Messed up adding ammonia Evo 13.5

[mattnano13.5]

So I’ve got a new tank that I just set up on the 20th. Then on the 25th I added 1oz of turbostart900 and attempted to add enough ammonia to bring it up to 4ppm witch was only probably 3-4 hours after I added the turbostart900 But here’s where things go south I ended up added way too much and the test kit said it was about 8ppm+ so I did what I believe was the right thing I did a 75-85% water change and now a day or 2 later the ammonia has dropped as you can see from the picture the best I can tell maybe 1ppm?? But here’s where the problem lays now I tested my nitrite and nitrates and they are both skyrocket high as you can see in the picture. So what do I do now? Wait it out? Maybe go buy more turbostart900 since I did such a big water change after adding it? I have turned my heater up to about 81 F and have no turned on any lights. Just need some advice what to do to get this tank ready for a few clowns and stuff. Thank you all very much for any advice and help. 

[mitten_reef]

Isn't the point of it is to see ammonia being processed into nitrite, then nitrate?  which is what you're seeing here?

 

somebody else gonna have to chime in what your next steps are though as I have never done this.

 

 

 

[M. Tournesol]

I think you need to look at what is the nitrogen cycle on google.
Your ammonia was converted into nitrite. Then your nitrite was converted into nitrate.
This process was done by bacteria in your aquarium. What turbostart900 does is add such bacteria to kick start your nitrogen cycle.

 

Just do water change to remove your nitrate (denitrifying bacteria are more difficult to have in a reef tank). Your ammonia and nitrite level should go naturally to 0ppm.

 

[aclman88]

You are doing everything right.  I agree with @M. Tournesol.  Do a water change to bring down your nitrates and then wait until you see no more ammonia and nitrite.  Once those test zero do another large water change to bring your nitrates down and you are cycled!  

 

Just a heads up the ammonia test for API can be a little tricky to read on the low range and it may show a false positive.  Once you have no ammonia/nitrite reading, you can always add a little ammonia and test it the next day to make sure you don't read any ammonia/nitrite.  If you don't then you are good.

 

[mattnano13.5]

2 hours ago, aclman88 said:

You are doing everything right.  I agree with @M. Tournesol.  Do a water change to bring down your nitrates and then wait until you see no more ammonia and nitrite.  Once those test zero do another large water change to bring your nitrates down and you are cycled!  

 

Just a heads up the ammonia test for API can be a little tricky to read on the low range and it may show a false positive.  Once you have no ammonia/nitrite reading, you can always add a little ammonia and test it the next day to make sure you don't read any ammonia/nitrite.  If you don't then you are good.

 

Okay sounds good I appreciate everyone’s help. But does it matter that just 2 days ago I did a 80% water change. Then doing another one already today? Or maybe today just do like a 20% one?

[mattnano13.5]

3 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

I think you need to look at what is the nitrogen cycle on google.
Your ammonia was converted into nitrite. Then your nitrite was converted into nitrate.
This process was done by bacteria in your aquarium. What turbostart900 does is add such bacteria to kick start your nitrogen cycle.

 

Just do water change to remove your nitrate (denitrifying bacteria are more difficult to have in a reef tank). Your ammonia and nitrite level should go naturally to 0ppm.

 

I know the nitrogen cycle but I was wondering because I’ve been reading that if Nitrites were too high it would stall the cycle ect so I was wondering if they were so high because I accidentally put so much ammonia in the water. 

[M. Tournesol]

I don't remember exactly but it was something like high nitrite or nitrate 🤔 was slowing the growth of denitrifying bacteria (nitrate->nitrogen) or was it nitrifying bacteria (ammonia->nitrite-> nitrate)?

Cycling doesn't really stall since cycling a tank = building your nitrifying bacteria. Since your ammonia is going down and your nitrite is also going down when your nitrate is going up, your cycle should be on the right path.

Quote

Nitrification in nature is a two-step oxidation process of ammonium (NH+4) or ammonia (NH₃) to nitrite (NO−2) and then to nitrate (NO−3) catalyzed by two ubiquitous bacterial groups growing together. The first reaction is oxidation of ammonium to nitrite by ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) represented by members of Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproetobacteria. Further organisms able to oxidize ammonia are Archaea (AOA).^[4]

The second reaction is oxidation of nitrite (NO−2) to nitrate by nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), represented by the members of Nitrospinae, Nitrospirae, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi.^[5][6] 

(Wikipedia)

 

 

 

[mattnano13.5]

3 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

I don't remember exactly but it was something like high nitrite or nitrate 🤔 was slowing the growth of denitrifying bacteria (nitrate->nitrogen) or was it nitrifying bacteria (ammonia->nitrite-> nitrate)?

Cycling doesn't really stall since cycling a tank = building your nitrifying bacteria. Since your ammonia is going down and your nitrite is also going down when your nitrate is going up, your cycle should be on the right path.

 

 

 

Yeah not too sure. Just did a 20% water change and gonna test the water in the am and see what the levels of everything is. So when they are all back to zero am I ready too add a clown?

[M. Tournesol]

When ammonia and nitrite are at 0ppm you should dose 2ppm of ammonia and wait for 24h. if ammonia and nitrite are not at 0ppm, your tank is still not cycled.

If your tank is cycled, do a big water change to drive nitrate in the normal range 0.25 to 5 ppm. Then, add your fish.