Cycling question

[Trent H]

Hello everyone I’m currently cycling my 45 gallon tank I added fritz turbo start and ammonia the first day about 6 days later ammonia is zero but my nitrites have still been very elevated I’m now on day 20 no change in nitrites… I know patience is key just want to make sure I’m not missing something… should I dose ammonia again or continue to just wait. Thanks in advanced

 

[iamacat]

It’s been a bit since I cycled but I used microbacterxlm which would have the same principals. The bacteria feeds on the ammonia. If the ammonia depletes the bacteria starve. Bacteria reproduces at a consistent rate so if ammonia is not added again the little remaining gets removed more rapidly as the colony expands. It would not hurt to add more bacteria and more ammonia. Check ammonia in 5 days to see what the level is and add another dose of ammonia to reach I think it’s .2ppm. Check again in a couple days and you should see it depleted if your bacteria is alive and reproducing

 

[Trent H]

Awesome thank you for the reply I think I’m going to add some more ammonia and monitor

 

[iamacat]

I’m assuming there are no inhabitants?

wouldn’t hurt to add more bacteria along with the ammonia. I can’t recall if I dosed the ammonia to reach 2ppm or 0.2. Either way you want to give the bacteria something to feed on as they populate. It’s all predictable if measured correctly and the bacteria is alive

 

[Trent H]

I’m assuming there are no inhabitants?

wouldn’t hurt to add more bacteria along with the ammonia. I can’t recall if I dosed the ammonia to reach 2ppm or 0.2. Either way you want to give the bacteria something to feed on as they populate. It’s all predictable if measured correctly and the bacteria is alive

Correct no inhabitants. When I added the ammonia the first time I did 2ppm so I’ll try that again tonight

 

[GatorGreg]

I’m assuming you started with dry rock?

 

[Trent H]

I’m assuming you started with dry rock?

Yes sorry for missing that important information I’m using Carib sea rock also my temp is 82 just for cycle and salinity is 1.26

 

[GatorGreg]

Yes sorry for missing that important information I’m using Carib sea rock also my temp is 82 just for cycle and salinity is 1.26

It’ll be done soon. You’re almost there.

 

[iamacat]

Yes sorry for missing that important information I’m using Carib sea rock also my temp is 82 just for cycle and salinity is 1.26

You should make a build thread so it’s easier for you to get help. Then you can update us on your adventures

 

[exnisstech]

What are your nitrates?

 

[Trent H]

It’ll be done soon. You’re almost

You should make a build thread so it’s easier for you to get help. Then you can update us on your adventures

that is on my todo list

What are your nitrates?

40 nitrates

 

[exnisstech]

40 nitrates

Sounds like your cycled

 

[Trent H]

Sounds like your cycled

That’s what I was thinking thank you for the response! I’m going to add ammonia tonight as a test then hopefully order a couple clowns later this week! I’m very excited

 

[StatelineReefer]

A little late for this, but when cycling a temperature of 68-72⁰F yields the best environment for marine nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria to reproduce. They'll survive in much colder and much hotter environments, but that's the sweet spot.

 

[GARRIGA]

Last cycle my ammonia was resolved within four days and nitrite within nine. I kept increasing the dosage of ammonium chloride to stress test the filter as well as develop a larger colony of beneficial bacteria before first introduction of life. Each dosage saw an increase in ammonia first day and took two days to resolve nitrites.

I'd add more ammonium chloride and see if parameters rise and fall. Tank might be cycled. I'd focus on nitrates since that needs nitrites converted and confirms that process at a minimum is happening.

 

[iamacat]

A little late for this, but when cycling a temperature of 68-72⁰F yields the best environment for marine nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria to reproduce. They'll survive in much colder and much hotter environments, but that's the sweet spot.

Huh. Everything I’ve found states that 82-85 is ideal. DR Timm’s grows theirs at 85

 

[brandon429]

my new favorite definition of cycled nowadays is that point in reefing wait/leadup where waiting longer or doing more things to the cycle can't make the tank safer for fish

at a given point in the leadup, actual fish disease preps must be enacted to make the tank safer for fish

you were there by day 3 ish here if I had to guess (always under 10 as stated above) and I get that date from the implantation date studies in dr reef's bottle bac thread/fritz

 

[Garf]

Hello everyone I’m currently cycling my 45 gallon tank I added fritz turbo start and ammonia the first day about 6 days later ammonia is zero but my nitrites have still been very elevated I’m now on day 20 no change in nitrites… I know patience is key just want to make sure I’m not missing something… should I dose ammonia again or continue to just wait. Thanks in advanced

Nitrite in the water invalidates most nitrate tests due to interference. Nitrite indicates a successful conversion of ammonia, as you’ve confirmed by a zero ammonia test. Sometimes the second stage, from nitrite to nitrate is delayed, nobody knows why for sure, could be a lack of phosphate, could be a problem with the bacterial species in the bottle, whatever.
Luckily nitrite doesn’t cause much concern in saltwater and is likely never high enough in a cycle to harm anything.
You can wait until the nitrite drops (I would add a pinch of flake food to hurry it up and start the maturing process, then wait for a month or 2 ). Or you could add livestock now, but keep the lights really dim or off as an algae fest is highly likely.

 

[StatelineReefer]

Huh. Everything I’ve found states that 82-85 is ideal. DR Timm’s grows theirs at 85

I suppose it would depend on the bacterial culture! Most of the generalized info that I can come up with says 65⁰F to 85⁰F..

Nitrobacter Winogradskyi has been noted to prefer 77⁰F to 88⁰F

N. Vulgaris, far more common, exhibits accelerated growth at 26⁰c/79⁰F and above.

Ignore my previous advice then, it would appear that most commonly added nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria appreciate elevated temperatures.