Advice needed, 5 days into restarted cycle

I've just had to basically start my cycle again, rinse everything down because of surfactants, u never knew what they were and dosed the wrong ammonia lol
I'm now 5 days back on track
Ammonia 4.o ppm
Nitrites 0.5 ppm
Nitrates 5.0 ppm
Ph 7.6 ppm....or slightly lower
Should I just sit and wait until the ammonia goes down close to zero and add more up to 2.0 ppm
I got sum bio-rings delivered, should I put them in my large internal CFBio-150 filter so BB grows on them?

 

My numbers today after the water change are
Ph 7.6
Ammonia 1
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 5

is that alright?

Yes, these numbers look good. Don't do anything until the ammonia drops down to or very close to zero.

I've just had to basically start my cycle again, rinse everything down because of surfactants, u never knew what they were and dosed the wrong ammonia lol
I'm now 5 days back on track
Ammonia 4.o ppm
Nitrites 0.5 ppm
Nitrates 5.0 ppm
Ph 7.6 ppm....or slightly lower
Should I just sit and wait until the ammonia goes down close to zero and add more up to 2.0 ppm
I got sum bio-rings delivered, should I put them in my large internal CFBio-150 filter so BB grows on them?

Yes, wait for the ammonia to drop. Adding the bio-rings is a good thing to do.

 

I think all the beneficial bacteria died off due to the surfactants,but I did rinse the substrate in a bucket,rinsed the rocks and washed out the filters,just incase,do you think k it will kick off fast again? I'm dosing with fluvial cycle, api quick start is on its way in the mail and I've got 1 large filter & 2 small filters plus a air stone..is that over kill??

 

Yeah haha, I think your doing some overkill.

So if you're having fun spending money, then by all means enjoy yourself. I love a good shopping spree too. But don't be fooled into thinking that you need multiple filters, air stones bottled bacteria, and special bio-media in order to cycle a tank.

You really don't need much to cycle an aquarium. Just an ammonia source, circulating water with surface agitation, and a bit of surface area. That's it. The rest is just marketing.

You can cycle a pail of water with nothing but fish food and an air stone.

 

Yes it seems like overkill, but I don't know how big your tank is. The cycle jump-starter products seem to be hit-or-miss. Sometimes they work. I don't think you are causing any problems. Listen to mattgirl.

 

I think all the beneficial bacteria died off due to the surfactants,but I did rinse the substrate in a bucket,rinsed the rocks and washed out the filters,just incase,do you think k it will kick off fast again? I'm dosing with fluvial cycle, api quick start is on its way in the mail and I've got 1 large filter & 2 small filters plus a air stone..is that over kill??

Right now it is just a waiting game. The main problem with adding all this bottled stuff is it makes it difficult to know what is actually happening in the tank. Cycling a tank is pretty straight forward. We supply an ammonia source and soon bacteria will get to work. We know what to expect.

When we start adding bottled stuff all that changes. The best advice i can give you at this point is do nothing but keep an eye on the ammonia level. When it drops down close to zero add more. Give the bacteria time to get to work.

 

Thats what I will do,just add more dr tims aquatic ammonia that I got on Monday,I dosed it to 4.0 ppm and its barley went down,got nitrites now though,just leave out the bottled bacteria until my tank is cycled for a boost when doing water changes,yes...

 

I think all the beneficial bacteria died off due to the surfactants,but I did rinse the substrate in a bucket,rinsed the rocks and washed out the filters,just incase,do you think k it will kick off fast again? I'm dosing with fluvial cycle, api quick start is on its way in the mail and I've got 1 large filter & 2 small filters plus a air stone..is that over kill??

Patience young grasshopper! A full cycle can take 4 - 6 weeks.

Maybe it’s my failing memory, but I thought you found someone “with years of fish keeping experience“ who told you the surfacants in your original ammonia would be fine?

 

Well I didn't know him from Adam,as ye say, so went with what all yous said, probably the best idea,it was just I didn't want to loose the 3+ weeks I had been cycling, I got dr tims ammonia so I started again,do you think rinsing all the substrate n stuff would have done the job? I only rinsed the filter sponges like you would on a general filter clean incase I could have saved some bacteria. What you think?

