Please Help Cycling 55 Gallon Tank

[jonathan23]

Hey guys I'm cycling a 55 gallon with a small amount of live rock and live sand, bio spira, and pure ammonia. I'm at a point where my bacteria can take out 1.0 ppm ammonia in 24 hours but here's the part where I'm confused. For about 3 days in a row now, my nitrite and nitrate levels are stuck. Nitrite is anywhere between 2.0 ppm and 5.0 ppm (I can't tell exactly because on the API test they look like the same color to me). Nitrate is at 40 ppm. Can anyone please help me figure out why this is happening and how I can fix it? Also, I have been dosing ammonia every day so my bacteria should be well fed.

Thanks.

 

[brandon429]

you are done cycling post pics of the rock and setup

(nitrite and nitrate no longer are factored in updated cycling science, only ammonia control is why I said that above)

nb4 stallers heh

when you mentioned live rock, that's associated with totally skipping the normal wait times, pics help us see % live used

additionally, biospira can do this below, that factored into why I stated you were done so quickly before seeing any other details:

Bio-spira works great

I just started a new tank a little over a week ago. I started with all dry rock and new sand. I added a bottle of Bio-Spira and put fish and coral the same day. Never saw any ammonia and fish and coral seem healthy.

www.reef2reef.com

why we dont care about nitrite and nitrate in cycling any longer: nitrite is neutral to us in every way in reefing. its expected to be present, but chemically neutral just the same, in early cycles. presence of nitrite messes up nitrate tests, only ammonia harms fish.

we are merely lucky your tester agreed ammonia is controlled, if it didnt, the tester would be wrong there still wouldnt be any lack of ammonia control given the details mentioned above.

 

[Aqua Man]

Also, I have been dosing ammonia every day so my bacteria should be well fed.

Stop dosing ammonia! Every time a dose of ammonia is added, it’s now converted to nitrites and nitrates. Time for a large water and start reefing!!!!

 

[jonathan23]

Understood thank you guys. I was under the impression that the nitrites had to be dropped in order for the cycle to be completed.

 

[brandon429]

that wasnt a high degree of live rock agreed, but that bottle bac fixed it right up

 

[Cell]

For future reference, dont bother testing for nitrate if nitrite is present. Nitrate tests break it down to nitrite to measure.

 

[jonathan23]

This is great guys thanks. I’m still just confused on one thing. Wouldn’t the high nitrite, for example at the level mine is, kill my fish eventually? Or is that not true?

 

[brandon429]

harmless 100%, wont affect any aspect of the cycle at all other than nitrate testing.

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

Team how many times did we need to know your alkalinity to turn out cycles ready here with fish or your ph or any other param if you have water, and time depending on the boosters used, you get a full complete cycle and not a partial one. Someone update the cycling rules for the hobby with...

www.reef2reef.com

high nitrite tests above. we are only allowed to disregard old cycling rules if hundreds of tanks align with patterned outcomes...that's one of about ten threads I have on the matter testing high nitrite starts, and then months of follow up thereafter


the fish disease having nothing to do with the cycle turned out to be the killer of their fish, within 8 mos on average of setup.

 

[Azedenkae]

This is great guys thanks. I’m still just confused on one thing. Wouldn’t the high nitrite, for example at the level mine is, kill my fish eventually? Or is that not true?

At your levels, no. But it is true that nitrite and too high levels will kill fish, or even harm them. Nitrite needs to reach very high levels, like above 100ppm to be lethal: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php, though lower levels can cause long term diseases: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10499-015-9965-9.

So long as you keep nitrite below 25ppm, then it is perfectly safe for your marine fish. The reason why people may suggest nitrite is non-toxic is because, reaching 25ppm nitrite is very difficult, even if one 'screws up' the cycle. For example, you have been dosing ammonia everyday, but your nitrite is only between 2-5ppm, even though your nitrite-oxidizing capacity is still catching up. And that's far below 25ppm and likely won't reach 25ppm ever. So yeah. But I think it is still good to keep in mind what the truth is.