Hi everyone I have a question. I am on day 23 of cycling and was wondering when will the nitrite start to go away? Ammonia 0 ppm nitrite 1ppm nitrates 80ppm. Temp 77. Also I have nice patches of coralline growth as well as specs all over the rock. I figured it should be almost done cycling due to a very slight diatom bloom. The diatoms are only on overflow and a couple rocks but very small patches. Of course I use RO/DI water and reef crystals. Once nitrites hit 0 I will do a LWC to get nitrates down.
Cycling
- Thread starter Travis91
- Start date
- Tagged users None
This w help tons
Don't test for or base your cycle on nitrite
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
Your tank is likely cycled. A new tank of bare white dry rock can't get coralline in twenty days I've seen, so it's likely that rock was either wet and cycled when brought in, or the coralline isn't live it's the pigment from prior live coralline. 23 days vs 30 not a big deal if any bottled bac was used for the cycle. If this is the type of cycle where no bottle bac was added, wait till day 40 and change out most of the water for new then add some corals
Only what ammonia does at day 30 matters per that thread. the specific reason nitrite isn't required to be tested is because cycling within 30 days usually involves a bunch of ammonia spiking we did well above a norm, and for nitrite to be there won't impact the bacteria on the rocks which is only a function of time and submersion.
assisted cycle (using any form of ammonia and bottle bac) is 30 days usually less, given that much time underwater your rocks have enough bac on them at that time to get started.
unassisted cycle is literally dry rocks put into water, wait 40-50 days then get started w some easy corals. nitrite is simply a distraction, we rate cycle completions off ammonia behavior and known submersion times. one param cycling. if any of that rock had real live coralline on it when you brought it in, that rock didn't need to be cycled. coralline is a bioindicator of cycling completion, for times we don't have an ammonia test handy.
Don't test for or base your cycle on nitrite
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
Your tank is likely cycled. A new tank of bare white dry rock can't get coralline in twenty days I've seen, so it's likely that rock was either wet and cycled when brought in, or the coralline isn't live it's the pigment from prior live coralline. 23 days vs 30 not a big deal if any bottled bac was used for the cycle. If this is the type of cycle where no bottle bac was added, wait till day 40 and change out most of the water for new then add some corals
Only what ammonia does at day 30 matters per that thread. the specific reason nitrite isn't required to be tested is because cycling within 30 days usually involves a bunch of ammonia spiking we did well above a norm, and for nitrite to be there won't impact the bacteria on the rocks which is only a function of time and submersion.
assisted cycle (using any form of ammonia and bottle bac) is 30 days usually less, given that much time underwater your rocks have enough bac on them at that time to get started.
unassisted cycle is literally dry rocks put into water, wait 40-50 days then get started w some easy corals. nitrite is simply a distraction, we rate cycle completions off ammonia behavior and known submersion times. one param cycling. if any of that rock had real live coralline on it when you brought it in, that rock didn't need to be cycled. coralline is a bioindicator of cycling completion, for times we don't have an ammonia test handy.
Last edited:
Yep that thread is dedicated to that type of mixed cycle
I bet if you did a non-API ammonia digestion test in that tank after the water is made clean either by change out or by filtration, it would pass. You did an assisted cycle on top of using group B rocks with coralline which play a hallmark role in that cycling thread
I bet if you did a non-API ammonia digestion test in that tank after the water is made clean either by change out or by filtration, it would pass. You did an assisted cycle on top of using group B rocks with coralline which play a hallmark role in that cycling thread
