Did I stall my cycle?

[Proberta]

OK, i'm confused. I started cycling my 25g lagoon tank 16 days ago. I had had to mess with the water (add/take out) a bit to get the right water levels in my center chamber (i'm a noob). I also added another 5lbs of rock a few days ago. So now my parameters are:
Ph 8
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 1ppm
Nitrate 40 ppm
Can that be right? Did I stall the cycle? I never saw the ammonia get over 1. Is there any way this could be almost cycled? It just isn't adding up for me. Thoughts?

 

[Crabs McJones]

OK, i'm confused. I started cycling my 25g lagoon tank 16 days ago. I had had to mess with the water (add/take out) a bit to get the right water levels in my center chamber (i'm a noob). I also added another 5lbs of rock a few days ago. So now my parameters are:
Ph 8
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 1ppm
Nitrate 40 ppm
Can that be right? Did I stall the cycle? I never saw the ammonia get over 1. Is there any way this could be almost cycled? It just isn't adding up for me. Thoughts?

If you're showing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate I'd say you're right in the middle of your cycle. Are you ghost feeding or dosing ammonia to keep the cycle going?

 

[Proberta]

If you're showing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate I'd say you're right in the middle of your cycle. Are you ghost feeding or dosing ammonia to keep the cycle going?

I have a piece of shrimp i initially started with and then put another one in about 2 days ago. The first one has made a cocoon around itself. The pieces are about and inch each.

 

[MTBake]

Getting close to the end of the cycle, imo. Shouldn't be too much longer now.

 

[brandon429]

I believe this could be a skip cycle tank, already cycled, despite your readings due to something said

Post pics

Clues: 16 days to high nitrate and classic .25 ammonia where we can show 4 month fully stocked reefs running .25 as we speak.... (test kit error zone). It takes closer to thirty days to get those readings, unless the rock used was live

If you can post a pic showing live rock I'll post a neat thread to show why it only appears stalled, but indeed may be complete. If your rock isn't live and it's bare white, all you need to do is wait ten more days then change out the water and begin, it's not possible to stall a cycle without medicating the tank and a nitrate presence indicates nitrifying bacteria, the ~ 30 days is required to plate the surfaces in bacteria and not just have bacteria swirling in the water from bottle bac addition. Did you use any store bought bacteria supplements

Since you didn't mention adding bottle bac yet posted nitrate as the highest reading, I had to wonder if live rock is at least some component in the tank. We use polar opposite cycling methods for live rocks brought home vs dry rock we are bringing up to par is why I ask what kind of rock you have...your readings seem to be from live rock which is already cycled when you bring it home.

 

[MTBake]

Make sure to stock slowly with the new tank

Don't jump the gun and add clean up crew too early. They need something to eat after all

 

[Proberta]

I believe this could be a skip cycle tank, already cycled, despite your readings due to something said

Post pics

Clues: 16 days to high nitrate and classic .25 ammonia where we can show 4 month fully stocked reefs running .25 as we speak.... (test kit error zone). It takes closer to thirty days to get those readings, unless the rock used was live

If you can post a pic showing live rock I'll post a neat thread to show why it only appears stalled, but indeed may be complete. If your rock isn't live and it's bare white, all you need to do is wait ten more days then change out the water and begin, it's not possible to stall a cycle without medicating the tank and a nitrate presence indicates nitrifying bacteria, the ~ 30 days is required to plate the surfaces in bacteria and not just have bacteria swirling in the water from bottle bac addition. Did you use any store bought bacteria supplements

Since you didn't mention adding bottle bac yet posted nitrate as the highest reading, I had to wonder if live rock is at least some component in the tank. We use polar opposite cycling methods for live rocks brought home vs dry rock we are bringing up to par is why I ask what kind of rock you have...your readings seem to be from live rock which is already cycled when you bring it home.

I used shrimp in a media bag to start. I also used dry "live" rock from the LFS and some Stax rock from Marine depot. I will get a pic soon!

 

[Proberta]

 

[Proberta]

Sorry, this was my first time posting pics! oops!

