Cycling an Aquarium

[vetteguy53081]

I am cycling the dry rock with some live rock (cooking in the dark) it been 2 weeks and no ammonia and no nitrites. My NO3 is over 75 what is normal. No fish and it will cook for 3.5 more months. Normally it says i should do 50%WC, but sense i have no livestock there, i don’t expect it will go up. The question: do i need to do WC or can i just start adding bacteria or just let it be? I am trying to build up anaerobic bacteria in the rock (no sand there for now) it is not in my display tank yet. Please correct me if i am wrong at something. When it is all done, i want to go a way from big weekly WC

Brew has taken a break. Regarding cycling dry rock. While rock plays a role, you want to add your bacteria and then ammonia chloride . Then you want to monitor ammonia , When your ammonia is steady at zero for 5 days and Nitrate is steady at 20 or below- You are cycled. Ignore nitrIte Unless sky high
The tank will go through two phases in which ammonia will rise then fall and nitrate will rise and fall which is normal. When fish are added, the bacteria population will increase with the new bio load, converting waste to nitrate.

 

[Freenow54]

I am cycling the dry rock with some live rock (cooking in the dark) it been 2 weeks and no ammonia and no nitrites. My NO3 is over 75 what is normal. No fish and it will cook for 3.5 more months. Normally it says i should do 50%WC, but sense i have no livestock there, i don’t expect it will go up. The question: do i need to do WC or can i just start adding bacteria or just let it be? I am trying to build up anaerobic bacteria in the rock (no sand there for now) it is not in my display tank yet. Please correct me if i am wrong at something. When it is all done, i want to go a way from big weekly WC

Mine took months to finish. I never did a water change just added pure ammonia as described until it processed over night

 

[Jess5023]

Cycling a new aquarium.​

One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank goes through as it matures but this addresses the one most commonly discussed.


What is cycling?

The term cycling comes from the process known as the “Nitrogen Cycle”. When a plant or animal decays, or an animal expels waste, nitrogen is released. In our aquariums we initially see this as ammonia. Bacteria converts the ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate. When we have enough bacteria to quickly convert ammonia to nitrate, we say that our tank has cycled. This is deceiving because the process doesn’t stop at this point and it is never complete. For this reason we need to think of this as establishing a large enough bacteria population to support fish, not completing a cycle.


Ammonia is a waste product of a fish’s cellular activity which is expelled through their gills. If the ammonia in the water is higher than in their blood it cannot be released and builds up in the fish causing cell damage. Nitrosomonas bacteria use ammonia as food and convert it to nitrite.

Nitrite is also harmful to fish. In a fish, nitrites hinder the ability of its blood to carry oxygen. Nitrites are a serious issue in fresh water systems. The same receptors in a fish that would absorb nitrites have a higher affinity for chlorides. The chlorides in saltwater block nitrites from being absorbed and protects the fish in marine systems. We rely on a different species of bacteria, Nitrobacter, to convert nitrite to nitrate.

Nitrates are relatively harmless for fish unless it reaches very high levels. Nitrates leaves our tank in any number of ways. We get rid of it via water changes. Algae and some corals can consume it as food.

The last part of the cycle is when nitrate is converted to nitrogen gas. This is done by anaerobic bacteria inside porous rock or within deep sand beds. Not every aquarium has the necessary conditions for this to occur

What conditions do I need for the cycle to occur?

To provide a good environment for the bacteria, we only need to make sure they are wet, oxygenated, and the pH is between 6.5 and 8.5. They will grow best at a temperature close to where we keep our tanks however they will still survive and reproduce at temperatures between 45F and 100F. We also want to monitor ammonia during this process. If ammonia gets over 5ppm it can slow down the rate bacteria reproduce. Above 10ppm it can stall the cycle.


How does rock affect the cycle?

The rock in a marine tank is the core of its filtration system. We use porous rock to provide as much surface area as possible for bacteria to grow on. The water flowing around the rock brings the ammonia and nitrites to the bacteria. If the rock is large enough it may have anaerobic bacteria deep within it that can convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas.

