Too high nitrite during cycle?
- Thread starter xilez
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I'm in the same camp with the let the cycle do it's thing. But I also think diversity is good too. Try adding a dose of Bio Spira, half directly into the filter and the other half into the tank. Another thing is getting a filer sock or bioballs from an established tank.
Also, if you didn't know Jenn & Jakub have more experience combined than most of this club does and they're both telling you the same thing.
Also, if you didn't know Jenn & Jakub have more experience combined than most of this club does and they're both telling you the same thing.
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Not sure I follow Dr Tims logic. I guess he uses other bacteria than that found in a normal tank cycle.
Normally, when cycling a tank, you add an ammonia source to stimulate the growth of ammonia consuming bacteria. This bacteria creates Nitrite, which, in turn spurs the growth of Nitrite consuming bacteria turning the Nitrite into Nitrate.
Each phase requires the appropriate amount of bacteria to grow to create a balance of bacteria to unwanted toxin. Water changes will reduce these toxic levels, thus reducing the rate of bacteria growth and therefore slowing the "cycle" process.
This is why everyone is giving contrasting advice to Dr Tim. His process is foreign to what we know. Please, keep us updated to your progress, as we could all learn something new.
Normally, when cycling a tank, you add an ammonia source to stimulate the growth of ammonia consuming bacteria. This bacteria creates Nitrite, which, in turn spurs the growth of Nitrite consuming bacteria turning the Nitrite into Nitrate.
Each phase requires the appropriate amount of bacteria to grow to create a balance of bacteria to unwanted toxin. Water changes will reduce these toxic levels, thus reducing the rate of bacteria growth and therefore slowing the "cycle" process.
This is why everyone is giving contrasting advice to Dr Tim. His process is foreign to what we know. Please, keep us updated to your progress, as we could all learn something new.
Update:
So with a lot of help on the people from here plus Nano Reef, I believe I have reached the end of my cycle.
What I learned from Dr Tims is that the bacteria they use ARE inhibited (not completely stalled, but severely inhibited) with higher than 5ppm nitrite readings. So even though I had 0ppm ammonia readings, I was reading off the chart nitrites for over a week.
After a 50% water change (which seems to be proven [as proven as anything in this hobby can be] to have no true effect on the pace of a cycle), my nitrites were now in 1-2ppm range. Over the course of a couple of days it was down to 0. There was also huge debate about if testing nitrites was even necessary for a cycle, however, the baceria Dr Tims uses makes it a requirement. Live Sand played a big role in there being nitrite spikes...even though ammonia was reading zero, stuff was still being broken down, and it took added bacteria/time for them to catch up.
So I dosed ammonia again, which was converted to less than .5ppm in about 30 hours, although nitrites were now back up the 3-5ppm range. Per Dr Tim and a few others, I added a small bottle of bio spira. Overnight the nitrites were cut in half, and over a 24 hour period I am now reading 0 for both ammonia and nitrites with nitrates about 30-40ppm.
I am going to dose to 1ppm of ammonia again tonight and see where everything is in a 24 hour period. My progress seemed to have follow the chart I put an image of below, however, it would have been faster had I completed my water change earlier when I noticed nitrites were off the chart instead of waiting a week.
If on Friday I am reading 0 ammonia, I will be doing a tank cleaning/large water change and adding a small cleanup crew. I have been doing my cycle with lights off, so not much diatom bloom luckily.
My thread from NR:
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/376471-nitrites-too-high-during-cycle-help-please/page-4#entry5396154">http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/376471-nitrites-too-high-during-cycle-help-please/page-4#entry5396154</a>
huge thread on R2R with supporting research on different methods/user experience:
[IMG]http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-tank-cycling-tank-bacteria-and-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/">http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-tank-cycling-tank-bacteria-and-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/</a>
[IMG]http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm247/scottyreef/waterqualitycyclingnitrogencycle.jpg alt="" />
Hopefully this helps people in the future. Knowing what I know now, this is what I would recommend to someone who wanted to do Dry Rock cycle in the future.
Live Sand - Dry Roc - Big bottle of Bio Spira / Red Sea tank starter. Dose ammonia to 2 ppm and when it was <.5ppm I would dose again... until you are getting 0 readings in 24 hours. I wouldn't bother testing nitrites and this should keep you on a ~30 day cycle
So with a lot of help on the people from here plus Nano Reef, I believe I have reached the end of my cycle.
What I learned from Dr Tims is that the bacteria they use ARE inhibited (not completely stalled, but severely inhibited) with higher than 5ppm nitrite readings. So even though I had 0ppm ammonia readings, I was reading off the chart nitrites for over a week.
After a 50% water change (which seems to be proven [as proven as anything in this hobby can be] to have no true effect on the pace of a cycle), my nitrites were now in 1-2ppm range. Over the course of a couple of days it was down to 0. There was also huge debate about if testing nitrites was even necessary for a cycle, however, the baceria Dr Tims uses makes it a requirement. Live Sand played a big role in there being nitrite spikes...even though ammonia was reading zero, stuff was still being broken down, and it took added bacteria/time for them to catch up.
So I dosed ammonia again, which was converted to less than .5ppm in about 30 hours, although nitrites were now back up the 3-5ppm range. Per Dr Tim and a few others, I added a small bottle of bio spira. Overnight the nitrites were cut in half, and over a 24 hour period I am now reading 0 for both ammonia and nitrites with nitrates about 30-40ppm.
I am going to dose to 1ppm of ammonia again tonight and see where everything is in a 24 hour period. My progress seemed to have follow the chart I put an image of below, however, it would have been faster had I completed my water change earlier when I noticed nitrites were off the chart instead of waiting a week.
If on Friday I am reading 0 ammonia, I will be doing a tank cleaning/large water change and adding a small cleanup crew. I have been doing my cycle with lights off, so not much diatom bloom luckily.
My thread from NR:
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/376471-nitrites-too-high-during-cycle-help-please/page-4#entry5396154">http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/376471-nitrites-too-high-during-cycle-help-please/page-4#entry5396154</a>
huge thread on R2R with supporting research on different methods/user experience:
[IMG]http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-tank-cycling-tank-bacteria-and-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/">http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-tank-cycling-tank-bacteria-and-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/</a>
[IMG]http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm247/scottyreef/waterqualitycyclingnitrogencycle.jpg alt="" />
Hopefully this helps people in the future. Knowing what I know now, this is what I would recommend to someone who wanted to do Dry Rock cycle in the future.
Live Sand - Dry Roc - Big bottle of Bio Spira / Red Sea tank starter. Dose ammonia to 2 ppm and when it was <.5ppm I would dose again... until you are getting 0 readings in 24 hours. I wouldn't bother testing nitrites and this should keep you on a ~30 day cycle
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Thanks for the update. Please, keep them coming!