 

[lapin]

Your rock isn't live and it's bare white, all you need to do is wait ten more days then change out the water and begin, it's not possible to stall a cycle without medicating the tank and a nitrate presence indicates nitrifying bacteria, the ~ 30 days is required to plate the surfaces in bacteria and not just have bacteria swirling in the water from bottle bac addition.
Did you use any store bought bacteria supplements?????
Since you didn't mention adding bottle bac yet posted nitrate as the highest reading,
I had to wonder if live rock is at least some component in the tank?????
We use polar opposite cycling methods for live rocks brought home vs dry rock we are bringing up to par is why I ask what kind of rock you have...your readings seem to be from live rock which is already cycled when you bring it home.

Did you add any bacteria in a bottle or live rock or sand?

 

[brandon429]

The sand as well may have brought in bacteria if it's that ocean direct type. Something must account for the nitrate w be neat to source it

Either way, this cycle isn't stalled, cycles cannot stall unless we medicate them. Your tank follows the rule of group A rock cycling from this thread below, it's not doing anything atypical

wait thirty days underwater in the current conditions you are posting and the dry rocks will pick up their bacteria. Do a big water change after thirty days, and dose some bottle bac now if you've not already done so if you can get some

How your water tests halfway to 30 days doesn't matter if you are shrimp cycling, only the finals.

the system isn't assessed for 1 ppm ammonia reduction until thirty days, until after you've done the big water change
Can't wait to find out if you added bottle bac or used wet sand

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/

 

[Proberta]

The sand as well may have brought in bacteria if it's that ocean direct type. Something must account for the nitrate w be neat to source it

Either way, this cycle isn't stalled, cycles cannot stall unless we medicate them. Your tank follows the rule of group A rock cycling from this thread below, it's not doing anything atypical

wait thirty days underwater in the current conditions you are posting and the dry rocks will pick up their bacteria. Do a big water change after thirty days, and dose some bottle bac now if you've not already done so if you can get some

How your water tests halfway to 30 days doesn't matter if you are shrimp cycling, only the finals.

the system isn't assessed for 1 ppm ammonia reduction until thirty days, until after you've done the big water change
Can't wait to find out if you added bottle bac or used wet sand

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/

.

I haven't added anything but the shrimp. And I used dry sand and rock to start.

 

[brandon429]

Neat

That's really high nitrate for just sand n rock and two weeks. Rare but highly possible, wanna see a heck of a source to find out where your resident bacteria came from if it wasn't bottle bac or living substrates? (The shrimp itself and/or the *tap* water)

I happened to coincidentally ask the number one person on the planet that question a week ago, you'd think I'd be asking after reading this thread it was just good timing luck:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacteria-in-a-bottle-myth-or-fact.403226/page-7

Post 125#

Since you have clearly imported bacteria that get you both metabolites of ammonia oxidation on testing, and there's a known source of ammonia feed for the tank, once you've hit 30 days underwater in this condition just take out the shrimp, do a big water change, and then begin light reefing with a light clean up crew and some grazers. We wouldn't add fish at that time ideally, we'd begin -fallow- fish preparations after cycle completes, and although the tank can handle a light starting bioload at 30 days, fish come in ~76 days later the fallow threads show (which is optimum timing for accurate fish health) and this extra time is the final substrate self-prep time to complete the filtration setup.

Although the tank can take a light fish load at 30 days, using fish quickly begins the crypto risk so it's unideal. After fallow phase, fish are safe, consider researching Humblefishs thread on fallow prepping new tanks from the fish forum.

You have a neat cycling thread, stumped me w that quick nitrate reading. Your nitrate came faster than I predicted

 

[Reab]

Bacteria are a very basic life form that will come literally out of thin air to convert the ammonia, its just life.

 

[Captain Quint]

I have a piece of shrimp i initially started with and then put another one in about 2 days ago. The first one has made a cocoon around itself. The pieces are about and inch each.

Did you by chance put the shrimp in a portion of pantyhose leg. It makes it super easy to remove when ready.

Since it is so new in the nitrogen process, you did not interfere with the process. That was a good time to make an adjustment before it would have sent the system back into the process. Great job imho.

