Will my tank EVER finish cycling...?

[JKT69]

Set it up mid-January and it is STILL cycling? Starting to get p'od about it too .

Amonia is basically zero, nitrate the same, nitrite 0.05, still too high, phosphate too high. I tap off with RO water and have been doing 10% WC per week. About 20lbs of LR and 25lbs of base rock (added that a couple weeks back).

 

[Browns]

What size is your tank?

Aldo adding base rock or Macro rock will create a mini cycle from what I understand especially 25# of it

Throw in a couple chromis

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

JKT69 - sure many know much more than me...

but has the Ammonia levels every gone up real high, follow by Nitrite level going way up & the Ammonia level droping to near zero and then Nitrates went up & the Nitrite falling way down?

Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate - Once the nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.

Seems like in three (3) months it would have to finish, or never have started... ?

Don't know if it will help, but here a link to my thread on how my cycle went...
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/just-starting-out-sw-beginners/44870-day-6-baby-steps.html

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

How many shrimp did you use to get the cycle going? Also, changing water will only slow down the cycle, so if there are no live animals in the tank, I'd recommend against it.


If there is ammonia and nitrite in the tank, it has not finished cycling. Period.

 

[Browns]

I wouls not do water changes until the cycle has finished

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

I bet you have already read these threads... but if not... it the best on the subject of "the cycle" that I have found on the forum.

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

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...ners/20945-just-exactly-what-cycled-tank.html

Woodstock's post really helped me... get it in my brain...

Just curious, did you ever have a brown algae/diatoms bloom in your tank, right after the Ammonia peak?

 

[Frankie]

I wouls not do water changes until the cycle has finished

Bingo. This is why your tank is not cycling. you keep interfering with the cycle.
just let it run and top off for 2 weeks. See what happens then. Test daily, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

 

[JKT69]

Bingo, that's a goodie. I'll just top off and see what the deal is. I know adding the base rock would kick start a mini cycle, but that was a couple weeks back.

 

[JKT69]

Should I skim?? I am getting a lot of foam from it...

 

[AndtheBonus]

I think you can wait on the skimmer until you add a bioload to the tank. Someone please correct me if I am wrong

 

[Neptunesghost]

I think you can wait on the skimmer until you add a bioload to the tank. Someone please correct me if I am wrong

I agree, the purpose of the skimmer is to remove organics. If there is no bioload, ther should be no organics

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

How a novice like me can come to any reasonable conclusions... I don't know , but I am going to offer a possible hypothesis... just because ... I enjoy though...

Maybe your tanks has cycled & the current readings you are getting is directly related to your fish & possible over feeding. This could account for the nitrite 0.05 if I am correct.

I know my skimmer skims & foams very little, because I currently have no bioload & you posted that you are getting a lot of foam... got be coming from somewhere...

worth considering... IMO, if I am mistaken, feel free to quickly dismiss , but after reading here on the forum a LOT, this is what comes to my mind...

 

[echopiece]

For what it is worth, I agree with nanoreef. Are you using the Red Sea test kits? Looking back at my cycle log, my nitrites always came back 0.05? I only had a very small spike during my cycle period. Maybe you already cycled? Take some water into a LFS and have them check it. Or go out and get some API test kits.

 

[JKT69]

Thanks. My nitrites always come back at 0.05 too. I do plan on taking my sample to the LFS tomorrow and having them test too...I thought that maybe adding the base rock kick started a small cycle, but that was 3 weeks ago.

 

[Reefmack]

My guess is that the test kits aren't good.

 

[chip46]

AGREE There reefmack. I had red sea send me a new test kit. Doing a water change and checked the nits and the nats nits checked in at .1 Nats were at 0 Ammonia always a light green color after 15 minute wait. My dip strips read a lot lower then the test kit. My nat. still reads 40 using thr dip strips. Today I took the ceramic rings from thee back and hope this will get my nats down. My peppermint shrimp is doing well.

 

[JKT69]

Update. Went to my LFS Saturday and the verdict is that I am stuck in a cycle...doing the partial water changes has slowed down the process quiet a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask and no one ever mentioned not to do water changes when cycling... Anyway, knowing is half the battle. The owner went and got a black filter pad from one of his established tanks, he said the pad has a lot of good bacteria on it, a lot of pods, etc and I have that in the back chamber in between the skimmer and the heater. I removed the sock of chemi-pure, so my filtration is the mechanical filter, skimmer and this pad. He told me this should get it going really good and could be cycled by next Saturday. I don't recall the parameters but testing yesterday indicated an amonia drop, a nitrite rise and nitrates holding at 0. So we are definitely cycling now...green algae bloom on the substrate this morning and cepapods and sorts on the tank glass.

Perhaps I am finally going to get through this cycle.

 

[sambrinar]

Skimming won't make a difference, I skimmed during my cycle, it can save some hh if you have any. I did a poll back in dec or jan about skimming during the cycle, check it out iun the poll thread