0 ammonia, nitrite, nitrate

[GHOSTLY]

Getting back into the hobby so I had my tank set up fishless with liquid ammonia from brightwell and microbacter 7. There's 1lb of lr in a 15g tank with 20lb of live oolite. The tank was set up one week ago and I saw ammonia rise and fall, nitrite rise and fall, nitrate rise, then dissappear? My old cycle, nitrate rose then sat around 10 to 20ppm but now its 0. I got it tested at my lfs and they said 0 too so im wondering if my tank might have TOO good of filtration?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Getting back into the hobby so I had my tank set up fishless with liquid ammonia from brightwell and microbacter 7. There's 1lb of lr in a 15g tank with 20lb of live oolite. The tank was set up one week ago and I saw ammonia rise and fall, nitrite rise and fall, nitrate rise, then dissappear? My old cycle, nitrate rose then sat around 10 to 20ppm but now its 0. I got it tested at my lfs and they said 0 too so im wondering if my tank might have TOO good of filtration?

Possibly. Did you try adding ammonia to 2ppm and then seeing if you have nitrates a day later?

 

[GHOSTLY]

Possibly. Did you try adding ammonia to 2ppm and then seeing if you have nitrates a day later?

Yeah so when I did add ammonia it spiked to 2ppm but what I find weird is there is NO nitrate visible with test kits in the water

 

[gbroadbridge]

Yeah so when I did add ammonia it spiked to 2ppm but what I find weird is there is NO nitrate visible with test kits in the water

It may not yet have completed conversion to Nitrate. It takes the bacteria that convert from Nitrite to Nitrate longer to establish and they probably haven't yet caught up.

However, if the ammonia is going down from 2ppm to 0 with a decent test kit you can consider the tank cycled. You may simply have to do some water changes if the Nitrate starts to rise above 50 ppm or so.

 

[GHOSTLY]

It may not yet have completed conversion to Nitrate. It takes the bacteria that convert from Nitrite to Nitrate longer to establish and they probably haven't yet caught up.

However, if the ammonia is going down from 2ppm to 0 with a decent test kit you can consider the tank cycled. You may simply have to do some water changes if the Nitrate starts to rise above 50 ppm or so.

What's weird is that I saw my nitrite rise and fall too like ammonia? If it helps its a saliferts kit that expires in 2026. I feel like it nitrite was present before and now that it's not there'd be at least some Nitrate

 

[KrisReef]

What's weird is that I saw my nitrite rise and fall too like ammonia? If it helps its a saliferts kit that expires in 2026. I feel like it nitrite was present before and now that it's not there'd be at least some Nitrate

That sand or the live rock is eating the nitrate. If you want to keep coral you will have to feed well or dose nitrogen and maybe P also?

 

[gbroadbridge]

What's weird is that I saw my nitrite rise and fall too like ammonia? If it helps its a saliferts kit that expires in 2026. I feel like it nitrite was present before and now that it's not there'd be at least some Nitrate

Maybe the Live Rock is mature enough to be processing the Nitrate.
If so as @KrisReef said, you will probably need to supplement N and P.

The Salifert test is good for Nitrate, I use one alternating with a Hanna HR and they always are very close.

 

[Dan_P]

Getting back into the hobby so I had my tank set up fishless with liquid ammonia from brightwell and microbacter 7. There's 1lb of lr in a 15g tank with 20lb of live oolite. The tank was set up one week ago and I saw ammonia rise and fall, nitrite rise and fall, nitrate rise, then dissappear? My old cycle, nitrate rose then sat around 10 to 20ppm but now its 0. I got it tested at my lfs and they said 0 too so im wondering if my tank might have TOO good of filtration?

Algae and bacteria on the live rock might have consumed nitrate.