Damn Fishless cycle

clownster

Reefing newb
45 days I go I set up my 75 gallon tank and started a fishless cycle. I have done a number of them but this one is pissing me off.

After about 2 weeks the ammonia spiked and then with in a week or so the nitrite spiked and sat there for a while and then started dropping. It got down to .5 PPM and sat there for 3 days and then started going up again. And today have a .25 reading of ammonia.

My nitrate are off the charts. Can't even get a reading on the test kit.

I'm doing the Pure ammonia cycle. I started off with 50 LPS of dead rock and added about 5 from my 55 as well as bought another 30 pounds.

I dossed to get the ammonia up to 5 PPM and keep it there with added more when it was needed. When my nitrite spiked I cut down to dosing ammonia to 3 PPM and then for about 3 weeks no sign of ammonia after a 24 hour dosing.

Today my ammonia is at .25, nitrite is at 3-5 and my nitrates are 160+. Ph is 8.4 so I know it's not a PH crash. Had that happen on a freshwater one time.

So what am I doing wrong. When do I need to try?

Anyone saying a pure ammonia cycle should not be done Google it works and I've done it before.

Robb
 
Most people recommend using raw table shrimp instead of fish...

After your ammonia peaks, it will go down and nitrates will rise. After they peak and go down, your nitrates will rise, but not fall. This is when you have to have nutrient export via macro algae, skimming, etc...but usually after a cycle, a water change is the only thing you can do to lower them. (you usually don't have macro algae yet, and many don't run their skimmers during cycles)
 
Yes I know I went with the pure ACE hardware ammonia. No fish have been added and will not be until the levels have come into range,

Like I said ammonia was down to zero and nitrites were down to ,50. Now they have bother started climbing again, I know the nitrate will climb, but in the 7 or 8 other fishless cycle I've done I have never seen nitrates this high.

Most people recommend using raw table shrimp instead of fish...

After your ammonia peaks, it will go down and nitrates will rise. After they peak and go down, your nitrates will rise, but not fall. This is when you have to have nutrient export via macro algae, skimming, etc...but usually after a cycle, a water change is the only thing you can do to lower them. (you usually don't have macro algae yet, and many don't run their skimmers during cycles)
 
Have you ever cycled with straight ammonia before? I don't know how to dose it to start up a cycle. Much better to give advice if you've done that method and most of us have not. Easier to just throw in a raw shrimp. Maybe you added too much ammonia and kicked off another cycle?
 
Angie yeah I've done it lots of time.. This will be my 2nd saltwater set up. I'm starting to wonder the same thing. I have a 56 that went easy as pie.

I'm thinking let it set and add nothing else for a few days and see what the levels do,

The last one I tried to keep the ammonia at 3 to 5 PPM and when nitrite spiked cut in down to one or two PPM to keep feeding it.

My nitrates are off the chats. In all the tanks I've done never seen them rise about 80 and this time I can't even get a reading on the test kit.

Just a little frustrating. But nothing happens fast in the hobby as the saying goes.
 
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