New tank cycling - Dr. Tims

jazzmik · Oct 29, 2017

Question...

I have ammonia readings of 0 but nitrites still high. Should I be dosing ammonia at all anymore?

I used Bio-Spira to start but following his daily guide which should be the same. This is after 8 days so far.

Thanks

IslandLifeReef · Oct 29, 2017

No, don't dose more ammonia until your nitrites fall. Dr. Tims tells you the levels that you need to be at before dosing ammonia again. Check out the fishes cycling on his website.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 29, 2017

What have you done to get to this point?

jazzmik · Oct 29, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
What have you done to get to this point?

I've followed his process.
http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling

Day 1 dose 2 ppm ammonia. Also added the bottle of Bio-Spira.

Day 2-5 of testing. Ammonia was zero within 24hrs.

Day 6 at zero... nitrites weren't zero and this is where I think I went wrong. Dosed 2ppm ammonia again. They were around 1.

I've also added some Stability for the last few days.

Other than that just waiting for the nitrites to come down.

Currently on day 9.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 29, 2017

IMO, its the ammonia reduction that is important, not the nitrite consumption.
I'd want to see ammonia decline again, then observe it for a bit and call it done.

jazzmik · Oct 29, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
IMO, its the ammonia reduction that is important, not the nitrite consumption.
I'd want to see ammonia decline again, then observe it for a bit and call it done.

So currently ammonia at zero. Should I add 2ppm again?

Nitrite at least 2-5 can't really tell the color clearly on API test so they may be higher.

Would adding 2ppm ammonia push the nitrites even higher?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 29, 2017

I would add ammonia again, either now or in a few days.

It might push nitrite higher, but it will decline and is not very toxic in marine systems.

jazzmik · Oct 29, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I would add ammonia again, either now or in a few days.

It might push nitrite higher, but it will decline and is not very toxic in marine systems.

Thank you sir!

roberthu526 · Oct 30, 2017

If you used bio spira why do you follow dr. Tim’s instruction? I don’t think they are the same are they? I have always used bio spira right after adding fish and have not had ammonia spike or any detectable ammonia at all to be honest. The customer actually suggested adding fish right after you add bio spira to keep the cycle running so the bacteria don’t die off due to starvation.

jazzmik · Oct 30, 2017

roberthu526 said:
If you used bio spira why do you follow dr. Tim’s instruction? I don’t think they are the same are they? I have always used bio spira right after adding fish and have not had ammonia spike or any detectable ammonia at all to be honest. The customer actually suggested adding fish right after you add bio spira to keep the cycle running so the bacteria don’t die off due to starvation.

Same thing it's just nitrifying bacteria to start a new tank.

I'm doing a fishless cycle and using ammonia instead of adding fish right away.

roberthu526 · Oct 31, 2017

jazzmik said:
Same thing it's just nitrifying bacteria to start a new tank.

I'm doing a fishless cycle and using ammonia instead of adding fish right away.

To be honest I don’t see the benefit of using ammonia instead of adding fish. Are you worried that the product may not work?

J Rog · Oct 31, 2017

roberthu526 said:
To be honest I don’t see the benefit of using ammonia instead of adding fish. Are you worried that the product may not work?

People don’t want to do it with fish because then the fish will have to go through the Nitrite spike portion of the cycle which can be very stressful for the fish. I just finished the cycle myself. My nitrites just hit 0 and it took almost 3 weeks..

dealseer · Oct 31, 2017

Salt water fish are largely unaffected by nitrite.

J Rog · Nov 1, 2017

dealseer said:
Salt water fish are largely unaffected by nitrite.

Oh, I don’t know. That’s what I kept reading everywhere [emoji23]

J Rog · Nov 1, 2017

dealseer said:
Salt water fish are largely unaffected by nitrite.

I thought it was nitrates they were largely unaffected by

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 1, 2017

Nitrite is not toxic in a marine system. The very high chloride protects them.

That said, cycling with fish exposes them to elevated ammonia, which is the reason to not do it.

Travis Stewart · Nov 1, 2017

Doesn't high ammonia burn their gills? I also don't like using fish because you usually buy a cheap hardy fish to be safe and then you have to worry about catching the guy afterwards if you don't want him in your tank.

J Rog · Nov 1, 2017

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Nitrite is not toxic in a marine system. The very high chloride protects them.

That said, cycling with fish exposes them to elevated ammonia, which is the reason to not do it.

Thanks for chiming in Randy! Always learning something from your posts [emoji106]

roberthu526 · Nov 1, 2017

Travis Stewart said:
Doesn't high ammonia burn their gills? I also don't like using fish because you usually buy a cheap hardy fish to be safe and then you have to worry about catching the guy afterwards if you don't want him in your tank.

OP was using bacteria to cycle the tank so there should not be ammonia present or the product would be worthless. I myself is against using just fish and no bacteria to cycle a tank.