Neptune Aquatics

Did I miss my cycle?

Aloha BAR friends,

Happy Friday.

I have been cycling my new IM 50 for close to 3 weeks now. I added new live sand, 40 lbs of dry rock, saltwater from Neptune, bottled live bacteria, old media sock from my cycled IM20, and some small live rock from that tank as well. Ive been ghost feeding pellets to the tank almost daily for the last week or so.

The first week, I saw a small bump in Nitrite. Outside of that my readings are low across the board. Even this morning.

Is this cycled? I dont have the lights working right now as Ive heard cycling without lights is better. No Algae growth visible.

Today: Amm .25, Nitirite 0, Nitrate slightly above 0 is my best guess

Do I need to turn on the lights now?
Shall I put the shrimp in there and see if the readings are still 0? I hear that if Amm and Nitirte are 0 and Nitrate go up, then it means the cycle has started and its ok to add to the tank.

Temp is about 78.

Any advice?
I hate waiting naturally, but am wondering if i am not even having much of a cycle to begin with, or have missed it.

Ill throw a shrimp in there today and check the next day what my readings are
Thanks
Arvind
 
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This is the tank with the rock and light set up. I wish I had another 360 so two lights instead of three but maybe for another time




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The cycle happens because the environment is building a bacteria population. You used live rock, live sand and added an even larger population. So yes -- no cycle since the bacteria are already there as long as you did everything right. If you add a lot of livestock quickly you will still see a mini-cycle in a few weeks, but other than that you should be fine.
 
Uhm, you're still testing positive for ammonia with no nitrites or nitrates. I wouldn't call that a cycle tank. You should be testing at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and a hint of some nitrates in a cycled tank. Test it with the shrimp and recheck.
 
Uhm, you're still testing positive for ammonia with no nitrites or nitrates. I wouldn't call that a cycle tank. You should be testing at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and a hint of some nitrates in a cycled tank. Test it with the shrimp and recheck.

opps.. sorry. I didn't see the .25 ammonia. He's right.
 
No, your cycle is not over because your ammonia is at 0.25. Usually reefers want a robust bacterial filter, and I don't think you have it yet. You added some live sand, a filter sock and some "small live rock" about 3 weeks ago, but only provided a significant ammonia source 1 week ago. The pellets take some time to break down, so things may just be getting going. Also, you have barely detectable nitrates. That will be end product of the nitrogen cycle. I would get some ammonia and bring your ammonia level up to 2. If you add shrimp it'll take time for that to break down to ammonia, but either would work.


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Where can you get some of that good ammonia stuff? I prefer that to the shrimp if possible.
Also what about the lights? turn them on or no?
I did see a bump in nitrite then it dropped to zero. not sure what is going on now.
 
Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride

https://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Ammonium-chloride-bottle/dp/B006MP4QG6

Or you can buy a bottle of ammonium hydroxide from your local Ace Hardware

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1307957

Stuff is powerful, you don't need much to get to 2ppm of ammonia. Here's an online calculator: https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AmmoniaCycling.php

Also, no lights. Bacteria do not need lights. Light will only bring algae and diatoms. No need to deal with that now. Also, an increase in temperature to 82F can help bacteria multiplication.
 
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Where can you get some of that good ammonia stuff? I prefer that to the shrimp if possible.
Also what about the lights? turn them on or no?
I did see a bump in nitrite then it dropped to zero. not sure what is going on now.
Yep, I did a jumbo shrimp cycle and never again. Ammonia cycle is much easier, and it's not stinky and cloudy compared to shrimp.

You may have had a mini cycle, but now that your pellets are breaking down, the bacterial filter is not robust enough to handle the ammonia produced.

Lights not needed (better off).


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how about this? Besides getting ammonia. how about more live rock? ultimate Aq sells live rock. Throw some of that in there?
I guess they still need a source to consume. Live rock plus ammonia now?
 
also I just got the caddys for the filter media and I put them in. Im only using the floss in them. No phosguard, carbon , other media etc
I want ammonia right now correct!?!
 
Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride

https://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Ammonium-chloride-bottle/dp/B006MP4QG6

Or you can buy a bottle of ammonium hydroxide from your local Ace Hardware

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1307957

Stuff is powerful, you don't need much to get to 2ppm of ammonia. Here's an online calculator: https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AmmoniaCycling.php

Also, no lights. Bacteria do not need lights. Light will only bring algae and diatoms. No need to deal with that now. Also, an increase in temperature to 82F can help bacteria multiplication.
Thanks Randy!
 
how about this? Besides getting ammonia. how about more live rock? ultimate Aq sells live rock. Throw some of that in there?
I guess they still need a source to consume. Live rock plus ammonia now?

You're purpose in adding live rock would be to add more bacteria. If that's what you're trying to do at this stage you're better off just dumping more Dr. Tim's bacteria in.
 
I added 3 bottles of dr. tim's into my tank a couple weeks ago, didn't really work very fast so far. Added BIO SPIRA and damn, that ammonia went down fast. Maybe all a coincidence.

Also, you can get a vial of Ammonium Chloride from Dr. Tim's. That'll be better and more controlled than adding shrimp into the tank.
 
That is my experience with Dr Tim's vs Bio Spira as well.

I think I still have 99% of the bottle of ammonia I bought from Ace!


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