There are many types of rock that are available in our hobby. I won’t get into all of the different types but I do want to address how dry and live rock impacts the cycle

Dry rock is just that. It is rock that has been dried out and has nothing alive on it. Dry rock can be “clean” where it is considered safe to put directly into an aquarium. If it is not clean it will need to be cured prior to use. Either way, it will not contain nitrifying bacteria. This isn’t a problem as nitrifying bacteria are everywhere and it would be impossible to keep them out of our aquarium even if we wanted to.

Live rock is rock that does have living bacteria on it. The main reason to use live rock is to speed up the cycling process. Just like with dry rock, not all live rock is ready to put immediately in an aquarium. For simplicity I am going to put live rock in 2 broad categories. If your live rock came directly out of a marine system and is kept submerged in quality water during transport you can put it directly into your tank. If the rock was exposed to air or shipped damp then it needs to be cured prior to use. The bacteria on this rock will be fine but other living things may have died and should be removed prior to putting it in your tank.

How do I feed the bacteria?

There are many different takes on this and it is largely a matter of opinion. So here are the most common ways from worst to best in my opinion.

Adding a fish – while it will work as an ammonia source, why would you make a fish suffer in an environment in which it can’t properly shed its toxins?

Ghost feeding – When you add food to the tank you are adding much more than just what breaks down to ammonia. While none of it will be a problem, other than possibly algae, this is an uncontrolled process.

Adding a shrimp – The shrimp will decay and create ammonia, but again, this is an uncontrolled process. How much ammonia will this add and how quickly? I don’t know.

Dosing pure ammonia – This is the only method I will ever use in the future. You can measure exactly how much you need to add to achieve a specific level of ammonia. You can measure just how quickly your bacteria consume it to judge the health of your bacteria population.

How do I recommend doing it?

I’m glad you asked! I’ll start from the point where the tank is set up, filled, has flow, and temperature is in the normal range. It doesn’t matter if you used live or dry rock.

I will either use pure ammonia or ammonium chloride to raise the total ammonia to 2ppm. I will test for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates daily until ammonia is near 0ppm. I will then dose it back up to 2ppm while continuing daily tests. I will repeat this process in a smaller tank until ammonia goes from 2ppm to 0ppm within 24 hours. In tanks that are 90g+ that will be stocked slowly I will only dose to 1ppm ammonia after the initial dose and consider it cycled when it drops from 1ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours. This is to limit nitrates in larger tanks. Keep in mind that a 120g system that drops 1ppm in a day can support more fish than a 40g tank that drops 2ppm in a day.

But I still have questions!

Ok, let me see if I can answer some of the more common ones.


If nitrifying bacteria are everywhere, why are “bacteria in a bottle” products so popular?

Nitrifying bacteria are everywhere so that isn’t the problem. Some bacteria can double their population in 20 minutes. Luck would have it that these tend to be the more poisonous kind. Nitrifying bacteria are relatively slow reproducers and it takes between 8 and 24 hours for them to double their population. If you start with dry rocks it can take a month or two to produce enough bacteria to support even a few small fish. Using bacteria in a bottle instantly provides a larger source of bacteria to speed up the front end of this process.

My cycle went fine for 3 weeks but now it stalled, what happened?

It could be any number of things. Did you let your ammonia go to high? Do you have a pH issue?

Your nitrifying bacteria may be being outcompeted for resources with other bacteria and/or algae. They may process ammonia fine at first but they will eventually go dormant. When this happens, your cycle will stall until a more marine friendly bacterium reproduces enough to begin the cycling process again. Bacteria in your tank are in constant competition for food. Eventually the one best suited to your specific system will thrive.


Can I vacuum out too much bacteria by cleaning? Will cleaning my sand bed cause my tank to cycle?

No, you cannot hurt your bacteria population by routine vacuuming or water changes. These bacteria are very difficult to remove from solid surfaces and would be difficult to remove even with scrubbing.

If your sand bed is very dirty you may cause an ammonia spike that is larger than your current bacteria population can handle but you haven’t done any harm to your bacteria population.

Can I use old tank water to cut back on my new tanks cycle time?

You can, but it won’t help much. The majority of the bacteria is going to be growing on hard surfaces, not floating in the water. There will be some, however, so you will likely introduce a strain of bacteria into your new tank that will eventually work very well.

I never measured any nitrite during my cycle, is this a problem?

No, odds are this is not a problem. It is possible that you had a larger initial population of Nitrobacter bacteria (nitrite eaters) compared to Nitrosomonas bacteria (ammonia eaters). In this case the nitrite was processed to nitrate almost as soon as it was produced.

