No diatoms no nitrate spike
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Kamden Uelton
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can't see the image, has an X over it for me
Hi this is my 4th week of cycling
Running skimmer from day one except after dosing microbacter7 i turned it off for 3 hours a day for first two weeks
I know that every cycling is different, i use ghost feeding methode
after amonia spike , i get nitrite reading om second week, and two days later i have nitrite spike
I was away for few days, when i test my parameter was amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate was arround 3 -5 ppm (seachem)
I add chaeto at second week because its hard to find one for sale or give, so when its available i just grab it and put it in my sump
This is my 4th week but nitrate always at 3-5ppm
Iam waitting for nitrate spike to happen so i can do water change
Question is
1. Am i cycling slower because i didnt see any diatoms on my main tank ( i use ati t5 and turned it on week 2 running as if there was corals in there) but my sump is getting this diatom bloom
2. Is it okay not to have the nitrate spike? Am i adding the chaeto too soon? Should i do the water change anyway? I want to add my first fish
Running skimmer from day one except after dosing microbacter7 i turned it off for 3 hours a day for first two weeks
I know that every cycling is different, i use ghost feeding methode
after amonia spike , i get nitrite reading om second week, and two days later i have nitrite spike
I was away for few days, when i test my parameter was amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate was arround 3 -5 ppm (seachem)
I add chaeto at second week because its hard to find one for sale or give, so when its available i just grab it and put it in my sump
This is my 4th week but nitrate always at 3-5ppm
Iam waitting for nitrate spike to happen so i can do water change
Question is
1. Am i cycling slower because i didnt see any diatoms on my main tank ( i use ati t5 and turned it on week 2 running as if there was corals in there) but my sump is getting this diatom bloom
2. Is it okay not to have the nitrate spike? Am i adding the chaeto too soon? Should i do the water change anyway? I want to add my first fish
If the ammoina spiked and dropped , you are fine.
Diatoms , algae are not an indication of the nitrogen cycle.
What we need is the bacteria to eat and absorb the ammoina that fish will produce and that is produced when foods rot.
Nitrate and nitrites are just an indication of the process. Neither are toxic to a fish.
So imo. Your tank is in fact cycled , so go get some fish.
Try not to overfeed , as the biofilter is not processing the nutrients well, so they build up and feed the algaes cyanos etc that are associated wit the ugly phase of the cycle.
Fwiw, Diatoms need N/p and also a lot of silicates, usually supplied by dissolving of the outer layers of dry rock. Once the silicates are close to exhausted , the diatoms fade as they no longer have the minerals needed to form their skeletons. This is why diatoms feel different between your fingers than cyano. Diatoms have bones.
Diatoms , algae are not an indication of the nitrogen cycle.
What we need is the bacteria to eat and absorb the ammoina that fish will produce and that is produced when foods rot.
Nitrate and nitrites are just an indication of the process. Neither are toxic to a fish.
So imo. Your tank is in fact cycled , so go get some fish.
Try not to overfeed , as the biofilter is not processing the nutrients well, so they build up and feed the algaes cyanos etc that are associated wit the ugly phase of the cycle.
Fwiw, Diatoms need N/p and also a lot of silicates, usually supplied by dissolving of the outer layers of dry rock. Once the silicates are close to exhausted , the diatoms fade as they no longer have the minerals needed to form their skeletons. This is why diatoms feel different between your fingers than cyano. Diatoms have bones.
