Tank fishless cycling

rockstarta78 · 01/31/2016, 09:57 PM

Hello all

So I started cycling my tank day after Christmas. My NO2 was stuck at 2ppm forever. Tonight my readings are as follows (picture posted)

pH: 8.0
NH3/NH4: 0 ppm
NO2: 0 ppm
NO3: 40 ppm

My question is can I safely say my tank is cycled? Do I need to do a water change? Should I put more ammonia to bring it up to 3ppm? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

ClownFishGuy6 · 01/31/2016, 10:26 PM

Yes everything is fine. Things could be a tiny bit better but that's good enough imo

thegrun · 01/31/2016, 10:33 PM

You do not need to add any more ammonia, it will only make your high nitrate issue worse. You do not give your tank size, but I would make a substantial water change, at least 50% but I would make it 100% to bring down the nitrates. After than add a small clean up crew, and easy to care for corals and fish slowly once they clear quarantine.

rockstarta78 · 01/31/2016, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClownFishGuy6

Yes everything is fine. Things could be a tiny bit better but that's good enough imo

I know the nitrate should be close to 0 ppm right? Hoping the water change would fix that.

rockstarta78 · 01/31/2016, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

You do not need to add any more ammonia, it will only make your high nitrate issue worse. You do not give your tank size, but I would make a substantial water change, at least 50% but I would make it 100% to bring down the nitrates. After than add a small clean up crew, and easy to care for corals and fish slowly once they clear quarantine.

Sorry forgot the tank size. It's a 40g breeder tank.

rockstarta78 · 01/31/2016, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

You do not need to add any more ammonia, it will only make your high nitrate issue worse. You do not give your tank size, but I would make a substantial water change, at least 50% but I would make it 100% to bring down the nitrates. After than add a small clean up crew, and easy to care for corals and fish slowly once they clear quarantine.

For CuC, I would need to feed them for now right? Since there's no leftover food.

thegrun · 01/31/2016, 11:29 PM

So, yes I would make a 100% water change and add the clean up crew (start small and add to it as the need increases). You could feed the tank a very small pinch of dry flake or pellet fish food to feed the CUC, but there is likely going to be algae soon with your elevated nitrates even if you make the big water change, so I would add the CUC.

rockstarta78 · 01/31/2016, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

So, yes I would make a 100% water change and add the clean up crew (start small and add to it as the need increases). You could feed the tank a very small pinch of dry flake or pellet fish food to feed the CUC, but there is likely going to be algae soon with your elevated nitrates even if you make the big water change, so I would add the CUC.

Right now I have no algae. You think I'd get an algae outbreak even after the water change?

thegrun · 01/31/2016, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstarta78

Right now I have no algae. You think I'd get an algae outbreak even after the water change?

Some algae is almost a guarantee in a new tank, and since your rock is sitting in a lot of nitrate right now it would be unlikely that you will not get at least some fairly soon even after the water change. It's nothing to panic about, algae and diatoms are a natural part of your tank maturing.

rockstarta78 · 01/31/2016, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

Some algae is almost a guarantee in a new tank, and since your rock is sitting in a lot of nitrate right now it would be unlikely that you will not get at least some fairly soon even after the water change. It's nothing to panic about, algae and diatoms are a natural part of your tank maturing.

I used BRS reef saver rock. Also used Dr. Tim's nitrifyng bacteria. Just so I could avoid new tank syndrome. Guess I better do a 100% water change asap. It's part midnight or I'd do it right now. Lol

thegrun · 02/01/2016, 12:19 AM

There is not rush on the water change, but I would try to get to it in the next couple of days.

rockstarta78 · 02/01/2016, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

There is not rush on the water change, but I would try to get to it in the next couple of days.

Thanks a lot for the info. I'll do a 100% water change this weekend. Hopefully that won't be too bad.

thegrun · 02/01/2016, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstarta78

Thanks a lot for the info. I'll do a 100% water change this weekend. Hopefully that won't be too bad.

You will be fine!

rockstarta78 · 02/04/2016, 10:56 PM

So it looks like my NO2 takes over 24 hours to get down to 0ppm after I added Ammonia to see how fast the nitrifyng bacteria work. Is that normal?

01/31/2016, 09:57 PM	#1
rockstarta78 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Sterling, VA Posts: 88	Tank fishless cycling Hello all So I started cycling my tank day after Christmas. My NO2 was stuck at 2ppm forever. Tonight my readings are as follows (picture posted) pH: 8.0 NH3/NH4: 0 ppm NO2: 0 ppm NO3: 40 ppm My question is can I safely say my tank is cycled? Do I need to do a water change? Should I put more ammonia to bring it up to 3ppm? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

01/31/2016, 10:26 PM	#2
ClownFishGuy6 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 261	Yes everything is fine. Things could be a tiny bit better but that's good enough imo

01/31/2016, 10:33 PM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	You do not need to add any more ammonia, it will only make your high nitrate issue worse. You do not give your tank size, but I would make a substantial water change, at least 50% but I would make it 100% to bring down the nitrates. After than add a small clean up crew, and easy to care for corals and fish slowly once they clear quarantine.

01/31/2016, 11:29 PM	#7
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	So, yes I would make a 100% water change and add the clean up crew (start small and add to it as the need increases). You could feed the tank a very small pinch of dry flake or pellet fish food to feed the CUC, but there is likely going to be algae soon with your elevated nitrates even if you make the big water change, so I would add the CUC.

02/01/2016, 12:19 AM	#11
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	There is not rush on the water change, but I would try to get to it in the next couple of days.

02/04/2016, 10:56 PM	#14
rockstarta78 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Sterling, VA Posts: 88	So it looks like my NO2 takes over 24 hours to get down to 0ppm after I added Ammonia to see how fast the nitrifyng bacteria work. Is that normal?