Another possibility is that you have a large population of Nitrospira bacteria. These bacteria convert ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate within the same cell structure so the nitrite is never released into the water to be measured.

My tank has been empty for 6 months, did my bacteria starve?

No. It is almost impossible to starve bacteria. They will adjust their metabolism and reproduction rates based on the food supply. As the amount of available food goes down, they will process it slower and reproduce less. If they go without food long enough they will go into a cystic stage (typically around a year without food). Once food is available again it will take longer for them to recover from this stage but they are still viable.

This does not mean that your tank is ready for fish after sitting dormant for up to a year. Bacteria is part of the food chain and is consumed by many different organisms. Just because your bacteria didn’t starve doesn’t mean it didn’t get eaten or is still viable. Every aquarium will respond differently based on its unique biology.

Why can I add more fish to an older aquarium faster than a new aquarium?

Let’s say you have 2 identical aquariums set up one year apart. They both have the exact same number and size of fish and both have 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite. They must have the same amount of bacteria, right? Well, no. The older tank will have a larger population of bacteria that is processing ammonia at a slower rate. The younger tank will have a smaller population of bacteria with faster metabolisms. If you add new fish to the younger tank you need to wait for the population to increase which can take days. In an older aquarium, the bacteria only need to become more active which can happen in a matter of hours.

Is this what I should follow to cycle my tank ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is this what I should follow to cycle my tank ?

There's many methods and version and will be tailored to your tank size and whether you use live or dry rock.
My method is to add your bacteria and then you want to monitor ammonia, When your ammonia is steady at zero for 5 days and Nitrate is steady at 20 or below- You are cycled. Ignore nitrIte Unless sky high
The tank will go through two phases in which ammonia will rise then fall and nitrate will rise and fall which is normal. When fish are added, the bacteria population will increase with the new bio load, converting waste to nitrate.

 

[Jess5023]

There's many methods and version and will be tailored to your tank size and whether you use live or dry rock.
My method is to add your bacteria and then you want to monitor ammonia, When your ammonia is steady at zero for 5 days and Nitrate is steady at 20 or below- You are cycled. Ignore nitrIte Unless sky high
The tank will go through two phases in which ammonia will rise then fall and nitrate will rise and fall which is normal. When fish are added, the bacteria population will increase with the new bio load, converting waste to nitrate.

Thank you for answering
I'm using dry rock because that was the only rock there was in my area

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for answering
I'm using dry rock because that was the only rock there was in my area

Dry rock is fine- just takes longer for the tank and rock to be seeded. Many years ago dry rock was the only start up rock as live rock was rarely seen and tanks did just fine

 

[SalinityNoob]

Cycling a new aquarium.​

One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank goes through as it matures but this addresses the one most commonly discussed.


What is cycling?

The term cycling comes from the process known as the “Nitrogen Cycle”. When a plant or animal decays, or an animal expels waste, nitrogen is released. In our aquariums we initially see this as ammonia. Bacteria converts the ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate. When we have enough bacteria to quickly convert ammonia to nitrate, we say that our tank has cycled. This is deceiving because the process doesn’t stop at this point and it is never complete. For this reason we need to think of this as establishing a large enough bacteria population to support fish, not completing a cycle.


Ammonia is a waste product of a fish’s cellular activity which is expelled through their gills. If the ammonia in the water is higher than in their blood it cannot be released and builds up in the fish causing cell damage. Nitrosomonas bacteria use ammonia as food and convert it to nitrite.

Nitrite is also harmful to fish. In a fish, nitrites hinder the ability of its blood to carry oxygen. Nitrites are a serious issue in fresh water systems. The same receptors in a fish that would absorb nitrites have a higher affinity for chlorides. The chlorides in saltwater block nitrites from being absorbed and protects the fish in marine systems. We rely on a different species of bacteria, Nitrobacter, to convert nitrite to nitrate.

Nitrates are relatively harmless for fish unless it reaches very high levels. Nitrates leaves our tank in any number of ways. We get rid of it via water changes. Algae and some corals can consume it as food.

