Cycle confusion

[pdiehm]

The quarantine cycle is ongoing, just seems like it's stalled. Period.

Over 4 weeks ago (5 in total since initial dose), I got my first nitrite reading. Since then, nitrites have not fallen. At.All. Zero. I would venture, that if anything, according to the red sea test, they have gone up.

On the tank I had an Aquaclear 20, and about a 6" piece of pukani.

Earlier this week, I replaced the AC20 with an AC70 (and kept the pukani in the tank) thinking maybe I didn't have enough surface area for bacteria to colonize. I took the ceramic balls, and the sponge out of the 20, and put them into the 70, along with the ceramic balls, and sponge that came with the 70. Having said that, there's no way the 70 is seeded with bacteria yet to handle the nitrites, so I have to give that time.

I have the 70 on the end of the tank (20G Long) so it's going lengthwise. I have a Koralia powerhead on the other end pointed at the AC70. I have 2 Nano 425 Koralia's on the back wall. The surface is rippling. Temps are 80 or so.

The process:

Dosed 2ppm ammonia
Waited
WHen it dropped to 0, I tested for nitrites (tested way over 1).
Re-dosed ammonia to 2ppm
dropped to zero (2 more times)
Dosed back up to 2 ppm (2 times).
Nitrites still sky high, ammonia zero.


At this point, do I keep waiting (and give the new AC70 a chance to house/develop a bacteria colony)? Should I do a water change of 30-50% to get nitrites down?

Someone told me that I need to keep feeding ammonia to the tank. Another said don't do anything. A 3rd said, add a bacteria source like Dr. Tims.

Sooo, you can see why I'm so confused.

[m0nkie]

you are suppose to dose ammonia ONCE to 2ppm.. then wait till 0 nitrite.. since you dosed so much, you are going to have a long cycle..

if you started with a live rock or a table shrimp, you don't need to add bacteria. But if you used all dry rocks and dry sand, you need to seed the initial cycle with some bacteria, then dose ammonia to 2ppm. once that's done, sit back and wait for nitrite to drop to 0

you do NOT need to constantly feed the tank ammonia.. since you have 0 ammonia and high nitrite, I would just sit back and let it drop.

[jminick2]

you are suppose to dose ammonia ONCE to 2ppm.. then wait till 0 nitrite.. since you dosed so much, you are going to have a long cycle..

if you started with a live rock or a table shrimp, you don't need to add bacteria. But if you used all dry rocks and dry sand, you need to seed the initial cycle with some bacteria, then dose ammonia to 2ppm. once that's done, sit back and wait for nitrite to drop to 0

you do NOT need to constantly feed the tank ammonia.. since you have 0 ammonia and high nitrite, I would just sit back and let it drop.

Good info here.

[pdiehm]

you are suppose to dose ammonia ONCE to 2ppm.. then wait till 0 nitrite.. since you dosed so much, you are going to have a long cycle..

if you started with a live rock or a table shrimp, you don't need to add bacteria. But if you used all dry rocks and dry sand, you need to seed the initial cycle with some bacteria, then dose ammonia to 2ppm. once that's done, sit back and wait for nitrite to drop to 0

you do NOT need to constantly feed the tank ammonia.. since you have 0 ammonia and high nitrite, I would just sit back and let it drop.


Would a water change help lower the nitrites and allow the tank to catch up?

It's a QT so it's bare bottom. Just a small piece of level over Pukani Rock in there with the material from the aqua clear 70

[m0nkie]

Probably not... just let it do its thing.

[pdiehm]

I dosed my 120 once (has 90lbs of reef flakes, 75lbs of pukani) with 2ppm ammonia...and 2 weeks later, nitrites are falling to 0 in 48 hours. redosing that up to 1ppm each time now.

Pretty sure that tank will be ready before the QT tank is :)

[pdiehm]

QT tank nitrites have fallen! Looks to be about 0.5...but the change to the AC70 and increased biological may have jump started this.

[jminick2]

QT tank nitrites have fallen! Looks to be about 0.5...but the change to the AC70 and increased biological may have jump started this.

Nope....100% nature doing its thing.

[Ironwood]

The quarantine cycle is ongoing, just seems like it's stalled. Period.

Over 4 weeks ago (5 in total since initial dose), I got my first nitrite reading. Since then, nitrites have not fallen. At.All. Zero. I would venture, that if anything, according to the red sea test, they have gone up.

On the tank I had an Aquaclear 20, and about a 6" piece of pukani.

Earlier this week, I replaced the AC20 with an AC70 (and kept the pukani in the tank) thinking maybe I didn't have enough surface area for bacteria to colonize. I took the ceramic balls, and the sponge out of the 20, and put them into the 70, along with the ceramic balls, and sponge that came with the 70. Having said that, there's no way the 70 is seeded with bacteria yet to handle the nitrites, so I have to give that time.

I have the 70 on the end of the tank (20G Long) so it's going lengthwise. I have a Koralia powerhead on the other end pointed at the AC70. I have 2 Nano 425 Koralia's on the back wall. The surface is rippling. Temps are 80 or so.

The process:

Dosed 2ppm ammonia
Waited
WHen it dropped to 0, I tested for nitrites (tested way over 1).
Re-dosed ammonia to 2ppm
dropped to zero (2 more times)
Dosed back up to 2 ppm (2 times).
Nitrites still sky high, ammonia zero.


At this point, do I keep waiting (and give the new AC70 a chance to house/develop a bacteria colony)? Should I do a water change of 30-50% to get nitrites down?

Someone told me that I need to keep feeding ammonia to the tank. Another said don't do anything. A 3rd said, add a bacteria source like Dr. Tims.

Sooo, you can see why I'm so confused.
My QT tank took forever to cycle> 8 weeks. Nitrite was stuck at 5ppm for weeks

[blondetang]

Dr Tim's is always a good thing to use to get the cycle going

[pdiehm]

Things are moving now. QT tank has significantly dropped nitrites. Probably another 2 or so days before they hit zero and I'll redose to 1ppm.

[jminick2]

Things are moving now. QT tank has significantly dropped nitrites. Probably another 2 or so days before they hit zero and I'll redose to 1ppm.
Why?