Question on cycling

[bucfan]

Started a new 100g tank 7 days back. Used Brightwell's Microbacter XLM and Microbacter Quick Cycl. Ammonia been reading ~1 last 4 days. Nitrite 0.2 and nitrate 2. Are these expected results? When do I know if my cycle is done? Should I be expecting nitrite/nitrates to spike?

 

[lapin]

Has your ammonia level changed since you added Microbacter Quick Cycl. (ammonia) ?
When it does you know your cycle has started.
Your starting ammonia level will deturmin how high your nitrate will get. The more ammonia added the higher the level.
A rule of thumb is once your nitrite level hits 0 you are done.

 

[bucfan]

Ammonia was 0.5 to start and went to 1 and has stayed there.

 

[lapin]

I do not understand how ammonia increased when you did not add anything. Or was .5 before the mic bac quick?

 

[bucfan]

I am using the API kit to test ammonia so I am not sure how reliable it is

 

[lapin]

ok thats not very good at ammonia. I would let my nitrite get to 0 and call the initial cycle done.

 

[bucfan]

should I expect the nitrite to go higher? It's been sitting at 0.2 for a few days by Salifert.

 

[lapin]

Ammonia to nitrite to nitrate is the flow.
As bacteria grows that convert nitrite to nitrate.
Nitrite should go down as nitrate rises.
Ammonia to nitrite bacteria grow first. It takes a while longer for nitrite to nitrate bacteria to grow

 

[bucfan]

Thanks!

 

[MnFish1]

One issue - did you measure your ammonia when you first added it? Sometimes - if it is too high - things take longs - Ammonia levels >4 are toxic to some bacteria. So - if its gone from 4 to 1 thats good. I wouldn't worry about nitrite at all. Or nitrate - I'm kind of an outlier - I dont do ammonia cycling anymore - due to issues like this - but - when I did - I followed only the ammonia - once it was less than .25 (on API) - I would do a water change and assume everything was good to add fish or whatever. When I added fish (or whatever) - I also added more 'bacteria' (not ammonia). I will say if you're using ammonia to cycle - 7 days is short. I'm sure @brandon429 has some input

 

[bucfan]

One issue - did you measure your ammonia when you first added it? Sometimes - if it is too high - things take longs - Ammonia levels >4 are toxic to some bacteria. So - if its gone from 4 to 1 thats good. I wouldn't worry about nitrite at all. Or nitrate - I'm kind of an outlier - I dont do ammonia cycling anymore - due to issues like this - but - when I did - I followed only the ammonia - once it was less than .25 (on API) - I would do a water change and assume everything was good to add fish or whatever. When I added fish (or whatever) - I also added more 'bacteria' (not ammonia). I will say if you're using ammonia to cycle - 7 days is short. I'm sure @brandon429 has some input

Unfotunately I did not test the water the first 2 days so I don't know what the baseline is. I tested ammonia the 3rd day onwards.

 

[MnFish1]

Unfotunately I did not test the water the first 2 days so I don't know what the baseline is. I tested ammonia the 3rd day onwards.

all good. what was it on those days.?

 

[bucfan]

all good. what was it on those days.?

0.5 on day 3 and 4, then 1 since then

 

[Piscean_Introvert]

Hey all I have a similar question, any advise on what I should do next. Microbacter says I should wait until Ammonia is at 0 before measuring Nitrate?

 

[Tiki Reef Joshua]

Where the h@!l is @brandon429 there is a cycling question!

 

[brandon429]

removed

 

[brandon429]

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[Piscean_Introvert]

Working example

@plc001 progression shot

look at the dates here on the three pics, a clear documentation. Took longer than normal these were cleaning bacteria / mb7 type cycling not the dedicated nitrifiers, this cycle took a bit longer but is now ready just the same

due to the clear motion, we don’t care if the final reading still shows the green. we change out the wastewater for clean and begin


so if we can get two more reefs to post a motion sequence, cycling 2020 will be underway. Reefs that use dedicated nitrifiers and have approached ten days underwater with any feed in place can expect a faster motion sequence.


this is part of the science that allows 450 reefs to all start on time at macna with no stalls. The other 99.99997% are live rock total skip cycles.

This is amazing thank you for your thoroughness, and examples, guess that means I can get my clownfish after doing a water change

 

[brandon429]

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[brandon429]

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