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Originally Posted by TinFury Ok, help it's been 6 weeks and my nitrites are still high. I mean like off the chart. Is there something that could be holding my second stage bacteria back? And what's the maximum time it would take for the second stage bacteria to build up? I have a good amount of live rock in there. Could it be that I don't have enough surface area for the
second stage bacteria? |
O.K as i recall you started this tank about the time I started to look around here and I think then I told and or suggested that you just add what ever rock and sand you had gotten from your area ocean and add a single little yellow tailed blue Damsel and feed it sparling and spend the next 2 to 3 months just getting the water parameters stable. And since you where using wild harvested Rock and sand that a good skimmer was going to be mandatory also.
I tried then to explain the cycling process to you and anyone who would listen this can't be rushed the bacteria come and go in their own time frame thats how they have worked since the beginning of time .. They can't be rushed or duplicated in any other way.. And so-far you have managed to do everything that you could to keep shooting the tank and your self in the foot. Now at this stage I'd crank up a good skimmer and add several air stones to the sump and a good strong air pump and boil the water to release the NO2's from the water and let it be replaced with oxygen and then after you get that set up Just set back and just leave it alone for the next 6 weeks in the end the time spent now will be paid back with interest and a healthier and far less problematic system..
I made the very same mistakes 35 + yrs ago and I have seen so many other do the same thing and in the end they either change their methods and or keep fighting a loosing battle. I'm not preaching or trying to sound like a smart a$$ I'm just speaking from tried and true experiences and after setting up Hundreds if not thousands of tanks in my time I'm just trying to offer you what my experiences have taught me there is no rushing a marine system, Patiences is the most needed and least added element to any beginning marine tank.. And if you keep trying to rush this it will never settle in a fully cycle. Just keep the parameters steady and temp and add some air stones if you can ..I know it's a old low tech method but it works and its cheap.. (:
I just like to help people find out just how simple and easy and enjoyable this hobby is and can be. And Money can't buy the biological basics of the hobby and there are no true short cuts Good luck
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