end of cycle?

[Brayreef]

I started cycling my picotope around six weeks ago. I used Dr. Tims Nitrifying bacteria. As of today my nitrite is finally at zero but my ammonia has been stuck at 0.25 ppm. Can i go ahead and do my first big water change or should I continue to wait it out in hopes that they will both be 0 ppm?

 

Thanks.

[farkwar]

If your cycle ends, your tank is dead.

[Brayreef]

If the bacteria is still within the tank its alive.

[mrkotabear]

Your cycle has most likely stalled

 

Keep having an ammonia source. Your cycle is done when you have 0 ammonia and nitrite

[squalldude]

What else have you put in your water? like sand or live rock? During my first cycle I got impatient and added all my sand and live rock and A cleanup crew. Now I don't recommend adding the cleanup crew early like I did but the sand and live rock will help it go faster

[mrkotabear]

Live rock live rock live rock the more the better:) although you could have an ammonia spike from the die off. So put as much as you can in the tank before you add anything:)

[nibor]

Inaccurate API ammonia test kit? Verify with another test kit.

 

Once you are ready to start adding livestock, go slowly. You have to keep allowing the bacterial populations time to stabilise every time you change the bio load.

 

The nitrogen cycle never ends, you just have to keep letting it find equilibrium.

[farkwar]

If the bacteria is still within the tank its alive.

The cycle you are starting is called the Nitrogen Cycle.

 

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/4/chemistry

 

If the cycle stops or ends in your tank, the tank either dies or is dead(sometimes called a crash).

 

I know it seems pedantic, but its an important definitional distinction.

 

Inaccurate API ammonia test kit?

Verify with another test kit.

 

Once you are ready to start adding livestock, go slowly. You have to keep allowing the bacterial populations time to stabilise every time you change the bio load.The nitrogen cycle never ends, you just have to keep letting it find equilibrium.

The API Ammonia test is inaccurate. pH is a pain to read.

 

All the other API tests are fairly accurate for the beginner reefer. I did tests almost a year ago with 4 year old API test kits, they were fairly close to both Red Sea Tests and Hanna Testers.

 

The Ammonia test is the least needed test anyway. Once you start growing algae in the tank, ammonia is no longer at a toxic level. Algae can't grow in ammonia.

 

Embolded above quote, for it is truth and needs re-emphasis.

[Brayreef]

I definitely dont have algae but i do have diatoms that are slowly beginning to disappear. I used dry rock and dr. tims nitrifying bacteria with ammonium chloride. As for testing, im using API nitrite and ammonia.

Diatoms have been present for around 3 weeks.

Tank is bare bottom.

[Brayreef]

bump

 

Should i add more ammonia if the cycle has stalled?

[Liamgray90]

Add some clean up crew thell create some ammonia

As long as the levels aren't dangerous and when they do change 10% of the water

[mrkotabear]

I wouldn't add a clean up crew yet, because your nitrates could become a problem for them. Id wait for the cycle to completely finish, than add the crew.

 

And yes Id dose a little ammonia