Yes I know it’s been asked a million times. (Tank cycling)

[Adamsjus002]

Hello! I’m new to the hobby. I’m in the process of cycling a 29 gallon tank. Have live rock, dry rock, live sand. And by recommendation used Fritz Turbostart 900. But I’m confused. added ammonia to get things going. I’ve been testing the last five days. As of today ammonia is present and between .25-.5ppm. 5-10ppm of nitrate is present. But I never saw any nitrite. I need guidance. Am I doing something wrong? I’m sure this question has been asked a million times. I just don’t want to screw anything up.

[ml86743]

Seems to me like you're on the right track.  I'm actually just about through cycling my 14, never saw any nitrites myself (very small amounts if any).

I also had used bottle-bac to start..no LR though.    

 

You also mentioned you had some LR added to the tank.  What was the sourced from an established system?

If anything, it should be loaded with bacteria ready to do their thing.  

 

Have you continued to add any ammonia to the tank?  Or was it just added once?

 

Last question, what is your water source? 

 

Regardless - if there's no livestock, I wouldn't worry too much.  Let the tank do it's thing.  

[ReefGuard Systems]

What test kits are you using? Possible you misread the Nitrate? May have been minimal reading?

[brandon429]

Live rock is a skip cycle for the whole setup, even if it's not 100% of your rock

 

 

Your cycle is best determined from a full tank picture, not the readings from non digital test kits

 

Post full tank picture for the win, I bet you're done on day one and the bottle bac was a wasted, unneeded purchase but also not harmful to add... just unneeded. Let's see how much of the scape is skip cycle live rock. 

[brandon429]

Any use of fritz in any system cycled you in 48 hours, you're multiply- cycled and done but I was just curious how much live rock was used. Your reported ammonia levels are what fully stocked reefs run at, they don't hit zero. You're done but let's see the pic

 

Updated cycling science applies to your cycle in a few ways...#1 is that ammonia isn't supposed to read zero it can read any level on api/red sea kits and the tank is still cycled. I have thread examples of tanks in your range being cycled (9 mos old at time of thread) and examples with api so dark, not zero, it looks like a messed up test kit. 

 

Being able to discern your cycle status, the ability to carry fish from your tank pic and a description only - despite- provided test readings from non digital kits is updated cycling science. In old cycling science your cycle is stalled due to not being zero. They'd have you test some more, and add a different bottle of bac

 

 

The findings on cycle status are polar opposite between new and old cycling science, they're mutually- exclusive rule sets. You can only get updated cycling science from web forums, macna is busy trying to sell you stuff for broke cycles he he. Look for them to rollout updated cycling science by 2028

 

(joking/cycling videos from macna talks are often referenced as cycling rule but it's old science anything teaching cycle stalling is old dated salesman's science. Water bacteria don't fail to work in our tanks water=new cycling science. Not doubting your cycle status is new cycling science)

 

 

needing more input, or days waited, or another test reading after dosing ammonia, to 'complete' your cycle is old cycling science. any cycle umpire from reef forums will request these actions 5-10 times before deeming a tank ready (and then no mention of fallow and quarantine fish disease preps)

 

the true thing you should focus on, prepare for, change plans regarding is:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/biosecurity.812/

 

fantastic article from friends over at reef2reef regarding fish disease import pathways. all losses in the hobby for fish are found after cycling...it's disease you've got to plan for. 

[seabass]

15 hours ago, Adamsjus002 said:

Hello! I’m new to the hobby.

to Nano-Reef.com.

 

A total ammonia reading of 0.25 ppm is safe.  And the rise in nitrate shows that nitrification is occurring.  Read the following articles for a better understanding of the nitrogen cycle, ammonia, and testing:

• A Guide to Reef Aquarium Cycling
• A Look at Ammonia
• Water Parameters: What to Test, and When!

 

 

[seabass]

Adamsjus002, I typed up the following to try to clear up a few of the above comments, which I felt might be a little confusing to a new hobbyist.  I was debating whether or not to post it when I accidentally hit submit reply.  Anyway, since I took the time to write it, here it is:

 

On 12/1/2022 at 4:45 AM, brandon429 said:

Live rock is a skip cycle for the whole setup, even if it's not 100% of your rock

As long as your rock is fully cured (both live rock and dry rock), you won't see elevated ammonia levels.  Sometimes it's necessary to cure any uncured rock before livestock is added.  Uncured rock contains dead organic matter which gets broken down by bacteria, and is a source of ammonia.  This ammonia could possibly even add more ammonia than the existing nitrifying bacteria can handle, causing the ammonia level to rise.

 

But eventually the bacteria populations will increase, and/or the ammonia source will decrease, until ammonia reaches a safe range.  Luckily, it appears that your tank's ammonia level is already within a safe range.

 

On 12/1/2022 at 4:45 AM, brandon429 said:

Your cycle is best determined from a full tank picture, not the readings from non digital test kits

While you can determine a lot from a full tank pic, I don't believe that people can accurately determine the level of ammonia just by looking at a picture of the tank.

 

On 12/1/2022 at 5:02 AM, brandon429 said:

Updated cycling science applies to your cycle in a few ways...#1 is that ammonia isn't supposed to read zero it can read any level on api/red sea kits and the tank is still cycled.

A stocked tank with an established biofilter will always have some ammonia in it.  This level might be undetectable by a test kit, or the kit might return a result within a safe range.  We might want to investigate the cause of higher ammonia levels in an established tank; although these levels will be temporary and don't usually result in loss of fish.

 

I typically state 0.02 ppm as the maximum safe level of free ammonia (NH3).  A free ammonia level of 0.02 ppm usually means that total ammonia is somewhere between 0.25 and 0.5 ppm (depending on the pH level of the water).

 

On 12/1/2022 at 5:02 AM, brandon429 said:

Being able to discern your cycle status, the ability to carry fish from your tank pic and a description only - despite- provided test readings from non digital kits is updated cycling science. In old cycling science your cycle is stalled due to not being zero. They'd have you test some more, and add a different bottle of bac

For a newly established tank, we often just wait for total ammonia (NH3 + NH4) to drop to 0.25 ppm; it typically isn't' required to wait until ammonia becomes undetectable.  The nitrogen cycle won't stall; nitrification continues even if ammonia levels remain elevated for several days.  We can usually witness this continued increase in nitrogen by monitoring the rise in nitrate.