My cycle is in a loop.

[Notsolostfish]

I know that the nitrogen cycle its always been ammonia> nitrite > nitrate. But im having difficulties cycling my new tank. I started cycling with fritz 900 3 weeks ago. Till now nitrite still takes 3 days to drop to 0. Iv been dosing ammonia to feed the bacteria. And hoping that it will drop to 0 in 24 hours so i can make sure when i add fish it will be fine but not. Its just been crazy. 4 days ago nitrite dropped to 0. But i wasnt feeding ammonia everydah waiting for nitrite to catch up. So when nitrite dropped to 0 i added 2ppm ammonia and nitrite went up. And was high 2ppm for 3 days. I just dont get it whats happening

 

[Dan_P]

I know that the nitrogen cycle its always been ammonia> nitrite > nitrate. But im having difficulties cycling my new tank. I started cycling with fritz 900 3 weeks ago. Till now nitrite still takes 3 days to drop to 0. Iv been dosing ammonia to feed the bacteria. And hoping that it will drop to 0 in 24 hours so i can make sure when i add fish it will be fine but not. Its just been crazy. 4 days ago nitrite dropped to 0. But i wasnt feeding ammonia everydah waiting for nitrite to catch up. So when nitrite dropped to 0 i added 2ppm ammonia and nitrite went up. And was high 2ppm for 3 days. I just dont get it whats happening

Stop adding ammonia. You have established nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium.

 

[KStatefan]

I will ask again do you read the responses this question when you asked it yesterday and the day before?

Why my cycle is restarting?

I added bottle of fritz 900 2 weeks ago. Tested 3 days ago nitrite was 0 with ammonia. I added 2ppm ammonia 2 days ago to test the cycle. Nitrite went up again. what the heck is happening

www.reef2reef.com

My cycle is happening again.

Iv been cycling my marine x60.2 tank for about 2.5 weeks now. First i added a full bottle of fritz 900. Woke up the next day with 2ppm nitrite. I added 2ppm ammonia. And i waited few days. I was adding ammonia at that time not every day but every other day..because people told me here on this...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

as mentioned above, stop adding ammonia. We add it once to kickstart the process, but we don't "dose" it.

 

[Dburr1014]

I know that the nitrogen cycle its always been ammonia> nitrite > nitrate. But im having difficulties cycling my new tank. I started cycling with fritz 900 3 weeks ago. Till now nitrite still takes 3 days to drop to 0. Iv been dosing ammonia to feed the bacteria. And hoping that it will drop to 0 in 24 hours so i can make sure when i add fish it will be fine but not. Its just been crazy. 4 days ago nitrite dropped to 0. But i wasnt feeding ammonia everydah waiting for nitrite to catch up. So when nitrite dropped to 0 i added 2ppm ammonia and nitrite went up. And was high 2ppm for 3 days. I just dont get it whats happening

Why don't you add a fish like I said the other day.
Cycle is done, enjoy the tank. I don't know how else to say this. Your looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

My opinion: I would stop dosing anything, and let the tank cycle until the ammonia and nitrite are zero. Then leave the tank alone. Also, there is one more step in the nitrogen cycle that most people forget. That is the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas. That happens via denitrifying bacteria and macro algae. I suggest patience and a hands off approach for a couple weeks. Put the ammonia you are dosing away, and don't dose it anymore.

 

[Dburr1014]

My opinion: I would stop dosing anything, and let the tank cycle until the ammonia and nitrite are zero. Then leave the tank alone. Also, there is one more step in the nitrogen cycle that most people forget. That is the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas. That happens via denitrifying bacteria and macro algae. I suggest patience and a hands off approach for a couple weeks. Put the ammonia you are dosing away, and don't dose it anymore.

His cycle has been done for days.
Read past posts.
Sometimes you gotta let them sink or swim.

 

[Notsolostfish]

His cycle has been done for days.
Read past posts.
Sometimes you gotta let them sink or swim.

