New cycle

[kiwis]

I’ve set up my first marine tank. Tested water last week and had zero ammonia in it, zero nitrite and zero nitrate also as expected. I added some older dry rock in there, today I tested the water again thinking I’d add some food in the tank to kick start the cycle and produce some ammonia but I had 25ppm (I think, I’m not at home). Probably caused by the older dry rock?

Either way there was a small reading and definitely wasn’t zero.

Should I now see this in my nitrite reading over the next day or so or just ignore the reading and add some food anyway to create more ammonia?

 

[Brew12]

I’ve set up my first marine tank. Tested water last week and had zero ammonia in it, zero nitrite and zero nitrate also as expected. I added some older dry rock in there, today I tested the water again thinking I’d add some food in the tank to kick start the cycle and produce some ammonia but I had 25ppm (I think, I’m not at home). Probably caused by the older dry rock?

Either way there was a small reading and definitely wasn’t zero.

Should I now see this in my nitrite reading over the next day or so or just ignore the reading and add some food anyway to create more ammonia?

I hope you mean 0.25ppm ammonia. That likely won't be enough to show up in a meaningful way for nitrites or nitrates.

 

[Friday24]

If you aren’t showing any nitrates and have not done water changes your tank has not cycled. As a tank cycled nitrates will build up as ammonia and nitrites are consumed, only through water changes can you rid the tank of nitrates.

 

[kiwis]

Yeah I mean 0.25. It's so new I didn't expect any nirate's or nitrite's yet.

I guess my question was is 0.25ppm enough anmmonia to kick things off but @Brew12 stated it's not. So much question now is - how much ammonia should I trying to create?

 

[Brew12]

Yeah I mean 0.25. It's so new I didn't expect any nirate's or nitrite's yet.

I guess my question was is 0.25ppm enough anmmonia to kick things off but @Brew12 stated it's not. So much question now is - how much ammonia should I trying to create?

If you are doing a one shot pure ammonia addition I recommend going to 2ppm. If you are looking to let something like food or a raw shrimp decay in your tank you just want a gradual increase in nitrite and nitrate.

 

[Friday24]

There’s not really a set amount of ammonia to create. Easiest way is to get a couple raw shrimp from the grocery store and toss them in.

 

[kiwis]

There’s not really a set amount of ammonia to create. Easiest way is to get a couple raw shrimp from the grocery store and toss them in.

It's all precooked where I am. Any other options?

 

[Brew12]

It's all precooked where I am. Any other options?

A pinch of flake food or two each day will work. Or pellet.

 

[Friday24]

Raw fish works also. You can also use liquid ammonia, 1ml per 5 gallon should get you around 5-6ppm and get you going as well. If you add bacteria it will speed up your cycle as well when you add an ammonia source.

 

[kiwis]

Would tropical pallets or even cichlid food work? Just looking at what I've got around the house already.

 

[Jesterrace]

In theory it would but that stuff generally has filler junk in it that may not be the best thing for the tank.