Cycling question

[JKDMan]

Setting up a new tank 75 gal, its been up for about 5 weeks. when set up initially i seeded with some sand and a few pieces of LR. Added the rest of the LR ( and some sand) all of it came from a very low bioload very dirty parameters SW aquarium i had running but had to downsize to the 75.

Im confused by the cycle that is happening in the new tank. I have steady nitrate presence which flxuates between 20 -80ppm. I have never detected nitrite in the tank. Ammonia is fluxating daily between 0 and 2, and i had a spike up to 4 last week, i did a pwc to lower it.

Isnt it strange why my ammonia lvl is going up and down so much, for example it was 0 last night and this morning it was 1. Could the dirty rocks be leaching ammonia and nitrate into water, but then again why an eraattic curve to ammonia results. Also trying to use bacteria in a bottle . going to check it for ammonia today.

the confusing results arent heloing me deterrmine where i am in the cycle..I have been ghost feeding for a couple days since i had a several day streak of vry low ammonia..

any thoughts on whats going on would be helpful.

Thanks

 

[KJ]

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[Idoc]

It sounds like you were in the middle of cycling when you added thes additional rock/sand... which probably started another mini-cycle. There's definitely die-off coming from the new stuff added in order for the ammonia to be elevating.

Just give it a couple weeks and don't worry about it... it's going to cycle and stabilize. Or throw in some bottled bacteria and check it again in a week.