Fishless Cycle issues?

[jld]

not my first tank BUT the first time I have started one with dead sand and dead rock and did a traditional cycle. caribsea aragalive sand/life rock.

having issue with my first one and only fishless cycle and ammonium chloride on my saltwater reef tank. below is the details and using API test kits. I believe what I was reading as 2ppm NO2 (around day 9 or 10) could possibly be escalating nitrite levels past 5 (API kits are no good at that point and color is so close between 2 or 5ppm). Today is day 17 i did a 50/50 water mix of my cycled tank and cycling tank and did nitrite test SAME COLOR. also did another test 1/4 cycling tank and 3/4 cycled tank SAME COLOR. I also ran nitrite/nitrate tests on cycled tank water which is ZERO NO2/low NO3 so kits are fine. Is it possible I am in 10+ range of NO2 and stalled the cycle? NO3 is not increasing at all as well but ammonia is processed quickly?

What should I do? nothing? water change? add biospira? stop adding ammonia for sure correct?
thank you


25 gallon tank/16gallon actual volume - crushed corals/caribsea liferock
temp/ph/alk have remained constant. no skimmer or UV. API test kits.
78 temp
8-8.1 ph
8.5 alk

day 1: 1/12/2018 - bottle of one and only 30gallons and 64 drops ammonia
day 2: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 0 NO3 = 0
day 3: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 0 NO3 = 0
day 4: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 0 NO3 = 0
day 5: NH3 = 1-2 NO2 = .25 NO3 = 0
day 6: NH3 = 1 NO2 = 1 NO3 = 10
day 7: NH3 = .5-1 NO2 = 1+ NO3 = 10-20
day 8: NH3 = 0+ NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
ADDED 64 drops ammonia
day 9: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day10: NH3 = .5-1 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day11: NH3 = .25 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day12: NH3 = 0 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
ADDED 30 drops ammonia
day13: NH3 = .5-1 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day14: NH3 = .5 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day15: NH3 = 0 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
ADDED 30 drops ammonia
day16: NH3 = .5 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day17: NH3 = 0 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Day 17. You have ammonia and nitrates. Correct?
It’s cycling.

 

[lapin]

I have found in a new tank, bacteria that process nitrite into nitrate take longer to grow than the ammonia to nitrite ones do.

 

[jld]

yes ammonia should i continue to add small amount each day? yes 20 nitrates has not gone up yet.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

yes ammonia should i continue to add small amount each day? yes 20 nitrates has not gone up yet.

No. The no3 wil go up.

Ammonia, nitrite then nitrate.
If ammonia zeros , and then you have nitrate , that is the cycle.

Honestly no clue as to why anyone bothers with nitrites.
When they proved that nitrifying bacteria does not exist in free floating form in open seas , they added Ammonia and tested for nitrates to confirm it.