# What's Wrong with my Cycle



## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I started a new 55g tank with 2" live sand, 50lbs live rock and seawater. I was told to put "Cycle Product" into my tank and i listened b/c my friend told me too. My reading are normal alkalinity, 8.2pH, .5 ammonia, 0 nitrates and very low, if not any, nitrites. I have 2 damsels which are in the tank now. I always thought that the cycle hasnt started, but is it possible that it already finished? And the ammonia is coming from the fish? Is there any definate way to find out?


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

you have been having alot of trouble with this thing havent you? how long has it been running so far. if the tank was finished cycling, you would have nitrAtes... sure your test kit isnt junk?


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

yes i have had a lot of trouble with this cycling thing, pretty discouraging for a newb aquarist like myself. I know that the test kit is not garbage, i bought 2 test kits from different companies to make sure and both are about the same. It has been about 2 weeks. I have school everyday so im not sure if it spiked during day and fell or not. I think that there are nitrates, but im not 100% sure, because the pictures that i have to compare to determine the levels all look about the same. Is there any way to test if the tank has cycles, besides buying more fish. Any method of testing? I need so much help, i wish some1 could come to my house and help me out. just kidding, but seriously, i do.


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## Fishnewb1 (Mar 24, 2006)

Wait that is that Mixed seawater with a mix or did it come right out of an ocean?

Because if it is just right out of an ocean isn't it already cycled?
I am probly wrong but i thought it was...


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I got from fish store which said it was water from ocean. But i dont know if it has bacteria in it, or if its filtered. If filtered, it would have same salt as i would need, but i think the bacteria would be gone, therefore it would need to be cycled


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## Fishnewb1 (Mar 24, 2006)

Unless the LFS had it in a storing tank with bacteria either from live rock or something?? Because the reason i had to cycle my tank is because all the bacteria died when it was in a plastic bag with just plain salt.


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

Someone with a little more knowledge on the subject please interject. I just did a test and my pH was 8.2, ammonia was .25ppm, nitrites and nitrates were 0ppm. Does this mean that I am cycled or the first stage has not even occured?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

you aren't cycled... the product called cycle is probably hindering it quite a bit... you have to ride it out. Cycling takes about 4-5 weeks, possibly 2-3 with liverock. Did you scrap your old water and use synthetic water? I thought you were having pH problems?


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

no bacteria comes in your water, bacteria grows on surfaces. not in the water colomn, if someone tells you to cycle a tank by taking a gallon of water from an old tank and puttuing it the new one. slap them, it doesnt help. your tank will not be cycled untill you show nitrAtes... im not sure what stopping this tank from cycling. you seem to have tried a ton of different things at once, and some of that might be your problem.


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I was having pH problems but it corrected itself, so i thought that perhaps the cycle started and was done.


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

probably not done since you arent showing any nitrates. do you know how the nitrogen cycle works? any ammonia gets broken down to nitrite, then any nitrite gets broken down again into nitrate. if there is ammonia showing and no nitrate. i would say you arent cycled. dont know why your not, you have 2 damsels in the tank right? lots of live rock and sand? should be showing some nitrates by now... i would think your test kits are faulty, what brand do you have? can you take a sample of water to a couple different lfs and ask them to test it for you too? there is something not quite right here.


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

ive taken to them and they say everything is fine. I have lots of live rock and sand and 2 damsels in the tank now. I am getting growth from the live rock, like spaghetti worms which i hear are good and otehr cool stuff. But my all my levels remain about the same. You're right, it doesn't make sense, that is why im posting


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## Jonno (May 22, 2005)

I'm no expert or anything but when a tank cycles shouldn't your ammonia spike really high then start to fall. If so has your ammonia spiked yet? but it does seem werid that it has cycled so quickly.


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I go to school every day, so if it spiked during the day or its already done, i wouldn't know. The thing is, I dont know if it ever spiked really high, because im not home. Right now it is remaining constant at .5 ppm. I know i have good test kit, like i said, i bought two just to be sure and they both indicate the same thing. i have 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, and .5 ammonia. FF said that it usually takes 4-5 weeks, but if its not cycled, then wouldn't i have at least some sign of ammonia change after my 2 weeks?


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I read online that a man said that his tank cycled and he used a product like "Cycle", now i wish i never did, but he said his ammonia SPIKED at .5ppm and then his nitrates and nitrites fell. Could my cycle resemble his? Or is it much more probable that the tank is still having trouble starting?


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

since you have live rock and sand, it is possible that your rock and sand instantly cycled, (mine was very fast) but that doesnt explain why you dont have any nitrates. do you have lots of algae growth? do you have any macro algae anywhere? do you have good coraline algae growth (the purple and pink stuff on the rock) some of these consume nitrates. how well is your skimmer working?


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

I have tons of coraline algae and my tank is starting to grow some green algae in some areas, not sure about algae terminology, and there is also some brown algae next to one of my rocks. Buts its odd that my tank isnt infested with algae because i keep my light on for about 7-8 hours a day and they are really good lights. Like i said, im newb and dont know much about algae growth, but it seems to me that there should be lots of algae. I think my protein skimmer is working fine. Its a prizm, not my favorite, but it was free and its working. After testing today, same results and no nitrates.

I checked all my filtration, and there is no clogging in my canister filter, and my power filter is running perfectly. The damsels look ok, but i think one is starting to develop ich. Im gonna watch him for a few days and then quarantine, just to make sure.

Wait a minute, i just glanced over at my tank, and i am seeing a lot more green algae. Not on the walls of my tank, but growing on the live rock. I hope this is not bad.


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## fishfingers (Apr 10, 2006)

It depends on what type of algae it is...can you describe it to us? The brown algae is most likely diatoms/cyanobacteria. If you tank cycled you should of gone through a stage where you had an algae bloom. 7-8 hours a day is not a long time BTW. I keep my MH's on for 12 hours a day and my actinics on for 14. Keep and eye on the damsel, if it has ich get it out of there quick smart.


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

I know absolutely NOTHING about salt water, however from Tuesday to Wednesday your ammonia went from .25 to .50. The fact that your ammonia is increasing tells me that your tank is not fully cycled. If you have a lot of algae, you may never see nitrates. My tanks that are heavily planted rarely, if ever, show any nitrates.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

If you have all that livesand & liverock in your tank, and if yours is florida rock ( since you're in Miami ) and if you only have two little damsels in the tank with a bunch of algae, then there's no reason to expect any nitrate yet. Quit worrying about it.


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## gdwb10101 (Apr 14, 2006)

i guess ill keep my lights on a little longer for more algae. There is *green *algae which is starting to cover my live rock. it looks like normal algae to me. What is the significance of algae? Does it indicate that the cycle is still going or coming to a close or nothing to do w/ the two?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Nothing.

It means your lights are on too long already, OR it means that your red & purple algae don't have any food while the green stuff has plenty. Green algae can eat both ammonia & nitrate, so it doesn't tell you much about your state of cycling. On the other hand, it replaces your cycling by eating up what would have been your bacteria's food, namely the waste you want to eliminate, and if your tank is not cycled then having a bunch of algae around will only slow things down even more.


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