anyone know how I can get my tank to cycle faster

[armenkk1]

anyone know how I can get my tank to cycle faster. it's been going for 2 weeks.

ammonia : 1.5 ppm
nitrite: 4 ppm
nitrate: 60 ppm

 

[tetrajoy]

I personally used Bio-spira...I cycled in a week. If you have a cover on your tank, you should try to remove it. If you do no have a power head, you may want to try that as well. What's you PH at?

 

[EriksFish315]

About how long Until you might see nitrites and nitrate? I have been cycling for 3 days now with live rock and household ammonia.

 

[EriksFish315]

Lots of oxygen in the water helps

 

[tetrajoy]

If you do not have a bacteria source yet, it could take a while...definitely longer than 3 days.

 

[EriksFish315]

Really even with 50 lbs of live rock

 

[tetrajoy]

Was the live rock cured prior to putting it in your aquarium? If not, there will be a lot of die-off.

 

[EriksFish315]

Yes cured as in sat in a tank at my friends pet shop with other live rock.

 

[tetrajoy]

How long was it cured?

 

[EriksFish315]

Im pretty sure it was at least a month. What would be the difference just quit new to this. I never fishless cycled my 3 freshwater tanks.

 

[EriksFish315]

Cycling is a very patient procces I take it but my buddy that owns the pet store says come back in a week and get your fish you ordered your tank will be cycled.

 

[tetrajoy]

Seems like you need to do some more reading. Cured live rock has the beneficial bacteria already established and there is no more die-off from anything attached to it.

One month seems good enough for curing, but someone else might want to chim in with any informational links that may help you...

If the rock is fully cured, theoredically, you just have to move it to your tank(without drying out) and you don't really need to cycle your tank.

 

[EriksFish315]

Alright thanks for your knowledge. So with your last statement being said I should be reading nitrites or nitrates? Correct

 

[tetrajoy]

Both should be read. Anytime you want to add anything to your tank, you should check your water (at least once per week to tell you if you need to do a water change as well).

 

[EriksFish315]

Yeah water test are always important to me. Thank you I appreciate all the help

 

[austinsdad]

What was the highest ammonia reading? And the highest nitrite readiing?

 

[EriksFish315]

Ammonia 5 and nothing on the nitrite and nitrate

 

[EriksFish315]

That's was as of this early morning

 

[tetrajoy]

Check again tomorrow morning, youre ammonia should be going down if you are cycling/cycled.

 

[EriksFish315]

Yeah I understand it went down yesterday to today. But did not see nitrite or nitrate? Which confused me a bit