Did I stall my cycle?

[Frtdrmrose7]

i posted this in another forum on this board but I think it may be better here.

First off this isn’t my first tank but my first time dosing ammonia. 150G with 130lbs live sand, 100 lbs dry rock, 45 lbs live rock from my other mature reef, bag of media out of other sump. I’m keeping the tank at 80 degrees to encourage bacteria growth.

I set this up a week ago and decided to try dosing ammonia (10% pure ammonia) to 2ppm to start the cycle with the live rock and sand. After 5 days I still haven’t seen any change in ammonia (2 ppm) or gain in Nitrite (0 ppm). I then added an 8 oz bottle of fritz turbo 900 bacteria, (2 days ago) I know 8oz isn’t the full strength dose for 150g but didn’t care because I’m not looking to stock the tank tomorrow. after 7 days I’m surprised not to see any changes in the Ammonia levels, have I killed all the bacteria somehow? Should I do a W/C? Thoughts?

 

[lapin]

Because inquiring minds what to know
What test kit/kits are you using?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Because inquiring minds what to know
What test kit/kits are you using?

I have used API and my neighbors Salifert test for Ammonia. I know the Salifert is better but they are both relatively close to 2ppm ammonia.

Should I try a dosed amount of ATM for 150G? Or just wait another week? I know this is a process and I’m patient but something is telling me I made a mistake.

 

[lapin]

Im with you as to why you have not seen a drop in ammonia with some live rock after a week. Maybe some one else has had this happen.

 

[Coralreefer1]

I don’t know much about using this other methods like dosing ammonia to cycle a tank. So I can’t help you there, however, I do know that cycling a tank the old fashioned way using a piece of shrimp or Damsel fish is tried and true with little repercussion. It may take longer, but with the hobby, you don’t want to do anything fast or cut corners or problems will arise.
You may be experiencing one of these pit falls where you took one step forward and then two steps back.
Hopefully everything will work out for you and your tank.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I don’t know much about using this other methods like dosing ammonia to cycle a tank. So I can’t help you there, however, I do know that cycling a tank the old fashioned way using a piece of shrimp or Damsel fish is tried and true with little repercussion. It may take longer, but with the hobby, you don’t want to do anything fast or cut corners or problems will arise.
You may be experiencing one of these pit falls where you took one step forward and then two steps back.
Hopefully everything will work out for you and your tank.

Hindsight being 20/20 I should’ve just gone the way I’ve always done it and that’s with a shrimp.

 

[ihavecrabs]

I've had no issue using ammonium chloride and a bacteria-in-a-bottle to cycle a tank. I wonder why it had stalled on you....

Did you order the bacteria in sub freezing weather by chance?

@Dr. Reef any thoughts?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I've had no issue using ammonium chloride and a bacteria-in-a-bottle to cycle a tank. I wonder why it had stalled on you....

Did you order the bacteria in sub freezing weather by chance?

@Dr. Reef any thoughts?

Not that I know of I’m in Florida. I guess I’ll try another brand and dose

 

[brandon429]

you didn’t stall your cycle


I kicked up a decent read says no cycle ever stalls unless you medicate it to stall, with examples. Cycles don’t stall. if you don’t add enough bacteria or ammonia, aquarium cycles revert to the unassisted cycle timeline which occurs in situations where dry materials are cycled without adding ammonia, without adding bottle bac (how the 70s-80s happened, bottle bac isn’t required-it’s used to speed up cycles but lack of it never stops a cycle)

You carried 45 pounds of ready bac and football fields of active surface area into the new tank, it is cycled to the degree that 45 pounds of live rock is cycled.

Your cycle goal matters, were you trying to add fish fast? If not, then literally all you have to do is keep the live + the dry materials together in the task 30-40 days, then it’s all cycled by association.

Since you imported live rock, what you dose, redose or never dose doesn’t matter. Forty pounds of live rock can already sustain fish...but I didn’t see what the goal of the cycle was

If it’s simply to make sure you didn’t stall, you didn’t. Give it thirty days, it’s all caught up. You can prove it or not by simply waiting 40 days then remove some of your new material and oxidize test it in a bucket of separate water, it’ll pass, showing that it picked up the bac.


Minor adjustments to ammonia, too high or too low, nitrite included, do not stall cycles. Everybody is guesstimating their additions, test kits range wildly. These bacteria handle the variations fine, that’s why everyone’s tank cycles given certain timeframes and certain required amounts of surface area, which 45+ pounds of rock always has.

B

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Yes, I’m in no rush I was just concerned because I’ve never done a cycle this way. Thank you for your input.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Because you used live sand and live rock some of it at least, I think you imported enough bacteria that your tank will not see a cycle.
Test you can do is dose ammonium chloride to 2 ppm and within 10 min do an ammonia test , you will see elevated levels but past that I believe bacteria starts to convert it immediately and you won't see ammonia nor nitrite.
Do check nitrates before and after the dosing. You will see a slight increase in nitrate. This will be clear indication that tank is cycled.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Because you used live sand and live rock some of it at least, I think you imported enough bacteria that your tank will not see a cycle.
Test you can do is dose ammonium chloride to 2 ppm and within 10 min do an ammonia test , you will see elevated levels but past that I believe bacteria starts to convert it immediately and you won't see ammonia nor nitrite.
Do check nitrates before and after the dosing. You will see a slight increase in nitrate. This will be clear indication that tank is cycled.

Ok but I’m still showing nearly 2ppm ammonia(from my original dose last week) 0 (API and Salifert)nitrites, 0 nitrates. So do I need to do a W/C? Maybe I made a mistake. I was under the impression that by dosing to 2PPM that the ammonia would be the “food” for the beneficial bacteria and then that would be converted into nitrites, nitrates etc. I tested again this morning and still no change. Any recommendations?

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Oh I see I misread the original post.
You can do a WC and bring ammonia down to 1ppm and get a very mature filter or rock from established tank and place in your tank. Hopefully it will help cycle.

Was water to setup tank rodi?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Oh I see I misread the original post.
You can do a WC and bring ammonia down to 1ppm and get a very mature filter or rock from established tank and place in your tank. Hopefully it will help cycle.

Was water to setup tank rodi?

Yes I have a 6 stage RODI 0 TDS, in the past I’ve always used the dead shrimp and never had any issues but this has me scratching my head.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

What exactly did you use for ammonia. Make brand etc and how much?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

What exactly did you use for ammonia. Make brand etc and how much?

I used Ace hardwares 10% pure ammonia and the calculator online (the name slips my memory)

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Can you post pic of the product you used and if can take a clear pic of ingredients.
I bet that is the problem. You are supposed to use 100% pure ammonia not 10%

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

You mean 10% ammonium hydroxide?
Did it have scent in it?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

You mean 10% ammonium hydroxide?
Did it have scent in it?

Yes and no scent. I’ll be home in 20 minutes and upload a pic of the bottle

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

This is it

It is 10% Ammonia Peroxide, Ace calls it clean scent but that to them means unscented, I was given the recommendation for this by other members here who have used it with success.