High NitrAtes, No Ammonia, No NitrItes

[ImNew:]]

Hey guys,

so i am cycling a previously used tank with Live rock and Live sand from an established tank. ( even got some of his water from his tank.) Everything seems to be going great, i noticed brown algae growth but it has subsided. When i tested the water chemistry I got Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 160. I have been reading that this could signal the end of my cycle? Question is should i do Large water changes to bring down my nitrate? Thanks for the help.

[blazerino]

How long have you had the tank set up?

 

Did you test previously and see ammonia or nitrite before they went to 0?

[ImNew:]]

How long have you had the tank set up?

 

Did you test previously and see ammonia or nitrite before they went to 0?

 

The tank is hitting 3 weeks. the ammonia and nitrate where tested but were very low. I thought this was due to the fact that the live rock, Live sand and some of the water had come from an established tank.

[blazerino]

The tank is hitting 3 weeks. the ammonia and nitrate where tested but were very low. I thought this was due to the fact that the live rock, Live sand and some of the water had come from an established tank.

You should be good then.

 

You can do a large water change (>50%) and add a small fish then test daily to make sure things don't spike. If they do, do another large water change.

[ImNew:]]

You should be good then.

 

You can do a large water change (>50%) and add a small fish then test daily to make sure things don't spike. If they do, do another large water change.

Another member suggested i add ammonia drops. Any thoughts on that? i do not want to jump the gun and kill fish or coral hahah. Is there any way to know if the cycle is complete? Still learning so bare with me

[ImNew:]]

From what i researched sign of a complete cycle include a rise in brown algea which i did not have when i started but saw during this past week.

[Zorro237]

It might be a good idea to wait a week and monitor the tank. It is possible the tank is not done cycling and the nitrate levels might come down. This is just a guess but if there is anything I have learned in this hobby, waiting never hurts.

[blazerino]

It might be a good idea to wait a week and monitor the tank. It is possible the tank is not done cycling and the nitrate levels might come down. This is just a guess but if there is anything I have learned in this hobby, waiting never hurts.

 

Nitrates are generally considered the end of the nitrogen cycle because for the most part, aerobic bacteria will not further process the nitrates into another compound.

 

 

From what i researched sign of a complete cycle include a rise in brown algea which i did not have when i started but saw during this past week.

 

Your inital cycle is complete because the bacteria in your tank have converted all of the ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate. The reason that you have read about a rise in brown algea is because the final product of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate, which is a nutrient for algea growth.

 

Because nitrates are algea food, it is important to get them out of the tank. This is generally referred to as "nutrient export".

 

The most common method of nutrient export is regular water changes. In addition, some people utilize a refugium to grown macro algea which uses the nitrates as food and is peridocially cut back to remove the nutrients form the system.

 

Note that I said your INITAL cycle is complete. Your aquarium may experience additional small cycles as you increase the bioload, especially at the beginning. Because of this, it is very important to add fish/inverts slowly and be very concious of overfeeding at the beggining to allow the system to adjust to the higher bioload and build a large bacterial population.

 

Post some pics!

[ImNew:]]

Nitrates are generally considered the end of the nitrogen cycle because for the most part, aerobic bacteria will not further process the nitrates into another compound.

 

 

 

Your inital cycle is complete because the bacteria in your tank have converted all of the ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate. The reason that you have read about a rise in brown algea is because the final product of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate, which is a nutrient for algea growth.

 

Because nitrates are algea food, it is important to get them out of the tank. This is generally referred to as "nutrient export".

 

The most common method of nutrient export is regular water changes. In addition, some people utilize a refugium to grown macro algea which uses the nitrates as food and is peridocially cut back to remove the nutrients form the system.

 

Note that I said your INITAL cycle is complete. Your aquarium may experience additional small cycles as you increase the bioload, especially at the beginning. Because of this, it is very important to add fish/inverts slowly and be very concious of overfeeding at the beggining to allow the system to adjust to the higher bioload and build a large bacterial population.

 

Post some pics!

Wow awesome, thanks for the information. I didnt really research the first time i started a nano tank and it went down the drain FAST. I didnt cycle, i just dropped in fish and coral and you can guess the outcome. It discouraged me and i left the hobby for 3 years but im back this time with more research under my belt and a willingness to ask questions and learn. I'll post pictures as soon as i get done with finals! expect a New thread with picture from me next week!

[cju84]

+1 to what Blazerino said. However, I wouldn't add anything (fish/coral/CUC) until your nitrates are below 40ppm. So like he said, you'll have to do a few large water changes to get these down (3-5 50% changes... 160ppm>80ppm>40>20>10).

 

You might also want your LFS to test your Nitrates if you're using the API kit to test for this (not always accurate for Nitrates).

[Azedenkae]

Do a big water change, then ghost feed your tank. If you take measurements a bit after, and then later on and see that the aquarium managed to handle your ghost feeding, that means that your tank has cycled (without you knowing about it). If you see ammonia not decreasing, then your aquarium has yet to be cycled.