RSM 250 High Nitrate Cycle

P

Putt

Member
Good day to all,
Eleven days into my cycle, lotsa ?'s and apprehension. I have read, and thought I understood the basics and timeline of the cycle process.
I thought that the nitrates are the last to rise. Is it common for the nitrates to go off the chart this soon? Did I throw a wrench in the gears by adding API Quick Start? I haven’t found many reviews on the product.

Thanking you in advance for sharing your expertise,
Putt
RSM 250
Initial Setup Date: 04/12/2012
95#’s dry base reef rock, 60#’s sugar fine aragonite sand, 51 gallons RO/DI & Red Sea Coral Pro saltwater, InTank media basket. Cycling tank without RSM black sponges or any other filter media with the exception of InTank blue/white poly filter pad. Day two; added two raw shrimp and 100ml of API Quick Start. Day four; removed substrate. Day six; added 52#’s CaribSea Special Grade SeaFlor. Day eight; added 2#’s cured live rock. Day nine; added one raw shrimp. Day ten; treated a small aiptasia to a Sunday brunch consisting of Aiptasia-X.

Day # Temperature Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Salinity pH
01) 80 N/A N/A N/A 1.025 N/A
02) 76 N/A N/A N/A 1.025 N/A
03) 78 -0- N/A N/A N/A N/A
04) 80 -0- .025 N/A 1.026 N/A
05) 82 .25 .1 20 1.026 7.9
06) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
07) 80 .25 .3 50 1.026 8.0
08) 80 1.25 1.1 50 1.027 7.9
09) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
10) 81 .25 2.0 100 1.026 7.8
11) 79 .15 2.0 >100 1.027 7.9
12) 79 .15 2.0 >100 1.026 7.9
 
B

black2012

Member
API quick start isn't a good product. Refrigerated bio-spira and dr. tim's one and only are great nitrifying bacterias.

It looks like you have a pretty strong cycle going right now. Did you ever remove those shrimp?
 
P

Putt

Member
First two shrimp were lost in substrate removal on day 4. New raw shrimp added in fine mesh filter bag on day 9, it is still in tank, decaying, all fuzzy.
 
B

black2012

Member
Wow that's a ton of ammonia for a new tank. Not saying it won't work to cycle that way, but quite aggressive.

I would absolutely take out the shrimp, perhaps add some nitrifying bacteria, and wait for ammonia to go to zero, nitrite to go to zero, and nitrate to spike again. At that point you will need to do water changes to get your nitrate down at at most 20 before adding some damsels.
 
P

Putt

Member
Sugar fine aragonite, that I washed very well, dust storm, would not settle. I thought ammonia spike shoud hit near 5.0 ppm, my highest is 1.25 ppm. Their is only one shrimp in tank, I will remove it this evening. Skimmer seems to be working well for the first few days of trail, have off now for the cycle. I'm not using any type of filters for the cycle.

Thanks so much for your help, I'm not getting any replys from anyone, maybe my questions are too stupid.......no help foy this guy!
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Putt - I cycled my 1st tank with all fresh Un-cured LiveRock by choice, lots of die-off... soaring test numbers

the key IMO - is go slow... my 1st tank cycled in 7 weeks, my 2nd using Marco dry rock & 10% LR & deli shrimp took 6 weeks... if this helps...

I would not have added API Quick Start, but what done - done... it will cycle & the nitrate numbers are really no key, you will get rid of them with water changes... you want to test for ammonia, watch it convert to nitrites & the nitrites to convert to nitrates - once ammonia & nitrites are zero - do water changes (even 50%) and you are good to go...

Go slow... and you will be fine... you have feed the tank with a deli shrimp... and that started the process...

a great :read: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/29836-mature-aquarium.html

Hope this helps
 
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