Cycling tank

[fishmaster818]

My ammonia spike has gone down to almost 0 ppm now but my nitrites still read zero

 

[Mike J.]

Did you use a bacteria additive? Are you using Prime or any other bottled products? What test kit are you using? It doesn't make sense that after an ammonia spike there wouldn't be any nitrites. Do you have a nitrate reading? A nitrogen cycle should be similar to this.

 

[fishmaster818]

No im not using any additives. And no both nitrates and nitrites are both 0 ppm

 

[Mike J.]

How long has your tank been running and what did you use to start the cycle? What was your highest ammonia reading?

 

[maroun.c]

How frequently were you testing for both?
How high did your Ammonia rise?
What did you cycle the tank with? If using LR did you buy it cured? How long was transfer time?
Did you use a bacteria Supplement?

 

[fishmaster818]

I used dry rock, chromis, its been setup up for a week. I test every day. Why ammonia got up to 4.0 ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It may just be that the various kits are not very accurate. I'd keep testing at least another 2 weeks before determining that there is no longer any ammonia concern.

You are feeding the fish?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Did you use a bacteria additive? Are you using Prime or any other bottled products? What test kit are you using? It doesn't make sense that after an ammonia spike there wouldn't be any nitrites. Do you have a nitrate reading? A nitrogen cycle should be similar to this.

FWIW, my concern with that chart is it must be from fresh water, or else it is not correct when it says nitrite is highly toxic, which it is not in seawater. Ammonia is the only real toxicity concern when cycling a marine system.

 

[Mike J.]

Yes, I agree with you that nitrite is not highly toxic. I'll either have to stop using that chart or get it changed some how. The overall chart is good other than that toxicity comment. One week surely isn't long enough to introduce fish.

 

[fishmaster818]

Yes im feeding the fish. But ill keep testing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree that cycling with a live fish is not a preferred method, IMO.

 

[fishmaster818]

Two lfs recommended it. So did people online

 

[Mike J.]

I cycled a tank ten years ago with two Blue Devil Damsels. I still have those "devils". The aquarium hobby as a whole has become much more humane since then.

 

[fishmaster818]

So keep testing until my ammonia is gone and see if there are any nitrite or nitrate

 

[Mike J.]

Yes, you'll eventually get a nitrogen cycle going. If the ammonia gets high you should do a water change to bring it down; to save your fish.

 

[fishmaster818]

My ammonia got high then dropped

 

[Mike J.]

Like Randy said, you need to keep testing for ammonia for a couple of weeks. Get a high reading do a partial water change. The solution to pollution is dilution.

 

[fishmaster818]

My ammonia is now 0 ppm but all the other levels are still 0 ppm

 

[maroun.c]

Most probably either the Ammonia or nitrite testkit is wrong.
I would keep testing till I see aa rise in Nitrates and phosphates.one week is too fast for a cycle anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just keep testing for a couple of weeks and then you can slowly start to add more organisms.