Cycling Help!

[The Flying Turkey]

OK this is strange.

After 4 full days of the cycle these are my latest readings:

Salinity: 1.023
Temp: 78
PH: 8.2
Ammonia: 1.0 ppm
Nitrite: 1.0 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

It appears that the ammonia has peaked at 2.0 ppm yesterday and is dropping now, and nitrites are being converted into nitrates after only 4 days.

Does this mean there wasn't enough die-off from the live rock for a large enough ammonia source causing only a mini cycle? Should I toss a raw table shrimp in there to boost ammonia?

What should I do?

 

[Tahoe61]

Sounds very normal. You were bound to have some die off from the rock. I do not think you needed the shrimp at all. I have never used shrimp if I used live rock. There were enough denitrifying bacteria in the LR to quickly convert the ammonia to nitrites, this is the whole reason to use LR.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I agree with aboves statement. You can add a raw shrimp to build up the ammonia also, to give your system more bacteria, so that when its time to add live stock, it will be more than ready.

 

[The Flying Turkey]

Sounds very normal. You were bound to have some die off from the rock. I do not think you needed the shrimp at all. I have never used shrimp if I used live rock. There were enough denitrifying bacteria in the LR to quickly convert the ammonia to nitrites, this is the whole reason to use LR.

OK that's what I thought, I just didn't expect to see the ammonia start to decrease after only 4 days. Thanks!

 

[CastAway]

Similar experience with my own initial cycle. It's a balance, small amount of ammonia equates to smaller number of bacteria sustained, and a shorter time frame. Nitrite levels typically rise much higher than ammonia levels however, and last longer. Once the nitrite is gone, one still has to add livestock slowly to maintain the balance between ammonia production and numbers of bacteria consuming it, and the nitrite production and bacteria consuming it. The "cycle" doesn't stop - it's continuous and in proportion to the overall bio-load. (To me, the challenge is estimating how many, and what size livestock equals the ammonia equivalent to one rotting shrimp. :suspicious