taking forever to cycle?

Moonstream · 07/09/2011, 01:57 PM

I filled my BC29 about 3-4 weeks ago. the sand was dry, and the rock was old long-dead rock from some old tanks; I also added a piece of well-established rock from my main 40g. waiting in the 40 I have several corals, of which some are attached to established pieces of rock, waiting to be moved over, and cluttering up the 40. I had been anticipating a fairly speedy cycle in the 29, since no outside form of ammonia was introduced and the rock was all dry.

around week one and a half, I tested the water to find a ammonia at about 1.0, nitrite rising to .25-.5, and nitrate beginning to rise to .5+.

soon after, I began to see the diatom bloom that I always see at the END of a cycle, when ammonia and nitrite have fallen and nitrate is beginning its fall. then, an outbreak of some sort of hair algae, which is just beginning to fade away.

throughout this process, ammonia has tested at .25, but it looks as if the tank has cycled (the spike and drop in nitrate and nitrite, the algae blooms, the dissapearence of the smell of a cycling tank).

I thought the test kit might have been bad, but I tested the ammonia in my 40 and got the expected reading (0) on the same kit... has the tank really not cycled?

crvz · 07/09/2011, 02:13 PM

I'm assuming the rock has been dried out? Whatever was on that rock at the time it was removed is still probably there in some form, probably fueling the cylce you're experiencing.

Kingsnake · 07/09/2011, 02:16 PM

I'm waiting on mine too. I can't really help but you can take a smaple to a couple LFS and have them do a test and see how that goes.

Moonstream · 07/09/2011, 03:10 PM

I added an extra frag of anthelia that I really needed a place for; its now opened up nicer than it was in the other tank?

I would understand the constant ammonia if the rock had been established before it was dried, but save for one smallish piece all of it is marco rock that was kept under water (in a tank with only other marco rock save for a fist sized piece of two of live, so very little chance of their being any bristle worms, ect in the rock) for no longer than a few months, 2-4 at most.

sjwitt · 07/09/2011, 03:37 PM

The tank isn't cycled until ammonia and nitrite is zero. Are you feeding the tank anything? I only ask because it's possible that the 'well established' rock's inhabitants are starving and dying off thus causing the ammonia spike.

Moonstream · 07/09/2011, 03:54 PM

I'm not, just letting it cycle normally. I've been keeping reefs for four years now, and never had a tank cycle like this (spike, algae bloom, drop, spike again). I suppose I'll just have to wait for the ammonia to go back down.

bdare · 07/09/2011, 04:06 PM

3 weeks isn't very long. 6 weeks is pretty normal.

07/09/2011, 01:57 PM	#1
Moonstream Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 2,581	taking forever to cycle? I filled my BC29 about 3-4 weeks ago. the sand was dry, and the rock was old long-dead rock from some old tanks; I also added a piece of well-established rock from my main 40g. waiting in the 40 I have several corals, of which some are attached to established pieces of rock, waiting to be moved over, and cluttering up the 40. I had been anticipating a fairly speedy cycle in the 29, since no outside form of ammonia was introduced and the rock was all dry. around week one and a half, I tested the water to find a ammonia at about 1.0, nitrite rising to .25-.5, and nitrate beginning to rise to .5+. soon after, I began to see the diatom bloom that I always see at the END of a cycle, when ammonia and nitrite have fallen and nitrate is beginning its fall. then, an outbreak of some sort of hair algae, which is just beginning to fade away. throughout this process, ammonia has tested at .25, but it looks as if the tank has cycled (the spike and drop in nitrate and nitrite, the algae blooms, the dissapearence of the smell of a cycling tank). I thought the test kit might have been bad, but I tested the ammonia in my 40 and got the expected reading (0) on the same kit... has the tank really not cycled?

07/09/2011, 02:13 PM	#2
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	I'm assuming the rock has been dried out? Whatever was on that rock at the time it was removed is still probably there in some form, probably fueling the cylce you're experiencing. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

07/09/2011, 04:06 PM	#7
bdare Salty Dude Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rockwall, TX Posts: 1,322 Blog Entries: 3	3 weeks isn't very long. 6 weeks is pretty normal. __________________ 220 Mixed Reef GeoCaRx, GHL Profilux 4, Octopus Skimmer, Kessil 360X 2 x Maxspect Gyre XF350

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07/09/2011, 02:16 PM	#3
Kingsnake Moved On Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 120	I'm waiting on mine too. I can't really help but you can take a smaple to a couple LFS and have them do a test and see how that goes.

07/09/2011, 03:10 PM	#4
Moonstream Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 2,581	I added an extra frag of anthelia that I really needed a place for; its now opened up nicer than it was in the other tank? I would understand the constant ammonia if the rock had been established before it was dried, but save for one smallish piece all of it is marco rock that was kept under water (in a tank with only other marco rock save for a fist sized piece of two of live, so very little chance of their being any bristle worms, ect in the rock) for no longer than a few months, 2-4 at most.

07/09/2011, 03:37 PM	#5
sjwitt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: USA, East Coast Posts: 896	The tank isn't cycled until ammonia and nitrite is zero. Are you feeding the tank anything? I only ask because it's possible that the 'well established' rock's inhabitants are starving and dying off thus causing the ammonia spike.

07/09/2011, 03:54 PM	#6
Moonstream Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 2,581	I'm not, just letting it cycle normally. I've been keeping reefs for four years now, and never had a tank cycle like this (spike, algae bloom, drop, spike again). I suppose I'll just have to wait for the ammonia to go back down.