or add Dr. Tim's one and only and see if that brings the Nitrites and Nitrates down some? We have 2 shrimp in QT and I feel so bad for them just sitting in there with no substrate.

 

[Azedenkae]

I'm probably rushing things her and I know we have to have patience in this hobby. New tank has been cycling since 3/1/2021. 90 gallon with 40 gallon refugium. Dry rock and live sand. No livestock. Dosed Dr. Tim's on set up and ammonium chloride by the schedule Dr. Tim's recommends. As of yesterday, Amonia 0, Nitrites 1 and Nitrates 20-50. These parameters have been like this for at least 4 days now. Continue to wait, do a water change, or add Dr. Tim's one and only and see if that brings the Nitrites and Nitrates down some? We have 2 shrimp in QT and I feel so bad for them just sitting in there with no substrate.

Patience is important, but so is asking questions when something is unclear.

In this case yeah, you were right to ask. At this point there are a number of different ways you can go about this, depending on what school of cycling you subscribe to.

Since you are already using Dr. Tim's stuff, he does have his own guide to cycling: https://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling/

At this point according to his guide you just have to keep on waiting until nitrite reaches 0. Only then do you dose ammonium chloride again.

Despite believing this to be the 'proper' way, I am pretty impatient and would personally dose 2ppm ammonia and see what happens with nitrite, just as a test that nothing is wrong. Presuming ammonia is consumed, there should be some change to nitrite. If it still remains exactly at 1ppm, something may be wrong - not necessarily with the cycle itself, but perhaps when testing. Not shaking a bottle vigorously enough or something.

Others will say you are pretty much cycled now, and that nitrite at 1ppm is okay or similar, because it is true. Nitrite is not nearly as toxic to marine fish and stuff compared to freshwater fish: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

Not 100% certain about shrimps though. In the article above Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley did talk about nitrite and its effect on inverts, which seem to be fairly unaffected. But personally I just like to be sure my nitrifiers can handle all the ammonia and nitrite produced, just to be sure.

 

[beginner_reefer]

Patience is important, but so is asking questions when something is unclear.

In this case yeah, you were right to ask. At this point there are a number of different ways you can go about this, depending on what school of cycling you subscribe to.

Since you are already using Dr. Tim's stuff, he does have his own guide to cycling: https://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling/

At this point according to his guide you just have to keep on waiting until nitrite reaches 0. Only then do you dose ammonium chloride again.

Despite believing this to be the 'proper' way, I am pretty impatient and would personally dose 2ppm ammonia and see what happens with nitrite, just as a test that nothing is wrong. Presuming ammonia is consumed, there should be some change to nitrite. If it still remains exactly at 1ppm, something may be wrong - not necessarily with the cycle itself, but perhaps when testing. Not shaking a bottle vigorously enough or something.

Others will say you are pretty much cycled now, and that nitrite at 1ppm is okay or similar, because it is true. Nitrite is not nearly as toxic to marine fish and stuff compared to freshwater fish: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

Not 100% certain about shrimps though. In the article above Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley did talk about nitrite and its effect on inverts, which seem to be fairly unaffected. But personally I just like to be sure my nitrifiers can handle all the ammonia and nitrite produced, just to be sure.

Thank you so much!! Just not sure if I missed something or doing so.wthing wrong.

 

[beginner_reefer]

Thank you so much!! Just not sure if I missed something or doing so.wthing wrong.

Something** not so.wthing

 

[Azedenkae]

Thank you so much!! Just not sure if I missed something or doing so.wthing wrong.

No probs. Always a good thing to be sure rather than sorry. ^_^

 

[KJ]

image via @rusticgirls

In a freshwater aquarium you can add some flake food, wait a couple weeks, and then you can add fish. In the ocean there is much more involved than mechanical filtration. In fact, 70% of your aquariums filtration relies on the maturity of the live rock. A combination of bacteria, algae, and various invertebrates compose the “live” part of the rock. It takes quite a while to establish an ecosystem, even on a microscopic level. Without a proper understanding of the Marine Cycle, you will be in for a long term battle with parameters and algae. There are six main stages to a properly cycled tank. Follow this guide and you cannot mess up. You will need your basic test kit to test the progress.

Stage 1: Ammonia Cycle

Ammonia is the first thing that forms when something rots. It is a waste product in nearly all creatures as well. Instead of using a fish to start the cycle just use some food. Anything that is all natural and uncooked works just fine. Table shrimp that is uncooked works great. Drop it on the sand so it is in view. The shrimp should begin to rot within a couple hours or more. Let this shrimp rot until it is completely gone. If you are curious what your ammonia levels are, go ahead and take some tests. Keep track of the results as the shrimp rots. The smaller the food gets the more ammonia should be present in your water column and pretty soon should be off the charts. This will stay high for a while, but then start to drop. As soon as the ammonia starts to drop you will see a rise in Nitrite, you are now on the next stage.

Stage 2: Nitrite Cycle

Ammonia when broken down by bacteria becomes Nitrite, which is still a toxin. As your Nitrites rise your Ammonia will drop, drop, and keep dropping as long as you haven’t added any animals. Keep up with testing to observe your progress. Eventually your Ammonia will be very low and your nitrites will peak out until it starts feeding a different type of bacteria that turns it into Nitrates. Once your first signs of Nitrates are seen you are on the next stage.

Stage 3: Nitrate Cycle

Nitrates are removed within the live rock deep inside in all of the deep pours. This hidden bacteria consumes the nitrate and creates nitrogen gas as a byproduct. The nitrogen gas rises in the water column and escapes into the air. When one gas leave, another enters. Oxygen is then infused into the water. After the Nitrates start to dissipate your oxygen will increase and you will be ready for the intermission:

Intermission:

You are not done yet! You may have cultivated a nice crop of groovy bacteria and your water may be clean as can be, but, there are still 3 more stages to the cycle process before you can start your stocking. Take this time to consume all of which you have already done. The next 3 stages often put fear into the eyes of many newcomers. These are perfectly natural and are partially a representation of how the earth became an oxygen rich planet. Before there was any oxygen breathing organisms, there was the evolution of Cyanobacteria. This is a photosynthetic bacteria that creates Oxygen as a byproduct. There are several colors, but the commonality is that it is like a slime. The Cyanobacteria spread over a vast area and the atmosphere became oxygen rich like we breath today, without the smog. Cyanobacteria is responsible for life as we know it. The same applies to the reef. Now that your mind has been blown you may move on to the next stage of the cycle.