The last part of the cycle is when nitrate is converted to nitrogen gas. This is done by anaerobic bacteria inside porous rock or within deep sand beds. Not every aquarium has the necessary conditions for this to occur

What conditions do I need for the cycle to occur?

To provide a good environment for the bacteria, we only need to make sure they are wet, oxygenated, and the pH is between 6.5 and 8.5. They will grow best at a temperature close to where we keep our tanks however they will still survive and reproduce at temperatures between 45F and 100F. We also want to monitor ammonia during this process. If ammonia gets over 5ppm it can slow down the rate bacteria reproduce. Above 10ppm it can stall the cycle.


How does rock affect the cycle?

The rock in a marine tank is the core of its filtration system. We use porous rock to provide as much surface area as possible for bacteria to grow on. The water flowing around the rock brings the ammonia and nitrites to the bacteria. If the rock is large enough it may have anaerobic bacteria deep within it that can convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas.

There are many types of rock that are available in our hobby. I won’t get into all of the different types but I do want to address how dry and live rock impacts the cycle

Dry rock is just that. It is rock that has been dried out and has nothing alive on it. Dry rock can be “clean” where it is considered safe to put directly into an aquarium. If it is not clean it will need to be cured prior to use. Either way, it will not contain nitrifying bacteria. This isn’t a problem as nitrifying bacteria are everywhere and it would be impossible to keep them out of our aquarium even if we wanted to.

Live rock is rock that does have living bacteria on it. The main reason to use live rock is to speed up the cycling process. Just like with dry rock, not all live rock is ready to put immediately in an aquarium. For simplicity I am going to put live rock in 2 broad categories. If your live rock came directly out of a marine system and is kept submerged in quality water during transport you can put it directly into your tank. If the rock was exposed to air or shipped damp then it needs to be cured prior to use. The bacteria on this rock will be fine but other living things may have died and should be removed prior to putting it in your tank.

How do I feed the bacteria?

There are many different takes on this and it is largely a matter of opinion. So here are the most common ways from worst to best in my opinion.

Adding a fish – while it will work as an ammonia source, why would you make a fish suffer in an environment in which it can’t properly shed its toxins?

Ghost feeding – When you add food to the tank you are adding much more than just what breaks down to ammonia. While none of it will be a problem, other than possibly algae, this is an uncontrolled process.

Adding a shrimp – The shrimp will decay and create ammonia, but again, this is an uncontrolled process. How much ammonia will this add and how quickly? I don’t know.

Dosing pure ammonia – This is the only method I will ever use in the future. You can measure exactly how much you need to add to achieve a specific level of ammonia. You can measure just how quickly your bacteria consume it to judge the health of your bacteria population.

How do I recommend doing it?

I’m glad you asked! I’ll start from the point where the tank is set up, filled, has flow, and temperature is in the normal range. It doesn’t matter if you used live or dry rock.

I will either use pure ammonia or ammonium chloride to raise the total ammonia to 2ppm. I will test for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates daily until ammonia is near 0ppm. I will then dose it back up to 2ppm while continuing daily tests. I will repeat this process in a smaller tank until ammonia goes from 2ppm to 0ppm within 24 hours. In tanks that are 90g+ that will be stocked slowly I will only dose to 1ppm ammonia after the initial dose and consider it cycled when it drops from 1ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours. This is to limit nitrates in larger tanks. Keep in mind that a 120g system that drops 1ppm in a day can support more fish than a 40g tank that drops 2ppm in a day.

But I still have questions!

Ok, let me see if I can answer some of the more common ones.


If nitrifying bacteria are everywhere, why are “bacteria in a bottle” products so popular?

Nitrifying bacteria are everywhere so that isn’t the problem. Some bacteria can double their population in 20 minutes. Luck would have it that these tend to be the more poisonous kind. Nitrifying bacteria are relatively slow reproducers and it takes between 8 and 24 hours for them to double their population. If you start with dry rocks it can take a month or two to produce enough bacteria to support even a few small fish. Using bacteria in a bottle instantly provides a larger source of bacteria to speed up the front end of this process.

My cycle went fine for 3 weeks but now it stalled, what happened?

It could be any number of things. Did you let your ammonia go to high? Do you have a pH issue?