If my cycle was actually done " days ago" nitrite wouldnt take 3 days to drop to 0. And it drops to 0 in 24 hours of dosing ammonia.

 

[olonmv]

Nitrites dropping to zero within 24hrs is good. I’m not seeing the issue here.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Nitrites dropping to zero within 24hrs is good. I’m not seeing the issue here.

Nitrite is not dropping to 0 in 24 hours thata what iv been trying to explain so far. Nitrite taking 3 days to drop but nobody is believing me

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Tank is cycled. PERIOD.

I went back and looked at my measurement logs. My tank took five days to drop from 5ppm to zero. That was while ammonia was dropping and a "while" after I added the bacteria. I added a couple of clowns a few days after that and they were just fine.

If you search the forums...I think you'll find plenty of people saying that Nitrite at that level isn't going to be toxic to your first "beginner" fish. Don't drop in expensive stuff.

I'm no expert on how the bacteria do their thing...but you are just "seeding" the bacteria...it's going to take months and more bioload for them to multiply and occupy all the nook/crannies of your tank. I'd add your first fish and wait a while before you add another.

 

[BilboLaggins]

Nitrite is not dropping to 0 in 24 hours thata what iv been trying to explain so far. Nitrite taking 3 days to drop but nobody is believing me

We believe you. You are making ur tank go through the so called loops you are talking about sit back and let ur tank mature on its own at this point you have already dosed and redosing only makes it take longer.

 

[Dburr1014]

If my cycle was actually done " days ago" nitrite wouldnt take 3 days to drop to 0. And it drops to 0 in 24 hours of dosing ammonia.

Nitrite does not matter at this low measurement. Keep adding ammonia, guess what's going to happen? You'll get more nitrite. Add a fish, guess what will happen? You'll get more nitrite.
Your tank is doing what it is suppose to be doing. You are putting it in this endless cycle. You. Stop adding ammonia and it will stop cycling.
Add a fish, and enjoy.
Happy reefing.
PS, please don't start another thread on "my tank won't finish cycling."

 

[olonmv]

Nitrite is not dropping to 0 in 24 hours thata what iv been trying to explain so far. Nitrite taking 3 days to drop but nobody is believing me

Nitrite is not much to be convened about. It’s not that they’re not believing you it’s just that nobody is concerned about it. Get a fish in there. You’re good. They cycle isn’t restarting. It’s just maturing. It takes time.

 

[Quietman]

Or as an option....just drop a few corals in there. Softies are nice if starting out, let you get used to how to manage the water, test and adjust parameters without fish adding a lot of nutrients and getting stressed.. They'll help take up the ammonia and nitrite, allow you to get your nitrate removal systems working (fuge, skimmer, ATS, WC).

 

[Smokey_reefer]

i added fritz turbo start and 2 clowns same day to a 115g system. used dry rock and "live sand". no issues here, get some cheap fish and toss them in. thats just my 2 cents.

 

[AFHokie]

Just to cover more than one of your threads on the same subject:

Like everyone else said, you keep adding NH3 you will keep getting NO2.

Nitrite is of little concern for the reef tank. Most people, myself included, don’t even buy or use a nitrite test kit when cycling. As long as you are converting the NH3 you are good.

Dr. RHF did this great article. Table shows how high your nitrites need to be to be an issue in a marine environment. Higher than you will ever see unless you purposely add hundreds of ppms of NO2

https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

 

[brandon429]

I went to OP's name, select see all threads


offers to help here are being looped into repeat subject matter posts. it's a shocking number of new posts for repeat topics, how to add salt into the water/several cycling posts/ a new cycle post will come shortly after this one we're in.

fish disease preps/that's where all reading and concern and repeat questions should be aimed

 

[brandon429]

the assessment isn't to pick on the op, its to highlight that when pooling several response groups with multi threads you aren't in the right position to evaluate best options among offers. neither was I in year 1

the right way to run your reef OP is to send a private message to 1 person and have them be your coach via chat, do what they say. pick anyone here. don't take advice from more than 1 party and all your issues will stop.

 

[Mmonk005]