live rock cycle question

nano427 · 04/01/2010, 11:04 PM

I bleached then acid washed my live rock. They were almost completely white when I was done. They have been in a tub cycling for almost 8 weeks now. The ammonia started out at 2ppm, waited a few weeks then did water change down to 1 ppm, waited couple weeks more water changed it down to .25ppm. The rock now looks beige brown in color. My question is that I never got a nitrate or nitrite spike, so do I just need to wait longer or am I not going to get those spikes? Is it possible to be considered cycled with out those spikes? btw I did not seed the rocks since Im trying to avoid any pests

DevilBoy · 04/01/2010, 11:17 PM

The nitrogen cycles follows a order.

1. Ammonia spikes, then falls to zero
2. then Nitrites will spike, then falls to zero
3. then whats left over will be your nitrate reading.

Which can be lowered by water changes

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/02/2010, 07:18 AM

Is there an ongoing ammonia source present? If not, there won't be much nitrite or nitrate produced.

nano427 · 04/02/2010, 12:18 PM

I threw in a small piece of shrimp in the beginning. That spiked the ammonia up to 2ppm. I was just thinking that by the almost 8 weeks now I would see some sort of change. So since I didn't get the trate/trite spikes does that mean the rocks are uncured? What should I do now to make sure the rocks are ready to use?

bertoni · 04/02/2010, 01:27 PM

I wouldn't worry about not seeing a nitrite or nitrate spike. That might happen for a number of reasons. If you're worried, you could try feeding a bit of fish food to the container for a while, to see whether the ammonia-consuming microbes are still active.

nano427 · 04/07/2010, 11:05 PM

Yeah just about 8 weeks to the day, the ammonia finally dropped to almost zero and the nitrites are off the chart. How long should I expect this spike to last before I start seeing it drop and nitrates kick in?

bertoni · 04/08/2010, 11:19 AM

It could be fairly rapid, perhaps a week or even less. Live systems are fairly hard to predict.

nano427 · 04/08/2010, 05:38 PM

thank you

bertoni · 04/08/2010, 06:16 PM

You're welcome! Good luck!

nano427 · 04/29/2010, 12:03 AM

Wow nitrites finally dropped today. I'll keep an eye on the nitrates. But so far Im at almost 12 weeks to get these rocks to cycle. Im so glad to see the end and get my tank back to normal

04/01/2010, 11:04 PM	#1
nano427 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: AV OC CA USA Posts: 877	live rock cycle question I bleached then acid washed my live rock. They were almost completely white when I was done. They have been in a tub cycling for almost 8 weeks now. The ammonia started out at 2ppm, waited a few weeks then did water change down to 1 ppm, waited couple weeks more water changed it down to .25ppm. The rock now looks beige brown in color. My question is that I never got a nitrate or nitrite spike, so do I just need to wait longer or am I not going to get those spikes? Is it possible to be considered cycled with out those spikes? btw I did not seed the rocks since Im trying to avoid any pests

04/01/2010, 11:17 PM	#2
DevilBoy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Wooster, Ohio Posts: 1,724	The nitrogen cycles follows a order. 1. Ammonia spikes, then falls to zero 2. then Nitrites will spike, then falls to zero 3. then whats left over will be your nitrate reading. Which can be lowered by water changes __________________ Bare Bottom 90g AGA RR. 2 AI Sol Blue LED Fixtures, SWC 160 cone skimmer. 2 MP40W ES Vortech pumps, 1 MP10W ES Votech pump, Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Elite, Tunze 1073 internal return pump. 30g custom acrylic sump with refugium. Current Tank Info: 90g AGA RR, custom 30g sump

04/02/2010, 07:18 AM	#3
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Is there an ongoing ammonia source present? If not, there won't be much nitrite or nitrate produced. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/02/2010, 01:27 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I wouldn't worry about not seeing a nitrite or nitrate spike. That might happen for a number of reasons. If you're worried, you could try feeding a bit of fish food to the container for a while, to see whether the ammonia-consuming microbes are still active. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/08/2010, 11:19 AM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	It could be fairly rapid, perhaps a week or even less. Live systems are fairly hard to predict. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/02/2010, 12:18 PM	#4
nano427 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: AV OC CA USA Posts: 877	I threw in a small piece of shrimp in the beginning. That spiked the ammonia up to 2ppm. I was just thinking that by the almost 8 weeks now I would see some sort of change. So since I didn't get the trate/trite spikes does that mean the rocks are uncured? What should I do now to make sure the rocks are ready to use?

04/07/2010, 11:05 PM	#6
nano427 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: AV OC CA USA Posts: 877	Yeah just about 8 weeks to the day, the ammonia finally dropped to almost zero and the nitrites are off the chart. How long should I expect this spike to last before I start seeing it drop and nitrates kick in?

04/08/2010, 05:38 PM	#8
nano427 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: AV OC CA USA Posts: 877	thank you

04/08/2010, 06:16 PM	#9
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You're welcome! Good luck! __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/29/2010, 12:03 AM	#10
nano427 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: AV OC CA USA Posts: 877	Wow nitrites finally dropped today. I'll keep an eye on the nitrates. But so far Im at almost 12 weeks to get these rocks to cycle. Im so glad to see the end and get my tank back to normal