Dr tims cycle

[Aaatank]

Hey guys i setup a tank 30 gallon shallow i added 6 days ago i added dr tims nitrifying bacteria an hour after that i added dr tims ammonium chloride, till this day 6 days later my ammonia is stuck at 2ppm the same amount i dosed and zero nitrites zero nitrates i should be half way through the cycle. What should i do?

 

[splunty]

You won't like the answer, but just wait.

Assuming you started with dead rock, it can take weeks before you start to see ammonia dropping regardless of kick starting with Dr. Tim's or anything else. You can raise the temperature during the cycle (~82f) to help accelerate things but don't forget to let it fall back to your target temps before adding any livestock.

(Points at link in signature.)

Once your ammonia drops to zero, you're ready to introduce your first fish. Don't introduce everything at once. Go slow. Good luck!

 

[Spare time]

Dr. Tims, is for some reason, incredibly slow to activate. I don't recommend their nitrifying bacteria anymore. If you want to speed it up, turn the heat up a few degrees or just add fritz or biospira.

 

[fishywishy]

Just wait. it took me 3 weeks to cycle with IO bio spira which is basically the same as dr Tim’s.

 

[Aaatank]

I used real sea rock just had it for a week in bleach mix

 

[Aaatank]

So i could add fritz on top of dr tims which I’ve already used
Unfortunately i cant raise the temperature my heater is preset

 

[Aaatank]

And what about api quick start can i add it and then continue dosing ammonium chloride same way dr tims recommends

 

[Sumbub]

I think you need to step back for a moment. Don't push to add more chemicals. Let the tank settle for a bit more time. When I restarted, it took about 2 weeks before seeing the nitrite bloom happening. This hobby isn't forgiving on moving fast. Patience is really key here.

 

[rhaetuluscrenatus]

Firstly, depend on batch of Dr Tim you have, bad batch has serious infection of unwanted bacterias. Then, the effect of good bottles Dr Tim is really not fine as your expectation.

 

[Aaatank]

I think you need to step back for a moment. Don't push to add more chemicals. Let the tank settle for a bit more time. When I restarted, it took about 2 weeks before seeing the nitrite bloom happening. This hobby isn't forgiving on moving fast. Patience is really key here.

Thanks, i think waiting would be best too

 

[Fish Fan]

I think you need to step back for a moment. Don't push to add more chemicals. Let the tank settle for a bit more time. When I restarted, it took about 2 weeks before seeing the nitrite bloom happening. This hobby isn't forgiving on moving fast. Patience is really key here.

^This, and as everyone said before, please just let the tank do it's thing

I like Dr. Tim's One and Only, but as others have suggested, it's not known to be fast. But again, nothing good happens fast in this hobby; patience is the key, as noted before.

If you did want to add more bottled stuff, try Fritz Turbo Start. It seems to have the best rep on R2R for a FAST cycle. I've have never used it, I don't like to rush a cycle, though many like this product. Unfortunately, API anything doesn't seem to get a lot of love around here, though you won't hurt a thing to add the API Quick Start if you happen to have it on hand and just can't resist, but don't go buying it.

Again, just let the tank run its course, by the time we get done discussing all this, your cycle will be over ;-)

I used real sea rock just had it for a week in bleach mix

And when you say "real sea rock", do you mean something like the CaribbSea Life Rocks:

https://www.chewy.com/caribsea-life...OHaEZbc__nV-Zxrlv8TCDgWH28rYIqqxoCe6gQAvD_BwE

If so, these are a dead, dry rock, but aquarium ready and do not need to be bleach cured.

Did you mean that you used *real* live rock from the ocean by means of your local pet store or a mail order facility such as Tampa Bay Saltwater (currently affected by the most recent tropical storm - much love ladies! Rock on!)? Did your rock come to you "wet"?

Bleach curing rock is typically for when rock has been used in a tank, then allowed to dry out, and now you want to use it again in a new tank. Or, for when you purchased dry base rock that for whatever reason has a lot of dead organics.

Unless you really had a reason, there's almost no reason that you should have bleached your rocks. This may be what's holding you back right now.

I hope that helps and best of luck!

 

[Aaatank]

Firstly, depend on batch of Dr Tim you have, bad batch has serious infection of unwanted bacterias. Then, the effect of good bottles Dr Tim is really not fine as your expectation.

I think it might have been a bad batch because in the videos the bacteria had off white color but mine wasn’t that much and had no smell even after shaking intensely as recommended.
What do you think should i do if it really was a bad batch, wait and it would work out?

 

[Aaatank]

^This, and as everyone said before, please just let the tank do it's thing

I like Dr. Tim's One and Only, but as others have suggested, it's not known to be fast. But again, nothing good happens fast in this hobby; patience is the key, as noted before.

If you did want to add more bottled stuff, try Fritz Turbo Start. It seems to have the best rep on R2R for a FAST cycle. I've have never used it, I don't like to rush a cycle, though many like this product. Unfortunately, API anything doesn't seem to get a lot of love around here, though you won't hurt a thing to add the API Quick Start if you happen to have it on hand and just can't resist, but don't go buying it.

Again, just let the tank run its course, by the time we get done discussing all this, your cycle will be over ;-)


And when you say "real sea rock", do you mean something like the CaribbSea Life Rocks:

https://www.chewy.com/caribsea-life...OHaEZbc__nV-Zxrlv8TCDgWH28rYIqqxoCe6gQAvD_BwE

If so, these are a dead, dry rock, but aquarium ready and do not need to be bleach cured.

Did you mean that you used *real* live rock from the ocean by means of your local pet store or a mail order facility such as Tampa Bay Saltwater (currently affected by the most recent tropical storm - much love ladies! Rock on!)? Did you rock come to you "wet"?

Bleach curing rock is typically for when rock has been used in a tank, then allowed to dry out, and now you want to use it again in a new tank. Or, for when you purchased dry base rock that for whatever reason has a lot of dead organics.

Unless you really had a reason, there's almost no reason that you should have bleached your rocks. This may be what's holding you back right now.

I hope that helps and best of luck!

Yes planning on waiting as suggested by all of you,
No i mean real wet live rock from the ocean had alot of live stuff in it algae and so on

 

[Sumbub]

I used real sea rock just had it for a week in bleach mix

I missed this. @Fish Fan is right. If it's anything that was imitation/dry rock, you don't need to bleach it. It could possibly explain the ammonia being so consistent for all this time.

 

[Fish Fan]

Yes planning on waiting as suggested by all of you,
No i mean real wet live rock from the ocean had alot of live stuff in it algae and so on

My new friend, where did this rock come from? Why did you bleach it?

 

[Sumbub]

Yes planning on waiting as suggested by all of you,
No i mean real wet live rock from the ocean had alot of live stuff in it algae and so on

Ooof. That shouldn't have happened. You don't need to bleach live rock at all. All the bacteria and life thats on there is supposed to help you jumpstart the tank.

 

[Fish Fan]

I missed this. @Fish Fan is right.

Dang! And my wife's out of town tonight........... Will you be around tomorrow night lol??

 

[Aaatank]

My new friend, where did this rock come from? Why did you bleach it?

I literally got it from the ocean i dive some times and i collected some of them a week before setting up the tank

 

[Sumbub]

Dang! And my wife's out of town tonight........... Will you be around tomorrow night lol??

LOL You know wives. 2 rights don't make it right

Oh dang I looked behind my shoulder to make sure mine wasn't looking

 

[Aaatank]

Ooof. That shouldn't have happened. You don't need to bleach live rock at all. All the bacteria and life thats on there is supposed to help you jumpstart the tank.

Looks like thats my first newbie mistake