Your nitrifying bacteria may be being outcompeted for resources with other bacteria and/or algae. They may process ammonia fine at first but they will eventually go dormant. When this happens, your cycle will stall until a more marine friendly bacterium reproduces enough to begin the cycling process again. Bacteria in your tank are in constant competition for food. Eventually the one best suited to your specific system will thrive.


Can I vacuum out too much bacteria by cleaning? Will cleaning my sand bed cause my tank to cycle?

No, you cannot hurt your bacteria population by routine vacuuming or water changes. These bacteria are very difficult to remove from solid surfaces and would be difficult to remove even with scrubbing.

If your sand bed is very dirty you may cause an ammonia spike that is larger than your current bacteria population can handle but you haven’t done any harm to your bacteria population.

Can I use old tank water to cut back on my new tanks cycle time?

You can, but it won’t help much. The majority of the bacteria is going to be growing on hard surfaces, not floating in the water. There will be some, however, so you will likely introduce a strain of bacteria into your new tank that will eventually work very well.

I never measured any nitrite during my cycle, is this a problem?

No, odds are this is not a problem. It is possible that you had a larger initial population of Nitrobacter bacteria (nitrite eaters) compared to Nitrosomonas bacteria (ammonia eaters). In this case the nitrite was processed to nitrate almost as soon as it was produced.

Another possibility is that you have a large population of Nitrospira bacteria. These bacteria convert ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate within the same cell structure so the nitrite is never released into the water to be measured.

My tank has been empty for 6 months, did my bacteria starve?

No. It is almost impossible to starve bacteria. They will adjust their metabolism and reproduction rates based on the food supply. As the amount of available food goes down, they will process it slower and reproduce less. If they go without food long enough they will go into a cystic stage (typically around a year without food). Once food is available again it will take longer for them to recover from this stage but they are still viable.

This does not mean that your tank is ready for fish after sitting dormant for up to a year. Bacteria is part of the food chain and is consumed by many different organisms. Just because your bacteria didn’t starve doesn’t mean it didn’t get eaten or is still viable. Every aquarium will respond differently based on its unique biology.

Why can I add more fish to an older aquarium faster than a new aquarium?

Let’s say you have 2 identical aquariums set up one year apart. They both have the exact same number and size of fish and both have 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite. They must have the same amount of bacteria, right? Well, no. The older tank will have a larger population of bacteria that is processing ammonia at a slower rate. The younger tank will have a smaller population of bacteria with faster metabolisms. If you add new fish to the younger tank you need to wait for the population to increase which can take days. In an older aquarium, the bacteria only need to become more active which can happen in a matter of hours.

I figured this was the best place to post, and I’m really new so forgive me if it’s not, but this seems to be thee spot for it. First off, not my first post, but it might as well be. I’m a new guy to the saltwater scenario and have a 30 gallon Fusion L. It’s got dry(semi live) rock, live sand bought from BRS, the proper salinity, and I have two very friendly Gladiator Ocellaris who seem very happy together which is so great. They have been in the tank together since Tuesday, so just over 72 hrs at this point.

I seeded the tank before putting them in, then I acclimated them and put them in. They eat well and seem very happy. I have not seen a huge ammonia spike, but I have maybe .5PPM with no nitrite and no nitrate. I called BRS and they told me I might never even see the nitrite if it moves past it quick enough and instead I may just see nitrate.

So with that said, I have been seeding the tank with bacteria daily and I also have some bio media in the sump to collect more of the bacteria as well. So sand, rock, media all looking to collect a large surface area of good stuff.

I have also primed the tank to allow the ammonia to be fed upon by the bacteria without being harmful to the fish. This may or may not be true, but I read the bottle and all I know is what I read so far. I say that because of reading the OP’s post. So maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t.

I have questions though. Maybe even concerns. I think the clowns seem fine. They look ok, ain’t doing anything weird and they appear totally like normal fish. I have seen some videos saying I should continue this path and keep seeding to maintain good bacteria to eat ammonia and allow the ammonia level to decrease while a nitrite takes place of the ammonia, then nitrate…

I do only have two small fish in a 30 gallon with potentially a hair over 20 actual gallons of water in it due to rock and sand.

I also hear water changes will not fix any problems since it’s simply removing some ammonia, not fixing the issue causing ammonia. It will decrease ammonia sure. But if I’m trying to cycle, I need the ammonia to be broken down by bacteria to continue the cycle forward, no?