 

Well I didn't know him from Adam,as ye say, so went with what all yous said, probably the best idea,it was just I didn't want to loose the 3+ weeks I had been cycling, I got dr tims ammonia so I started again,do you think rinsing all the substrate n stuff would have done the job? I only rinsed the filter sponges like you would on a general filter clean incase I could have saved some bacteria. What you think?

As I originally suggested, I would have rinsed them well. And then rinsed them well again.

If you‘re seeing nitrites, the cycling process is moving along. Follow mattgirl advice, be patient and you’ll be fine. Don’t overthink things.

 

I know that's my problem,I'm trying to many other things but I'm now doing it straight forward 100% ye I'm seeing Nitrites again, ammonia is barely going down but its only been 2 days since I dosed it up to 4.0 ppm, I actually tried to dose it up to 3.0 ppm but going with the instructions on the bottle it gave me a little higher,next time I'll aim for 2.0 ppm

 

I know that's my problem,I'm trying to many other things but I'm now doing it straight forward 100% ye I'm seeing Nitrites again, ammonia is barely going down but its only been 2 days since I dosed it up to 4.0 ppm, I actually tried to dose it up to 3.0 ppm but going with the instructions on the bottle it gave me a little higher,next time I'll aim for 2.0 ppm

Yep, dosing to 2 - 3 ppm is plenty.

 

Do you think what its at the now is ok,since I'm seeing nitrites now again, I've not put too much in that it will stall as its moving along?

 

I would add ammonia until the nitrites stay at zero also.

StarGirl,you know how I had to start my cycle basically again due to surfactants, I've been running it a week with quick start and fluval cycle, today I got a dirty sponge out a dump at my LFS and a little bit crushed coral,put it in my aquarium and the sponge in my filter, how long till I see results, my ammonia is up at 3.0-4.0, no nitrites,nitrates at 5.0 ,PH 7.6
I've been running it about 4-5 weeks but had a mishap n put ammonia with surfactants so I emptied the tank and rinsed everything down, this time I have Dr tims aquatic safe ammonia, I think the sponge had a lot of bacteria on it as it was black in places ,do you think it will give me a good boost ,still doing a fishless cycle, board of lookin at an empty glass box
Out a sump

Out a sump i meant sorry lol

 

Im answering you in your own thread to your sump sponge question. How much sponge was there and was it dry? If it was wet still you possibly could get a instant cycle if there was enough media from the sump. What kind of media is it?

You honestly really have to say your tank has been running for a week now since you had to restart it. Dose the ammonia when it goes close to zero again and see for a few days what it is doing. You may not see anything for a few days. And if that sponge was dry it will not help at all.

 

Im answering you in your own thread to your sump sponge question. How much sponge was there and was it dry? If it was wet still you possibly could get a instant cycle if there was enough media from the sump. What kind of media is it?

You honestly really have to say your tank has been running for a week now since you had to restart it. Dose the ammonia when it goes close to zero again and see for a few days what it is doing. You may not see anything for a few days. And if that sponge was dry it will not help at all.

Ive been finding it hard to find the page to start my own thread that'd why av been asking on whatever one,aknow a shouldn't be doing that...


It was a 6" by 3" sponge that was in the sump, it was in the water and I put it in a fish bag with some water from the sump and a hand full of crushed coral from there filter sock,brought it home in water and added it within 20 minutes,do you think it will take a few days,I just done a 30% water change just incase my ammonia was up past 4.0 ppm, I will test it in the morning as it is 3:40am here, I will keep you posted now as its only 9 days into my new cycle, I think my ammonia was too high in the last 7 days,thats how my ammonia never budged really..does api quick start remove nitrites cos I saw nitrites then once I added that it not seen it since,iv stopped using it for now,I've so many boosters ,BB enhancers quick start fluval cycle..do you think I should stop using them??

 

Stop using the boosters and see what the sponge from the sump does.

 

I put sum in earlier but from now I will wait and see and only add dr tims ammonia when needed ,last time my cycle went well in only 2 week then by my own stupidity added surfactants, I'll be more cautious from now on...thanks for the reply StarGirl
I think tomorrow im going to phone my LFS who is looking after my dragon puffer and say to give it to a good home,or sell it if he wants as my tank still isn't cycled, what to get now something easy to keep i think,thinking about xadons

 

Ive been finding it hard to find the page to start my own thread that'd why av been asking on whatever one,aknow a shouldn't be doing that...

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