Help with my cycle please

[Shane Lewis]

Hi guys, so I’m new to the reefing hobby and at this point I already know what I did was wrong. I’m looking for some advice.

So I set up a knew tank about 5 weeks ago. Nuvo 20 gallon. I filled it, dry rock, sand, put a heater in that fluctuates between about 79/80, and 1.026 salinity. I added aquavitro seed for the first 7 days as it instructed and at the end of the 7 days I went to my local fish store, explained to them my situation, and had them test my water (because my test kit was in the mail). They told me I was good to go. I should have asked to look at the numbers on the test myself. And they sold me 2 clown fish. So the problem is when I was adding Seed to the tank I had not added a source of ammonia. Now the fish have been in the tank for over 4 weeks and I have my own test kit at this point but the problem is for the past 4 weeks my tests have been showing between .25-.5 ppm ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 0 nitrates. Should I have seen nitrites by now? It’s been 4 weeks and I’m at a loss for what’s happening in my tank. It seems like my cycle isn’t moving anywhere even with a source of ammonia now.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks.

Edit: I want to mention that I do believe I saw a bacteria bloom last week during the week (the tank was cloudy for a few days then cleared up), however I still haven’t seen nitrites show up.

 

[GMay]

What test kits are you using?
You should get some nytrifing bacteria, Dr. Tim's one and only or similar product. This will help some with the ammonia. You might also consider doing a water change to help reduce it as well.

Good luck!

 

[Shane Lewis]

What test kits are you using?
You should get some nytrifing bacteria, Dr. Tim's one and only or similar product. This will help some with the ammonia. You might also consider doing a water change to help reduce it as well.

Good luck!

I am using API test kits, however I tested them with my friends tank and they definitely work, so that’s not the problem I don’t think.

 

[Jason mack]

If you can I would take the fish back too Lfs, and ask them too hold them for you while your tank cycles ....
There is so little bacteria in your tank it will take a while for them too multiply to get to the point where you measure ....
Get some amoniac from the superstore and add that till you test 2ppm ..then add some Dr. Tim's or bactostart ..and sit back for the next 6-10 weeks ...
And don't waste your money on api test kits ...Get saliferts ..red sea...and hanna for po4 ...do it now ...because you'll only end up doing it later on anyway ....

 

[brandon429]

Your cycle is done because fish have been in there since the start, the tank is full of nitrifers and you are seeing common test kit misreads we see in cycling threads, post a pic of your tank

You have already given it filtration bacteria which is why your fish aren’t dead.

For example, if you put two clowns in a dry setup adding no retail supports, they die in cloudy water within 48 hours, you’re approaching six weeks. All you have to do is a large water change because that’s always the safe go to when in question, and quit testing for ammonia from here on out unless you think a dead animal is lost in your system. Cycling is not about test kits it’s about submersion time with cheats used, you did a skip cycle tank run meaning didn’t have to wait for a classic bioload.

That they lived past 48 hours, proof of filtration bacteria all set.

 

[Shane Lewis]

Your cycle is done because fish have been in there since the start, the tank is full of nitrifers and you are seeing common test kit misreads we see in cycling threads, post a pic of your tank

You have already given it filtration bacteria which is why your fish aren’t dead.

For example, if you put two clowns in a dry setup adding no retail supports, they die in cloudy water within 48 hours, you’re approaching six weeks. All you have to do is a large water change because that’s always the safe go to when in question, and quit testing for ammonia from here on out unless you think a dead animal is lost in your system. Cycling is not about test kits it’s about submersion time with cheats used, you did a skip cycle tank run meaning didn’t have to wait for a classic bioload.

That they lived past 48 hours, proof of filtration bacteria all set.

I tested my test kit with a friends freshwater tank and was able to read nitrates though, so I don’t feel like I’m misreading it. Shouldn’t I be seeing nitrates in my system at this point?

 

[brandon429]

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

Only what ammonia does every 24 hours after a given time frame underwater is what matters. It's not that the other parameters don't fluctuate up and down it's that different test kits indicate them with different tolerances and even when they are present or not present, only ammonia matters we have several links to the chemistry forum in there as to why.

That should help to know you now have moved past the cycling stage and into the algae management standard tank care phase, prepping for algae etc

The current readings show your fish plus feed is handled at the basic levels

 

[Shane Lewis]

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

Only what ammonia does every 24 hours after a given time frame underwater is what matters. It's not that the other parameters don't fluctuate up and down it's that different test kits indicate them with different tolerances and even when they are present or not present, only ammonia matters we have several links to the chemistry forum in there as to why.

That should help to know you now have moved past the cycling stage and into the algae management standard tank care phase, prepping for algae etc

The current readings show your fish plus feed is handled at the basic levels

I still don’t understand the readings of 0 nitrates though? If it was cycled wouldn’t nitrates be accumulating and showing up on a test kit? That’s the only thing I’m confused about here. Sorry for all the questions, just trying to understand this all better!

 

[brandon429]

we've got full blown reefs out in the main forum wanting to add stump remove to correct low nitrate

that's not to dodge your answer, specifically Id have to guess that actual denitrification is possible but the least likely answer in your newish tank, and test kit drifting/variation could be another, and perhaps your bioload + feeding per unit of volume isn't that high, yet.

All in all the nitrate and nitrite portions can be misleading, so we don't factor them in cycle calls at least in that thread, its ammonia and submersion time only

The fact that even full blown reefs are testing at 0 nitrate when they don't want to be shows how varied this reading can be, new or old tanks. Nitrate readings once verified are used for coral tuning and for algae control.
B