Nitrite cycling

[blackstrat77]

Hi folks! I am new here so please be gentle
I am cycling my tank using the dr tims method. Its a biocube 29 (heavily modded). Replaced lights with leds, and removed the black panel in the back to give more display room. Currently using a hob filter as kind of a mini sump, and im going to add a canister eventually.
Anyway, my ammonia was high for a week and a half (4ppm), so I did a small water change to bring it back to 2. Nitrite was zero. Couple days later, ammonia was gone and nitrite was up. It stayed still for about a week, so I added a little more ammonia last night and it brought it up to 1ppm. This morning the ammonia was back down to 0.25, and the nitrite was higher than before. (Using api test).
Once the nitrite is 0, I plan to do a BIG water change to bring down nitrates, and of that water change, 4.4 gallons will come from nutri seawater. I also order some microbacter clean to start adding at that point to diversify my bacteria. But Im getting impatient. It has been almost a month and all I want to do is add a fish and turn my lights on! Ugh…..

 

[IslandLifeReef]

What is your nitrite (NO2) reading?

You can probably add a fish now since ammonia is zero and the amount of time it has been cycling, but I would add the most docile and hardy fish that you are planning on keeping first.

 

[blackstrat77]

I should also add that while I am getting impatient, waiting isnt the real issue. I just dont want to risk the cycle starting over from lack of ammonia source. The only fish I plan to add at first is one clown. But my nitrites are steady at 0.25, and my ammonia is also 0.25. I added a little last night to bring it up a bit, which it did, but this morning it dropped right back down. So I know the ammonia part of the cycle is working.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The tank was cycled the first time the ammonia dropped to zero, by adding more ammonia you just extended your wait time. Wait for your ammonia to drop back down to 0 again, and then just leave it and wait till nitrite drops down to zero. If you are impatient, fish can handle nitrite, so no problem to add fish (means just one fish, dont overload the system yet), but wait for nitrite to drop to zero before adding inverts. Bottled bacteria doesnt really diversify bacteria, adding animals, corals, and live rocks to the tank is what adds diversity.

 

[blackstrat77]

Thank you so much for the advice!! I will wait it out. One more question if I may?
I plan to do a sizeable water change right before adding a fish. Should I just wait on that as well or am I safe in doing that? Once the ammonia is at zero of course?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

ammonia and nitrite should be 0 before the water change, if you do it before it just stalls the process. Once nitrite is 0, nitrate should be high, thats when you change the water to bring it back down again. Wether you add fish with nitrite or you choose to wait, either way just let nitrite go to 0 before you change the water. From this point you only ever need to test nitrate, the cycle is done

 

[blackstrat77]

ammonia and nitrite should be 0 before the water change, if you do it before it just stalls the process. Once nitrite is 0, nitrate should be high, thats when you change the water to bring it back down again. Wether you add fish with nitrite or you choose to wait, either way just let nitrite go to 0 before you change the water. From this point you only ever need to test nitrate, the cycle is done

Awesome! Thanks

 

[Cali Reef Life]

I would say you are fine to like he said once it drops to 0.
If you want to pair the clowns up Id get a small one and a slightly larger one so they pair at same time. If you do a 10-15% bi weekly water change for first two weeks after adding them. After that Id say keep it to 10-20% weekly water changes.

 

[blackstrat77]

Yeah I think I may just wait until the nitrite is 0 before the water change, because that will mean the nitrates will spike. I would rather keep those down from the get go, and try to avoid the algae bloom.

 

[blackstrat77]

ammonia and nitrite should be 0 before the water change, if you do it before it just stalls the process. Once nitrite is 0, nitrate should be high, thats when you change the water to bring it back down again. Wether you add fish with nitrite or you choose to wait, either way just let nitrite go to 0 before you change the water. From this point you only ever need to test nitrate, the cycle is done

Update.
this morning, ammonia is zero and nitrites jumped up to 0.50. Think Im gonna go ahead and grab a clown fish today, and once the nitrite goes away, do a nice big wc, and start working on a small cuc!

 

[Toob]

Nitrite is almost totally irrelevant to saltwater fish health. It takes *extremely* high levels to cause even slight harm. Different story for freshwater, of course. Once ammonia is zero you're good to add fish. Here's an article by our very own resident doc: https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

I wouldn't even bother testing for it.