Insane nitrites

[rja]

So I’m fishless cycling my Biocube 29.
Long story short, I ended up with too much ammonia in the tank. I didn’t realize I should’ve not dosed ammonia in combination with Carib Arag-Alive sand. The organics in that sand in addition to the ammonia I added caused literal windex-colored ammonia tests. It had to have been 15 ppm. Anyway, I did a water change because that was just ridiculous. I added more bottled bacteria (microbacter7) as well as a piece of cycled rock.

Tested my ammonia today and it’s a measly mountain dew color. Now I am stuck on magenta nitrite tests. One of these is a 50/50 mix of plain saltwater and tank water. Can’t even tell the difference it’s so high. Should I do another water change or wait it out? I have no issue waiting and I understand a cycle technically can’t “stall”. But, I don’t want to wait for nothing— yanno? I don’t want to starve the ammonia converting bacteria but I also dont want to overload the nitrite converting bacteria. This is boggling my mind currently.

 

[Klyle]

How long has the tank been running? I'm sure there are people with better answers than me but I think u should wait it out. It'll level out eventually. Do you have any nitrate readings?

 

[rja]

How long has the tank been running? I'm sure there are people with better answers than me but I think u should wait it out. It'll level out eventually. Do you have any nitrate readings?

Yes I do, although they may be skewed because I heard that API nitrate tests give false levels in the presence of nitrates. Although this is not my first tank, second, or third tank, this has been the weirdest cycle process for me.
This hobby is a never ending AP Chemistry class..

 

[Nonya]

I'd stop adding magic liquids and wait for the tank to cycle. Don't think you can instantly cycle a tank like they said on Tanked. The live sand and rock will eventually take care of it. You're probably going to have to do a big water change to lower your overall nitrogen anyway. It appears that you've added a ton of ammonia, which will result in high nitrates when cycling is done.

If I can offer some advice--remember that there are no shortcuts to success. Everything good happens slowly; everything bad happens without warning.

 

[rja]

I'd stop adding magic liquids and wait for the tank to cycle. Don't think you can instantly cycle a tank like they said on Tanked. The live sand and rock will eventually take care of it. You're probably going to have to do a big water change to lower your overall nitrogen anyway. It appears that you've added a ton of ammonia, which will result in high nitrates when cycling is done.

If I can offer some advice--remember that there are no shortcuts to success. Everything good happens slowly; everything bad happens without warning.

Well I’m trying my best to not sound like I am trying to rush things, as I said in other posts, I have had many tanks before. This is just the first time I have tried this method of cycling. I understand this is a vital process that can’t be rushed. I just didn’t want to kill whatever I had going by too much nitrite. So I should leave it and let things go the course? I was just worried that this wasn’t going anywhere.

 

[Reef.]

Until your nitrites are zero your nitrates will give a false high reading as the nitrate test reads any nitrites as nitrates.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I’m fishless cycling my Biocube 29.
Long story short, I ended up with too much ammonia in the tank. I didn’t realize I should’ve not dosed ammonia in combination with Carib Arag-Alive sand. The organics in that sand in addition to the ammonia I added caused literal windex-colored ammonia tests. It had to have been 15 ppm. Anyway, I did a water change because that was just ridiculous. I added more bottled bacteria (microbacter7) as well as a piece of cycled rock.

Tested my ammonia today and it’s a measly mountain dew color. Now I am stuck on magenta nitrite tests. One of these is a 50/50 mix of plain saltwater and tank water. Can’t even tell the difference it’s so high. Should I do another water change or wait it out? I have no issue waiting and I understand a cycle technically can’t “stall”. But, I don’t want to wait for nothing— yanno? I don’t want to starve the ammonia converting bacteria but I also dont want to overload the nitrite converting bacteria. This is boggling my mind currently.

