Tank cycle stuck on 2 ammonia

[Vicki Marcue]

Hi all. I am not new to keeping salt water tanks but have a question about a new tank cycle. I have kept salt water tanks for over 20 years and Never had a cycle stop at level 2 ammonia and sit there for 4 weeks now. I helped my son and daughter cycle a new 55 gallon . It's going to be a fish only tank. We set the tank up Feb 17th doing the frozen shrimp truck and bottled bacteria. The ammonia started almost immediately and stopped after about 2 weeks. And has just sat right in the middle . I had them add more bacteria to see if that would help. Nothing changed. This is so frustrating because I have never ever had this happen. Any ideas . Should we do a water change. ? Just let it try to finish? This is probably close to my 10th tank I have cycled and never had it get stuck on ammonia with 0 nititrites or 0 nitrates.

 

[Dj City]

Are you using API test? It sounds like you are.
Their ammonia test is not great at all and WILL give false reading of ammonia.

If you have been cycling a tank for a solid month, i'm pretty sure your cycle is done and you have no ammonia.

Test your nitrates at this point as you should be past both ammonia AND nitrite.

 

[brandon429]

Your tank is fully cycled, post a pic we will dissect the status

compare your tank to this one lemme know if you think theyre similar cycling challenges

"Cycled" tank with ammonia

Hey guys, new here. So I've had my tank for about 2 close to 3 months. I've added bottled bacteria (1 instant ocean, and dosed seachem). However it's still showing trace amounts of ammonia. Around 2 ppm. Irresponsiblely I did add a clown fish, a gsp, and a Duncan around a month and a half ago...

www.reef2reef.com

see how only ammonia matters there

its like that for all cycles.

we know your readings already due to you stating a time factor. See cycling charts/left side calibration
time underwater = cycle param on the right, factor in bottle bac here which is skip cycle liquid. Post pics, you’re easily cycled.

 

[Vicki Marcue]

Are you using API test? It sounds like you are.
Their ammonia test is not great at all and WILL give false reading of ammonia.

If you have been cycling a tank for a solid month, i'm pretty sure your cycle is done and you have no ammonia.

Test your nitrates at this point as you should be past both ammonia AND nitrite.

Yes Api. Test kit. Darn it. It's just odd that nitrite and nitrate never read anything. . Is the problem with api only with the ammonia test readings or all 3 levels. ?

 

[Hemmdog]

Yes Api. Test kit. Darn it. It's just odd that nitrite and nitrate never read anything. . Is the problem with api only with the ammonia test readings or all 3 levels. ?

Most all api tests are inaccurate. For a fish only it doesn’t really matter too much. If you added bacteria recently, that also could show a false positive for ammonia on top of it being an inaccurate test kit.

 

[Vicki Marcue]

Most all api tests are inaccurate. For a fish only it doesn’t really matter too much. If you added bacteria recently, that also could show a false positive for ammonia on top of it being an inaccurate test kit.

Most all api tests are inaccurate. For a fish only it doesn’t really matter too much. If you added bacteria recently, that also could show a false positive for ammonia on top of it being an inaccurate test kit.

What is a better more accurate test kit ?

 

[Hemmdog]

What is a better more accurate test kit ?

Salifert, Red Sea is good as well.

 

[Vicki Marcue]

Your tank is fully cycled, post a pic we will dissect the status

compare your tank to this one lemme know if you think theyre similar cycling challenges

"Cycled" tank with ammonia

Hey guys, new here. So I've had my tank for about 2 close to 3 months. I've added bottled bacteria (1 instant ocean, and dosed seachem). However it's still showing trace amounts of ammonia. Around 2 ppm. Irresponsiblely I did add a clown fish, a gsp, and a Duncan around a month and a half ago...

www.reef2reef.com

see how only ammonia matters there

its like that for all cycles.

we know your readings already due to you stating a time factor. See cycling charts/left side calibration
time underwater = cycle param on the right, factor in bottle bac here which is skip cycle liquid. Post pics, you’re easily cycled.

Thank you for the reply. The tank is at my son's house. I will post a picture as soon as I can . It's just a simple set up of. Sand . A few pieces of rock. Skimmer and fake decorations.

 

[brandon429]

You are dealing with a continually degrading ammonia source with the shrimp vs quick uptake when using liquid ammonia

theres been plenty of time to feed bac, which are ready.

change all the wastewater in the tank, remove shrimp, add some crabs and snails it’s ready plus if they live overnite it’s biological confirmation you are cycled, all without having to rely on testers which can cross read miss read etc. the specific action of change water, begin lightly, shows the status of the tank. You used bottle bac which allows instant fish use, thats how we know it’s done, you’re not even asking it to run multiple fish...a light proofing start always works.

remove the rotting shrimp it’s all ready. All fed plenty


see the cycle above, a month + boosters + surface area always results in a completed cycle, but we don’t test wastewater. Change all the water, then it’s ready and the established bac are stuck to all surfaces, simply disregard the test and regard the cycling charts that show all reefs ready by 30 days, that’s excluding boosters that made your tank able 30 days ago

its not that we need your test readings, it’s that we can tell you what they will be after the actions above.

 

[Benreefnz]

I've had a very similar experience and I believe what led me astray was the false readings I got from the API ammonia test kit as a result of a single dose of Seachem Prime a few weeks into my cycle. I had just rinsed my skimmer under tap water and wanted to ensure there was jot chlorine transfered to tank... I learnt my lesson.
Read through all the threads on here about 'stuck' cycles and ammonia not dropping and and you'll seeBrandon429's replies. He's onto something.
The method he talks about of using the API test kit to confirm your cycle after doing a 100% water change makes total sense.
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