Freshwater Sump Issues

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Tiptonhudson

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2017
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Quick backstory. I have a 125 tall content flow tank. I built a sump using a 40 gallon breeder. Had it up and running I from my water tests using the API kit it was cycled. Then the sump cracked and partially emptied. Rebuilt the sump and 6 weeks later it will not cycle again so I can assume what I witnessed was a mini cycle never had this happen before. I'm using some very seeded media from a tank that has been running for 5 years or more. I have dosed well over 100 dollars of bacteria and the ammonia will not drop. Temp is a steady 80f
Water enters in through the overflow through a 200 micron sock, then flows through plastic pot scrubbies, then through lava rock, then back up through ceramic media. Then to the refugium and back down through bio balls to the return pump. My UV filter is off and so is my refugium light. I'm stumped. Any thoughts ?

Thanks
 
Pictures? Are you possibly using scrubbies with anti-microbial coating?

When it comes to tank cycling, I believe less is more and that "adding bacteria" is a futile endeavor. Just put some substrate in the tank that has a high surface area, let nature take its course, and save yourself some money.
 
IMG_3683.JPG IMG_3684.JPG IMG_3685.JPG IMG_3686.JPG The pot scrubbies I have used before. Not antbfungal or ant bacterial at all. Use them currently in a couple of canister filters. The tank itself has 80 pounds of eco complete and old substrate from another tank. Here are some pics of the sump and one of the display.
 
What is your PH? Low ph values will inhibit the growth of bacterial colonies.
 
Tiptonhudson said:
Quick backstory. I have a 125 tall content flow tank. I built a sump using a 40 gallon breeder. Had it up and running I from my water tests using the API kit it was cycled. Then the sump cracked and partially emptied. Rebuilt the sump and 6 weeks later it will not cycle again so I can assume what I witnessed was a mini cycle never had this happen before. I'm using some very seeded media from a tank that has been running for 5 years or more. I have dosed well over 100 dollars of bacteria and the ammonia will not drop. Temp is a steady 80f
Water enters in through the overflow through a 200 micron sock, then flows through plastic pot scrubbies, then through lava rock, then back up through ceramic media. Then to the refugium and back down through bio balls to the return pump. My UV filter is off and so is my refugium light. I'm stumped. Any thoughts ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

It sounds like just a matter of time at this point. When your sump cracked what did you use for filtration and what was the time frame between cracking and back in service? Based of what happened the filtration may be now trying to catch up and keep up to filter.
 
When the first sumpmwent down, I relocated the few tetras I had in there and ran two old Hob filters I had laying around stuffed with some ceramic media I had in the sump. The rest sat in tank water and I'm sure any BB that was on there does quickly. It was 2 weeks before I could get the new sump up and running. But now it's been a few weeks and the ammonia will not drop and the nitrite will not rise. Like I said completely stumped. Could it be the design of the sump ?
 
Does your water company disinfect with Chloramine? If so this may be the reason for the 0.5 ammonia reading.
Chloramine is usually achieved at the treatment plant by combining 4 -5 parts chlorine with 1 part ammonia.
If you are doing water changes, and not using a conditioner that neutralizes the ammonia in the chloramine bond, it may be why you are getting that reading when you test.
 
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Never have tested so I did. I was taken back a bit. The ammonia is .5 out of the tap. Now I always dose my water with Prime to rid all the chemicals out but this was new to me. So I'm thinking I may need to remove my tank inhabitants which is not much and dose with pure ammonia or , would using my canister from another tank and would that speed up the cycle ? Just grasping at straws here. Thanks
 
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