tank cycle question

[Vmacisback]

I am in the initial phases of the nitrogen cycle and seems like it has been taking forever. Ive been getting reading of ammonia of about 1ppm for about a week. I added about 12lbs of cured live rock to help boost the cycle and a day later the ammonia has not budged. I have added some frozen fish food a few times and it has since disappeared. I have also added a bottle of dr tims, a small bottle of seachem stability,a few ml's of zeobak and zeo start and cant get the ammonia to drop. Should have stated that I have about 70lbs of BRS dry rocked that has been given an acid bath some no life remains. I am not running my skimmer and have the temp up to 84. Any suggestions on if i should add more food or just wait it out? Thanks

 

[ritter6788]

Dry rock takes for ever to cycle. How long have you been cycling?

 

[Vmacisback]

little over 2 weeks but just added the pieces of cured live rock last night. I just thought that with all the bacteria I have added I would have seen it drop. Im just assuming that because there is no life in the rock it will take longer to populate bacteria. Do you think i need to keep adding frozen food or is that just adding to the life of ammonia?

 

[Chpaige]

Not much to go on, how long have you been cycling, what type of substrate are you using, are you adding bacteria? I wouldn't add anything that may overload your bacteria colonies, just add some bacteria and let it run it's course. I know it's a pain looking at an empty tank, however it's worse in my opinion looking at an algae consumed tank, hope this helps!

 

[Vmacisback]

Not much to go on, how long have you been cycling, what type of substrate are you using, are you adding bacteria? I wouldn't add anything that may overload your bacteria colonies, just add some bacteria and let it run it's course. I know it's a pain looking at an empty tank, however it's worse in my opinion looking at an algae consumed tank, hope this helps!

did you read the above posts? there is no substrate in the tank btw. sta bility and zeo back and dr tims are all different kinds of bacteria. What do you mean by overload bacteria colonies? Isnt the point of a nitrogen cycle to colonize beneficial bacteria?

 

[tyler1503]

did you read the above posts? there is no substrate in the tank btw. sta bility and zeo back and dr tims are all different kinds of bacteria. What do you mean by overload bacteria colonies? Isnt the point of a nitrogen cycle to colonize beneficial bacteria?

Your right, the point of the cycle is to colonise the bacteria. In my experience you can't "overload" the bacterial colony's (you can have bacterial blooms, but that's a different type of bacteria and that generally does not happen during a cycle. So in this situation, it's completely irrelevant). Let's say you do end up with too much bacteria for a single fish to feed. All that extra bacteria will die off and produce ammonia which will feed the rest of the living bacteria. You won't see the ammonia spike as the ammonia produced will be eaten up too quickly. It's just like when a fish poops
Just keep an eye on your parameters. And eventually it will work itself out. Do you have any nitrite or nitrate?

 

[Vmacisback]

Your right, the point of the cycle is to colonise the bacteria. In my experience you can't "overload" the bacterial colony's (you can have bacterial blooms, but that's a different type of bacteria and that generally does not happen during a cycle. So in this situation, it's completely irrelevant). Let's say you do end up with too much bacteria for a single fish to feed. All that extra bacteria will die off and produce ammonia which will feed the rest of the living bacteria. You won't see the ammonia spike as the ammonia produced will be eaten up too quickly. It's just like when a fish poops
Just keep an eye on your parameters. And eventually it will work itself out. Do you have any nitrite or nitrate?

nope just ammonia. its only been 15 days I guess thats not a lot but Id just thought id see a drop by now with all the added bacteria. I hear people say six weeks sometimes which scares me to think itll take that long but ill just keep watching.

 

[JOKER]

I know with the dr tims one and only they recommend adding ammonia or fish but you have ammonia after that long is weird. I used it to cycle a tank with 2 clowns and never saw but a trace of ammonia. My next build will be the patient way though, I would just wait it out as everyone says nothing comes quickly in this hobby.

 

[tyler1503]

Over 2 weeks of ammonia with no nitrite spike? Very strange.
Is it possible your cycle has completed (hence the no nitrite) and you have a bad ammonia test kit? Maybe see the LFS and get them to check your water too.

 

[Vmacisback]

no sorry only 1 week with ammonia present.went from .5 to 1ppm over a weeks time.

 

[P3FE]

Patience, lots of it. I would not add anything else to the tank and wait it out. You will eventually see your nitrites go up followed by nitrates. I have cycle my tanks with dry rock and dry sand because i dont like taking chances on live rock, but thats my personal choice. IME they usually take between 4 to 6 weeks to complete the cycle. I've never used bacteria in a bottle, I have cycle them with a couple of green chromis. I have seen amonia stay up for about 2 to 3 weeks and all of the sudden come down and get that big spike on nitrite. I know its a pain to wait for the cycle to finish, but it doesnt last forever. in the mean time you can start seeding your tank with copepods that way they get a chance to multiply undisturbed that way you will have a healthy population of them, your fish will thank you for that :smile:

 

[Vmacisback]

Patience, lots of it. I would not add anything else to the tank and wait it out. You will eventually see your nitrites go up followed by nitrates. I have cycle my tanks with dry rock and dry sand because i dont like taking chances on live rock, but thats my personal choice. IME they usually take between 4 to 6 weeks to complete the cycle. I've never used bacteria in a bottle, I have cycle them with a couple of green chromis. I have seen amonia stay up for about 2 to 3 weeks and all of the sudden come down and get that big spike on nitrite. I know its a pain to wait for the cycle to finish, but it doesnt last forever. in the mean time you can start seeding your tank with copepods that way they get a chance to multiply undisturbed that way you will have a healthy population of them, your fish will thank you for that :smile:

good idea, thanks

 

[Fishpalace]

in the mean time you can start seeding your tank with copepods that way they get a chance to multiply undisturbed that way you will have a healthy population of them, your fish will thank you for that :smile:

Silly question, how do you seed Copepods? I am 3 weeks into a new tank cycle and had no sign of ammonia or Nitrite but Nitrate is 15 so assuming tank is cycling ok.

Would like to build copepod population

 

[Vmacisback]

Silly question, how do you seed Copepods? I am 3 weeks into a new tank cycle and had no sign of ammonia or Nitrite but Nitrate is 15 so assuming tank is cycling ok.

Would like to build copepod population

maybe start your own thread and ask that question

 

[Vmacisback]

Dry rock takes for ever to cycle. How long have you been cycling?

have you tried to cycle dry rock? what was your experience.

 

[rayn]

I am about to start my cycle as well. All dry rock. I expect it to take the best part of 8 weeks before I see things come down. Patience is best. Only thing I ever add is a uncooked shrimp to start it off, then removed after ammonia becomes present.

 

[P3FE]

Silly question, how do you seed Copepods? I am 3 weeks into a new tank cycle and had no sign of ammonia or Nitrite but Nitrate is 15 so assuming tank is cycling ok.

Would like to build copepod population

They sell live Copepods in a bottle. My LFS carry Dr G's products and he has live Copepods in a bottle. I'm sure other brands out here have them too, this one is just the one I know. I just dump them in the tank and let them multiply in their own.

 

[Fishpalace]

They sell live Copepods in a bottle. My LFS carry Dr G's products and he has live Copepods in a bottle. I'm sure other brands out here have them too, this one is just the one I know. I just dump them in the tank and let them multiply in their own.

Thanks, as simple as that. I was thinking it would be really complicated, lol