Cycle problem

I have a 65 gallon tank with about 70 lbs of base rock (dry). I put it in the tank 3 weeks ago.

I am adding fish food as an ammonia source daily.

I just added 15lbs of live rock from a local reefer about 3 days ago to help seed my rock.

The tank is running BB.

Here is my equipment:
2x Koralia 2 powerheads (i think they're K2's but they're old and I forget which version)
10 gallon sump
SC150 skimmer
TLF Phosban 150 running biopellets (added last week)
Rio 8HF return pump

Here are my params:

Amm: ~.75
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: ~.5
SG: 1.024
Temp: 80F

Something is going on... I still have ammonia in my tank 3 weeks after start of cycle?! and no nitrite...

Is this normal? Should I try a bacterial add? Can biopellets hinder tank cycling? If this is the case I'm chucking the BP and just running phosban.


Thanks in advance for the help

 

Did it already cycle before you added your live rock?

I've Heard of people adding live rock to their tank and having a mini cycle. It's prob because between the original tank the lr came from and the time it took to get to yours there was some die off and thats releasing ammonia.

I could be wrong, may wanna wait til another person chimes in

 

No, i've had about 1 ppm ammonia since week 1 of my cycle. I originally was cycling the rock in a 36 gallon bucket and doing large water changes because I thought I needed to cure the rock.

The water changes probably slowed the cycle down a little.

 

Since you added base rock/dry and you have no substrate you started at 0 for any types of nutrifying bacteria. It's expected that the cycle would take longer.

Three days is not long enough for the cured rock to convert the ammonia.

I would stop adding any fish food or source of decay.

Look at Dr.Tims threads as it might give you some further insight as to whether you cycle is truly interrupted/stunted.

Yes you can add products, such as Dr. Tim's or something along the lines of MB7.

I would also stop the BP until the tank is well under way through the initial cycle.

 

I'm going to start dosing Microbacter7, turn the skimmer off for 4 hours after I dose, turn off my BP til I start reading 0/0/0 or some nitrates.

I will stop adding food.

Should I change out the media in my reactor to phosban to help control phosphates while it's cycling? Should I mix in carbon with the phosphates?

Thanks for the advice.

 

I would not aggressively use the or change out the media on the phosban unless you have a reason to believe that you have elevated phosphate levels, maybe from using tap water that shows an elevated level.

At this point in time you should not really need to be using or changing a lot of media. Most media becomes a biological filter in it's own way, so I would not change out the media but rather let is sit and accumulate and disperse nutrifying bacteria.

Once the tank gets fully cycled then I would consider the carbon.

 

I don't run anything, no GAC, GFO or my skimmer until the cycle is done. I use raw table shrimp for a good NH3 punch then let the cycle do its thing. I basicly call it done when NH3 is zero, NO2 zero and NO3 is below 20ppm, then ready for a light CUC.
This is what has worked IME
Good luck!

 

also done the same with same positive experience

I would say adding bacteria cannot harm the situation in this instance, having also used that type of product to speed up a cycle on my most recent set up

I would also agree with Coralline that the Bio Pellets, and carbon are surplus to requirements at present and can be introduced later

I do however like to run GFO from start up, specially when I have used live rock from an unknown source, prevention being better than cure where algae is concerned IM occasional bad Experiences with green menaces

Steve

 

FYI I use RO/DI water. My rock is leeching phosphates though which is why I was thinking about running GFO in the reactor.

Since I already have ammonia at .75, I will just let it go through the cycle. I will also turn my skimmer off!