One and Only problem

I have a 180 with a 40 gallon sump using dry rock and dry sand. I used ro/di water to make the salt water. I let the tank run for a few days for the temperature to balance. I had adjusted ph and alkalinity according. I made sure all filtration was off and then I added 16 oz of One and only. I let that settle for a few minutes and then added the recommended dosage of ammonia chloride sold on the site. It has been about a week and my ammonia has been 0 for 2 days now, but my nitrites are at 5 ppm. Using the API saltwater test kit. I was under the impression for fishless cycling that the ammonia and nitrite would be zero after a week when using one and only. Did I get a bad batch? Please let me know. I have cycled other past tanks before with biospira, raw shrimp and live rock, but have never seen these kind of readings before. I have made sure the pH had not fall below 7 by measuring pH everyday.

This is what I have followed to a "T", but haven't made it past the first dose.


A Quick Guide to Fishless CyclingThere are many opinions about how to fishless cycle your aquarium. But they normally just confuse readers and generate more questions than answers. Below is an article explaining the process and a couple of ways to fishless cycle, which we encourage everyone to read. But here we present a short, concise recipe on how to fishless cycle your aquarium. You can choose to add DrTim's One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria or not with this method. But, of course, by adding our bacteria, the cycling time will be shorter and you'll be watching fish in your aquarium sooner.MATERIALS NEEDED: You will need an ammonia solution, ammonia and nitrite test kits (a pH test kit is also a good idea) and a little patience.The Process:

• Day 1 - dose ammonia to 3 ppm.
• Days 5, 8, 11, 14 (every 3 days) - measure ammonia and nitrite.
• When ammonia and nitrite are both 0 ppm, add more ammonia to 3 ppm.
• Now measure ammonia and nitrite every 2 days.
• When ammonia and nitrite are both 0 ppm, add more ammonia to 3 ppm.
• Now measure ammonia and nitrite every day - when ammonia and nitrite are both 0 ppm, add more ammonia to 3 ppm.
• Continue to measure every day - when the water is able to process ammonia and nitrite to 0 ppm within 24 hours, you're done!
• Do a partial water change and add some fish.

 

Hello

Not sure where you got the pH value of 7 - for a saltwater tank it should not fall below 7.8. How?why did you 'adjust' pH - it should have been fine after mixing the salt.

Be that as it may - there is a difference between cycling with shrimp and cycling with ammonia. With our ammonia assuming you added 1 drop per gallon your ammonia started at 2 mg/L NH3-N (which would be about 2.7 on your API kit which measure the ion form).

As for nitrite the 2 mg/L NH3-N that you added would equal 6.6 on your API kit because again it measures the ion form of nitrite. Since the max value the color chart shows is 5 your reading is off scale.

But you should have seen a drop by now, so some questions:

1) is your tank bare-bottomed?
2) are you using a filter sock?
3) did you turn the skimmer/UV off for at least 12 hours after adding the One & Only
4) where did you buy the One & Only


Regards

DrTim

 

Hi Dr.Tim,

The pH never got below 7.8 according to the test kit.


1. Use a sand bottom
2.No filtration for 48 hours, but the skimmer is on now.
3. 2 days they were off.
4. Your website.
Nitrifying Bacteria: Lower Aquarium Nitrate and Ammonia | Fish Tank Care | DrTim's Aquatics Store

Thanks

 

Here is where I'm at right now:



Test kit is new and has an expiration date of 05/2017

 

Since the ammonia is 0 and the nitrites are extremely high, how do I correct the problem? Do I wait it out? Do I need to add any buffer to bump up the pH? Will the nitrites eventually come down or are they stuck in limbo?

No filter socks. I also made sure that the prefilter on the return pump was off as well before I started.

 

Your pH looks a little low to me - I would add some buffer or do a water change.

Your nitrite is "not extremely high" (looks to be 0.50 to 1.00 as the ION) you have to realize that you are measuring the ion not in the nitrogen base would give be 0.15 - 0.30. So you added a total of 2 mg/L NO2-N (nitrogen base) and it has dropped to 0.15 to 0.30 - this is good and shows the bacteria are working.

Your are doing a fishless cycle - so add another drop per gallon of ammonia (or 1 drop per 2 gallons) and you should find the ammonia and nitrite will increase for maybe a day or two and then drop and you'll be ready for fish/corals.

 

Awesome! Thanks Dr.Tim.

 

You're welcome - keep me posted on the test results 24 hours after the next addition of ammonia.

 

I'm so sorry about jumping this thread but I did a cycle with a fish and am having the same result. The ammonia spiked then dropped to 0 as the nitrite rose. For the past 4 days, my tests have been; Ammonia = .0, Nitrites = around 1.0 (looks the same shade of purple as above), PH = 8. I, too, am using the API test kit.

Should I be doing something different?

 

24 hrs later after dosing 1 drop per 2 gallons which brought my ammonia up to 0.5 ppm:

Ph went down from 8.1 to 7.8 so I broght that up to 8.3.

Ammonia is now: 0.25

Nitrite: Hard to say. Looks like the picture.

Nitrates went up a little. Went up from 20 to about 40 - 60 ppm

Looks like its working.

So tomorrow morning the ammonia should be zero.

What would you reccomend? Water change tomorrow if ammonia is 0 or 1 final dose of ammonia?