Can anyone help me best move forward? What’s my next move?

Thank you, everyone!

Chris

 

[vetteguy53081]

I figured this was the best place to post, and I’m really new so forgive me if it’s not, but this seems to be thee spot for it. First off, not my first post, but it might as well be. I’m a new guy to the saltwater scenario and have a 30 gallon Fusion L. It’s got dry(semi live) rock, live sand bought from BRS, the proper salinity, and I have two very friendly Gladiator Ocellaris who seem very happy together which is so great. They have been in the tank together since Tuesday, so just over 72 hrs at this point.

I seeded the tank before putting them in, then I acclimated them and put them in. They eat well and seem very happy. I have not seen a huge ammonia spike, but I have maybe .5PPM with no nitrite and no nitrate. I called BRS and they told me I might never even see the nitrite if it moves past it quick enough and instead I may just see nitrate.

So with that said, I have been seeding the tank with bacteria daily and I also have some bio media in the sump to collect more of the bacteria as well. So sand, rock, media all looking to collect a large surface area of good stuff.

I have also primed the tank to allow the ammonia to be fed upon by the bacteria without being harmful to the fish. This may or may not be true, but I read the bottle and all I know is what I read so far. I say that because of reading the OP’s post. So maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t.

I have questions though. Maybe even concerns. I think the clowns seem fine. They look ok, ain’t doing anything weird and they appear totally like normal fish. I have seen some videos saying I should continue this path and keep seeding to maintain good bacteria to eat ammonia and allow the ammonia level to decrease while a nitrite takes place of the ammonia, then nitrate…

I do only have two small fish in a 30 gallon with potentially a hair over 20 actual gallons of water in it due to rock and sand.

I also hear water changes will not fix any problems since it’s simply removing some ammonia, not fixing the issue causing ammonia. It will decrease ammonia sure. But if I’m trying to cycle, I need the ammonia to be broken down by bacteria to continue the cycle forward, no?

Can anyone help me best move forward? What’s my next move?

Thank you, everyone!

Chris

In essence, once you are seeing zero ammonia for at least 5 days steadily and nitrate at 20 or below for 5 days, you are cycled. It is important that you obtain these numbers from a reliable test kit. Once stockes as in your case, feed sparingly and then increase feeding as ammonia will rise then fall and nitrate will rise and fall which is normal. When fish are added, the bacteria population will increase with the new bio load, converting waste to nitrate.

 

[SalinityNoob]

In essence, once you are seeing zero ammonia for at least 5 days steadily and nitrate at 20 or below for 5 days, you are cycled. It is important that you obtain these numbers from a reliable test kit. Once stockes as in your case, feed sparingly and then increase feeding as ammonia will rise then fall and nitrate will rise and fall which is normal. When fish are added, the bacteria population will increase with the new bio load, converting waste to nitrate.

 

[SalinityNoob]

Thank you. I’ll keep looking at it steadily. I had vent seen nitrite yet. So I suppose I should keep checking that to see if it moves at all to give me a guideline on whether ammonia will come down?

 

[SalinityNoob]

I’m on day 6 now and tested again today. I still have a light ammonia and no nitrite or nitrate. Shouldn’t I expect nitrite by now? It’s very confusing and I don’t want to chase my own tail. I’m avoiding a water change due to restarting the cycle or stalling it.
I just worry about it because I don’t see it progressing.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m on day 6 now and tested again today. I still have a light ammonia and no nitrite or nitrate. Shouldn’t I expect nitrite by now? It’s very confusing and I don’t want to chase my own tail. I’m avoiding a water change due to restarting the cycle or stalling it.
I just worry about it because I don’t see it progressing.

Disregard nitrate unless sky high as it plays a role in FW tanks.
Light ammonia suggests your levels are coming down as they should be. There is a margin of error with some test kits and best is to confirm your readings by taking a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at

 

[Jess5023]

I'm doing a fishless cycle.

my nitrate is 15ppm
My nitrite is 2-3ppm(hard to tell)
My ammonia 0ppm
it's been cycling for about 40 days
And I did a 25% water change because my nitrate and nitrite was so high but it didn't really do much so I did a 50% water change then is got back to normal levels ( I did the water change 2 weeks ago) do you think I am cycled or did I ruin it by changing the water?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm doing a fishless cycle.

my nitrate is 15ppm
My nitrite is 2-3ppm(hard to tell)
My ammonia 0ppm
it's been cycling for about 40 days
And I did a 25% water change because my nitrate and nitrite was so high but it didn't really do much so I did a 50% water change then is got back to normal levels ( I did the water change 2 weeks ago) do you think I am cycled or did I ruin it by changing the water?