It may simply take an addition short duration of the cycle is all.

 

[Reab]

I used shrimp in a media bag to start. I also used dry "live" rock from the LFS and some Stax rock from Marine depot. I will get a pic soon!

Op stated shrimp in media bag

 

[Captain Quint]

Op stated shrimp in media bag

Thanks. I must have missed it.

 

[Proberta]

Neat

That's really high nitrate for just sand n rock and two weeks. Rare but highly possible, wanna see a heck of a source to find out where your resident bacteria came from if it wasn't bottle bac or living substrates? (The shrimp itself and/or the *tap* water)

I happened to coincidentally ask the number one person on the planet that question a week ago, you'd think I'd be asking after reading this thread it was just good timing luck:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacteria-in-a-bottle-myth-or-fact.403226/page-7

Post 125#

Since you have clearly imported bacteria that get you both metabolites of ammonia oxidation on testing, and there's a known source of ammonia feed for the tank, once you've hit 30 days underwater in this condition just take out the shrimp, do a big water change, and then begin light reefing with a light clean up crew and some grazers. We wouldn't add fish at that time ideally, we'd begin -fallow- fish preparations after cycle completes, and although the tank can handle a light starting bioload at 30 days, fish come in ~76 days later the fallow threads show (which is optimum timing for accurate fish health) and this extra time is the final substrate self-prep time to complete the filtration setup.

Although the tank can take a light fish load at 30 days, using fish quickly begins the crypto risk so it's unideal. After fallow phase, fish are safe, consider researching Humblefishs thread on fallow prepping new tanks from the fish forum.

You have a neat cycling thread, stumped me w that quick nitrate reading. Your nitrate came faster than I predicted

Thanks for all the info! I read your post (125). Some of it went over my head, but i think i got the gist! So now my question is, my salinity is around 1.025 but has gone up to 1.026. Could that be a factor?

 

[Proberta]

Did you by chance put the shrimp in a portion of pantyhose leg. It makes it super easy to remove when ready.

Since it is so new in the nitrogen process, you did not interfere with the process. That was a good time to make an adjustment before it would have sent the system back into the process. Great job imho.

It may simply take an addition short duration of the cycle is all.

OK, Thank you! I don't mind if it takes longer, I just want to do this the right way.

 

[brandon429]

The right way to see your tank is nothing is wrong or stalled


Your cycle is working better than predicted, not in a state of challenge. I'd predicted it should take longer for you to reach those measures. changes in salinity won't affect it, nor temp, nor pH variations, or any filtration media used or not, the cycle is unstoppable without medication to stop it.

You can't undo it at any point from here on out. The only action needed is wait total 30 days, remove the shrimp as listed, change as much water as you are willing to, and begin reefing with some entry corals and clean up crew. We talk in our cycling threads about how test misreads cause issues, and how they cause doubt for cyclers but submersion time never ever fails.

How your water tests from here on out won't matter since current tests show all ingredients required. Once thirty days hits, change out most of the water it's ready for light start use (no heavy fish loading, see fallow threads)

Algae fully loves bright lights, partial water changes, white reflective base rock and sand, low grazers, new feed input and fish asap. All that is about to begin... the cycle isn't a concern/algae should be.

The best thing you could do is develop a firm stance on algae procedure based off threads you can find for tanks like yours, what worked well or not.

That stance in whatever form will determine your return on upcoming investment. Consider how much algae you'll tolerate in the system, and how much you can take on and still enjoy the system. Begin the choice between algae control systems who permit zero algae, ever, anywhere, as corals and animals grow and the opposite approaches of allowing algae and then working at it solely through water controls and nutrient channels. Some farm the algae on purpose in refugiums etc, research early to see how use of those systems played out over time.

Find threads that show how -long- it takes people to undo algae invasions in new tanks using both methods, and know there is no right or wrong way, just that your biggest trial in reefing is coming within four months, be ready it's a very fun adventure. How you approach tank algae and invasions in general, hands off vs hands on, I find to be the most pivotal reefing choice made over the life of our hobby.