Hi all
Please do not flame me. I am having an issue with cycling my tank I just got. It is a 75 gallon bowfront with a sump that holds about 15 gals. So 90 total.
When I started 2 weeks ago, I added live sand , some dry rock and some live rock (about 20lbs). Total lbs of rock is about 50. I bought. I also added live bacteria and dirty filter media from my other tank into the middle area of the sump. I also bought those bio ball thingys from Neptune- (5) that have live bacteria on them.
I have been doing a fishless cycle with ammonia and have never had an issue before. (I used this same method to cycle my IM 50 in 2 weeks or so.)
Only this time, my cycle will show its started- ammonia about 2ppm, nitrite the next day about the same, and then down to 0, and finally Nitrates around 20ppm.
Ive been adding ammonia daily about 1-2ppm.
Yesterday, I tested nitrates and it was around 80, so I figured time for a water change and ill be good to go. Amm 0, Nitrite 0
I did not add any more ammonia at this point.
Today, Im ready to do a good size water change, and just to make sure, I re-tested my nitrates- they are down to 0.
what the heck is happening!? Ive tested twice to make sure...0 both times. 0 amm, 0 Nitire too.
what the hell!?
I am running my skimmer during cycling so not sure if that is having any impact?
I noticed this pattern early on in the cycle too but dismissed it... when I first starting showing Nitrates, they disappeared after a day also. I thought it was just too early in the cycle to make any notice of it.
Now, its happening again after this many days.
Stats are:
Temp 78
Sal 1.023 (little low from what I started)
PH 8.1
Has this happened to anyone? Ive read online and it seems that it does happen... Nitrates dissapearing.
Is this a stalled cycle?
IVe added more ammonia today- just a little to see if I get a Nitrate reading tomorrow...
Ive been cycling over 2 weeks
Thoughts?
Please do not flame me. I am having an issue with cycling my tank I just got. It is a 75 gallon bowfront with a sump that holds about 15 gals. So 90 total.
When I started 2 weeks ago, I added live sand , some dry rock and some live rock (about 20lbs). Total lbs of rock is about 50. I bought. I also added live bacteria and dirty filter media from my other tank into the middle area of the sump. I also bought those bio ball thingys from Neptune- (5) that have live bacteria on them.
I have been doing a fishless cycle with ammonia and have never had an issue before. (I used this same method to cycle my IM 50 in 2 weeks or so.)
Only this time, my cycle will show its started- ammonia about 2ppm, nitrite the next day about the same, and then down to 0, and finally Nitrates around 20ppm.
Ive been adding ammonia daily about 1-2ppm.
Yesterday, I tested nitrates and it was around 80, so I figured time for a water change and ill be good to go. Amm 0, Nitrite 0
I did not add any more ammonia at this point.
Today, Im ready to do a good size water change, and just to make sure, I re-tested my nitrates- they are down to 0.
what the heck is happening!? Ive tested twice to make sure...0 both times. 0 amm, 0 Nitire too.
what the hell!?
I am running my skimmer during cycling so not sure if that is having any impact?
I noticed this pattern early on in the cycle too but dismissed it... when I first starting showing Nitrates, they disappeared after a day also. I thought it was just too early in the cycle to make any notice of it.
Now, its happening again after this many days.
Stats are:
Temp 78
Sal 1.023 (little low from what I started)
PH 8.1
Has this happened to anyone? Ive read online and it seems that it does happen... Nitrates dissapearing.
Is this a stalled cycle?
IVe added more ammonia today- just a little to see if I get a Nitrate reading tomorrow...
Ive been cycling over 2 weeks
Thoughts?
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