You are good to go

 

[Jess5023]

You are good to go

Yay thx for answering

 

[Netotek]

I might have done something stupid. I'm on Day 4 of a fishless cycle, using Dry Rock and CaribSea Live Sand, and I've just been ghost feeding daily. I've been testing Ammonia and Nitrates, and they have been climbing steadily. Am I supposed to be testing Nitrites as well or will I be able to tell when the cycle is done with these two tests?

I was planning of bringing a water sample to my LFS once I knew the cycle was done as a final check before I add fish, and then buy the tests I am missing at that point.

It's a bit of a drive to my LFS so I'm hoping that what I have is enough for now. If not, I guess I'll go for a drive.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I might have done something stupid. I'm on Day 4 of a fishless cycle, using Dry Rock and CaribSea Live Sand, and I've just been ghost feeding daily. I've been testing Ammonia and Nitrates, and they have been climbing steadily. Am I supposed to be testing Nitrites as well or will I be able to tell when the cycle is done with these two tests?

I was planning of bringing a water sample to my LFS once I knew the cycle was done as a final check before I add fish, and then buy the tests I am missing at that point.

It's a bit of a drive to my LFS so I'm hoping that what I have is enough for now. If not, I guess I'll go for a drive.

Disregard nitrates Unless sky high like over 100. Nitrites play a role in freshwater
the ammonia and nitrates with denitrifying bacteria should be dropping. No need to ghost feed. Add bacteria such as MicroBacter XLM

 

[Netotek]

Disregard nitrates Unless sky high like over 100. Nitrites play a role in freshwater
the ammonia and nitrates with denitrifying bacteria should be dropping. No need to ghost feed. Add bacteria such as MicroBacter XLM

Ok, Went to my LFS and picked up a Nitrite test, MicroBacter StartXLM, and a Nano Flipper float.

I tested before I dosed the tank;
Nitrites: 1ppm
Nitrates: 25ppm
Ammonia: 1.5 TA mg\L (although I took a water sample to the LFS and they said it was closer to 4 and they used an API test which I thought strange since they tested Nitrates and Nitrites with Salifert tests)

Now the tank has been dosed with the MicroBacter StartXLM. The bottle says to add fish, and I don't want to do that. I figure I'll just continue ghost feeding and testing daily and wait until Ammonia and Nitrates say 0.

Then I can add fish right? or do I wait a couple days of steady 0 readings?

Thank you again for the help,

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok, Went to my LFS and picked up a Nitrite test, MicroBacter StartXLM, and a Nano Flipper float.

I tested before I dosed the tank;
Nitrites: 1ppm
Nitrates: 25ppm
Ammonia: 1.5 TA mg\L (although I took a water sample to the LFS and they said it was closer to 4 and they used an API test which I thought strange since they tested Nitrates and Nitrites with Salifert tests)

Now the tank has been dosed with the MicroBacter StartXLM. The bottle says to add fish, and I don't want to do that. I figure I'll just continue ghost feeding and testing daily and wait until Ammonia and Nitrates say 0.

Then I can add fish right? or do I wait a couple days of steady 0 readings?

Thank you again for the help,

Ammonia is high, dont worry about nitrites and Bacteria may help bring ammonia down.

 

[Netotek]

Hi!
So now I'm on Day 12 of my fishless cycle where i've been lightly feeding pellets and testing every other day.

Ammonia: 0.25 to <0.15 (it was very close as the colors on the salifert test are so similar) I also put one of those seachem ammonia test cards inside the tank yesterday and it reads safe (<0.02) It was still at 1.5 two days ago when I tested last.

Nitrites: 0.5 - this was at 1 last time I tested 4days ago
Nitrates: 100
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78.5F

Am I ready for fish? I plan on starting with one Clownfish and then adding the CUC after the tank becomes a little more established.

And with the nitrates being so high, I'm guessing I need to do a water change before adding the clownfish. 20%? 50%?