Is This a Cycling Spike?

Nelson · August 16, 2005, 04:54:58 PM

Don't know what's going on, but my acceptable readings in my newly cycled brackish have gone nuts!

Ammonia - .5
pH - 7.6
Nitrites - .5
Nitrates - 15

Salinity is at 1.01

Haven't cycled a tank in 1 1/2 years so is this reasonable? The fish in the tank don't seem to bothered at all.

BigDaddy · August 16, 2005, 04:57:37 PM

You did a fishless cycle on the tank?

Or did you use a filter from another tank?

Nelson · August 16, 2005, 05:08:08 PM

Quote from: "BigDaddy"You did a fishless cycle on the tank?

Or did you use a filter from another tank?

Used 10 Danios and bacteria from a well aged filter.

BigDaddy · August 16, 2005, 06:56:23 PM

My guess is its simply that there's more waste in the tank than before, and the biological filter is possibly a little too small.

Your having a "mini cycle". As long as nitrites don't get out of hand, I wouldn't concern myself with it. The biological filter will catch up quickly. My office tank "mini cycled" in less than 4 days... (same deal, used a couple of seeded sponges from another tank).

luvfishies · August 16, 2005, 11:24:31 PM

Did you seed with media from Freshwater or Brackish? The biobugs are a little different, and this may just be a transition stage while some of the FW bugs die off the the BW bugs colonise.

Nelson · August 17, 2005, 07:57:33 AM

Thanks guys...and luvfishies, I poured bacteria from an established freshwater canister right into the intakes of the tanks built-in bio-filter and a brand new Fluval 304. Quite a bit of it in fact.

Nelson · August 17, 2005, 08:30:55 AM

Ammonia and Nitrates both still at .5 this am :?

Evan · August 17, 2005, 10:05:46 AM

Nelson did you add a piece of media or just the water from the filter?

In the past I have found that adding just the water from the filter is not enough. I usually just take one of the established foam filters from another tank and put it in the new filter.

Nelson · August 17, 2005, 10:10:57 AM

Quote from: "Evan"Nelson did you add a piece of media or just the water from the filter?

In the past I have found that adding just the water from the filter is not enough. I usually just take one of the established foam filters from another tank and put it in the new filter.

Hi Evan...no, I just added the dirty water. I can see the logic behind placing a cultured foam block in the filter so I'm going to do that right now.

Marx · August 17, 2005, 10:15:00 AM

BW bacteria is different then freshwater bacteria.. the best bacteria to use is either full SW or brackish water..

the salt will kill off FW bacteria..

hope that helps..

Nelson · August 17, 2005, 11:03:29 AM

Quote from: "Marx"BW bacteria is different then freshwater bacteria.. the best bacteria to use is either full SW or brackish water..

the salt will kill off FW bacteria..

hope that helps..

So would the dead/dexaying FW bacteria cause my ammonia to rise?

luvfishies · August 17, 2005, 10:17:01 PM

Quote from: "Nelson"
Quote from: "Marx"BW bacteria is different then freshwater bacteria.. the best bacteria to use is either full SW or brackish water..

the salt will kill off FW bacteria..

hope that helps..

So would the dead/dexaying FW bacteria cause my ammonia to rise?

Yes, and that's what I was getting at in my earlier post. Your BW bacteria are growing, just not fast enough to take care of the dead/dying FW bacteria.