Just started Cycle and Amonia already present. ? Advice please?!

[Prinz55]

Added water to tank 2 weeks ago, Muriatic Acid rock and then bleached over past month. Added rock and live sand 3 days ago. Go my bio spira l, stability and dr tims Amonia to start cycle. Added Bio spira and Stability (prob wasn’t necessary to add both but figured it couldn’t hurt anything) hour ago and was about to add Amonia and thought to test first and Amonia was at 2ppm nitrites 0 and nitrates 0ppm but looked like 5ppm. Question is how do I have Ammonia, and I’m assuming I wouldn’t follow the directions and dose 2ppm ammonia this moment since it’s already at 2ppm somehow. Advice or input please!?!? Pics I added serve no purpose except for you’re viewing pleasure. Lol

 

[Prinz55]

Bump anyone?

 

[AltitudeAquarium]

Bump anyone?

If you measured ammonia there is a possibility that it is still in the water of the aquarium because you added Dr. TIM'S. or you are experiencing ammonia from organic waste coming from the new substrate and rock. The beneficial bacteria may not have enough time to establish within the aquarium system. What filter system are you using? The filter and sump needs to be established with beneficial bacteria. Follow Dr. Tim's instructions to properly cycle the aquarium. Research and take your time to troubleshoot.

 

[Prinz55]

If you measured ammonia there is a possibility that it is still in the water of the aquarium because you added Dr. TIM'S. or you are experiencing ammonia from organic waste coming from the new substrate and rock. The beneficial bacteria may not have enough time to establish within the aquarium system. What filter system are you using? The filter and sump needs to be established with beneficial bacteria. Follow Dr. Tim's instructions to properly cycle the aquarium. Research and take your time to troubleshoot.

I’m not using any filters during cycle. And maybe even after bleaching and Muriatic Acid dip rock would still have decaying matter and possible live sand too. I was just curious if I should add amonia like directions stated. Anyways I did add 1ppm in addition to the already 2ppm that was already present. I’m sure that’s fine.

 

[brandon429]

this is specifically how your cycle can proceed without any concern or future testing (amazing to not require testing in reefing, but handy)

all you do is let the current mix stew for 30 days, change out the water, and begin its cycled. It cannot fail to cycle fully in the current arrangement after 30 days hydration, all surface area will be active considering the boosters you've already used.

your test kits may indicate various peaks and troughs in the interim, doesnt matter. 30 days change water begin.

if you add a little more ammonia, same results after water change on day 30. if you add a little more bottle bac, same ends. if you didnt add any more ammonia or bottle bac, same ends.

if your testers reported a nitrite spike or ammonia spike higher than the stated maximums for cycling, same ends.


if your testers show a drop in levels far below 2 ppm but still measurable at any point in the 30 day wait, its cycled still, nothing will stop the 30 day progression unless you dose meds or boil the system.

Your rocks might still be leaching organics well past that date but not likely with the acid etching, regarding filtration that w be done before day 30 but thats a handy end date for testless cycling.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I’m not using any filters during cycle. And maybe even after bleaching and Muriatic Acid dip rock would still have decaying matter and possible live sand too. I was just curious if I should add amonia like directions stated. Anyways I did add 1ppm in addition to the already 2ppm that was already present. I’m sure that’s fine.

Don't add any more ammonia until your water tests 0 ppm (or .25 ppm if using API). You should be fine having added an additional 1 ppm, but you don't want ammonia to get to high or you could stall or prolong the cycle.

 

[Perpetual Novice]

Imagine cycling like a ball rolling into a valley. It will roll down to the bottom. Up the other side and back down. The ball will roll back and forth a few times and slow down until it comes to rest at the bottom of the valley. The ball has analogously reached equilibrium.

Cycling works the same way. You’re converting organic material to ammonia. Ammonia into nitrite. And nitrite into nitrate. Each of these steps requires a different kind of bacteria. The bacteria population grows when they have a lot of food available (for example ammonia) and shrinks when they start to starve. Eventually there will be the right balance of the different bacteria so that each is producing exactly the right amount of food for the next bacteria in the chain.

But just like the ball the chemistry in the tank will swing back and fort until it slowly hones in on the right ratio of bacteria. For example. If the ammonia is high the bacteria that eat ammonia will rapidly populate. Soon the bacteria will consume all the ammonia and there will be too many bacteria for the limited ammonia being released into the tank. As a result most of the bacteria starve. Since most of the ammonia removing bacteria have died there now aren’t enough to deal with the ammonia being steadily released into the water. The ammonia builds up again. The bacteria populate again the ammonia goes down. The bacteria starve. And so on

This repeats itself with less and less dramatic ammonia spikes until there is just the right amount of ammonia processing bacteria to match the rate of ammonia being added to the tank.

You may be experiencing one of those secondary swings back to high ammonia.

It can take many months for the bacteria populations to become completely stable. It’s why you can add some fish sooner than corals and other sensitive animals even later. The swings will still happen even after the firs cycle. They just become less and less severe each time.

Unless you do something to throw the tank out of balance. AKA adding something that increases the rate of ammonia being added. Then all the bacteria populations have to adjust to find a new equilibrium with the new rate.

Hope that helped.

 

[Prinz55]

Thanks guys for the response and help.