Take a good water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API test kits and see what they come up with.
API kits notorious for False readings and you may have a lower number and before reacting, get it verified

 

[rja]

Take a good water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API test kits and see what they come up with.
API kits notorious for False readings and you may have a lower number and before reacting, get it verified

My LFS uses API tests. This particular kit has served me kinda well on my other tanks but I will see if I can get them to use a salifert or something. I think the bottom line here is that I need to know if I should just let it bake and leave it alone for a while. I have no issues waiting weeks or even a month until I get fish and corals but I need to know if there’s anything I should be doing— particularly dosing ammonia in this time period. Obviously there’s a massive amount of nutrients in this system getting moved around though and I don’t want to end up with 300ppm nitrates lol

 

[Nonya]

A water change won't speed or slow the process, but it will lower the total ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Just wait for the bacteria do their thing and until your ammonia and nitrites are zero.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My LFS uses API tests. This particular kit has served me kinda well on my other tanks but I will see if I can get them to use a salifert or something. I think the bottom line here is that I need to know if I should just let it bake and leave it alone for a while. I have no issues waiting weeks or even a month until I get fish and corals but I need to know if there’s anything I should be doing— particularly dosing ammonia in this time period. Obviously there’s a massive amount of nutrients in this system getting moved around though and I don’t want to end up with 300ppm nitrates lol

Do a large water change. Since you've had other tanks, you know that the vast majority of the beneficial bacteria is not found in the water. Since you know you used too much ammonia, you know the cause of the issue. Go ahead and do the WC so your test results are readable.
*I don't think there's anything wrong with using API, especially for cycling.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My LFS uses API tests. This particular kit has served me kinda well on my other tanks but I will see if I can get them to use a salifert or something. I think the bottom line here is that I need to know if I should just let it bake and leave it alone for a while. I have no issues waiting weeks or even a month until I get fish and corals but I need to know if there’s anything I should be doing— particularly dosing ammonia in this time period. Obviously there’s a massive amount of nutrients in this system getting moved around though and I don’t want to end up with 300ppm nitrates lol

Don't dose more ammonia. Once you do the water change, if you feel need to add anything, ghost feed instead. Once you get things back on track and you're reading 0 ammonia, you can use the regular method of adding ammo, waiting 24 hours and seeing if the system converts it all.

 

[Nonya]

No need to ghost feed, IMO. The bacteria are there and are doing their thing. They'll still be there for a long time after Ammo and nitrites are zero.

 

[rmorris_14]

Personally, I’d just wait it out and not do a water change.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My bad. I got this and another thread confused and thought you had super high nitrATES. I agree with the others; stop adding ammo and wait for the trites to be converted to trates.

Sorry

 

[Nonya]

Personally, I’d just wait it out and not do a water change.

In either case, a water change will eventually be necessary due to the high beginning ammonia level. Also, sine this is a Biocube, water changes will need to be part of the routine to export nitrates.

 

[rmorris_14]

In either case, a water change will eventually be necessary due to the high beginning ammonia level. Also, sine this is a Biocube, water changes will need to be part of the routine to export nitrates.

Very true. I have a biocube as well and I do weekly water changes. My opinion was based at where they are in the cycle process. The water change is not going to speed up the production of the bacteria that converts nitrites to nitrates. So imo, its not really important at this stage until they see where there parameters are going to land once all the proper bacteria has caught up and get a true reading where the nitrates are going to end up. I don’t think the water change will hurt. I’m just saying I don’t think it’s necessary.

 

[rja]

Very true. I have a biocube as well and I do weekly water changes. My opinion was based at where they are in the cycle process. The water change is not going to speed up the production of the bacteria that converts nitrites to nitrates. So imo, its not really important at this stage until they see where there parameters are going to land once all the proper bacteria has caught up and get a true reading where the nitrates are going to end up. I don’t think the water change will hurt. I’m just saying I don’t think it’s necessary.

I just figured the shear amount of ammonia i put in the tank was higher than what a fish could produce so I may be taking all the time to build up an unnecessary amount of bacteria but who knows what the heck will happen over the next week.. nature is weird maaan

 

[mcgullen]

Make sure you have some phosphate in water.

 

[glb]

Yes I cycled a tank using pure ammonia and it’s easy to overdo it! I don’t think a water change will interfere with your cycle. I agree with everyone else that this will resolve in time. Maybe add some more beneficial bacteria. Like you said, you’ve got experience with other tanks. I’ve learned that every cycle is different. Hang in there!

 

[Tamale]

Side note, but get some Red Sea test kits. They are amazing and very simple to do. I have both them and digital hannas and I generally trust my Red Sea kits over the Hanna's.