Strange Cycle phenomenon?

[K7BMG]

So I started my tank just over one month ago on 2-4.

Approximately, 110lbs of dry rock, two marine pure blocks, 150G of Tropic Marin Pro reef salt water.

Using API test kit for ammonia and nitrate NO3.

Hanna checker for nitrite NO2.

Using shrimp for my ammonia source.

Have added two large shrimp each time and now on the third set.

From 2-4 to 3-3 ammonia rose to its peak at 3.0 and today 3-8 its down to 0.25

From 2-4 to 2-27 Nitrite NO2 slowly climbed to 81, then maxed the Hanna out at 200+ on 3-1 and has remained that high. Quite the jump for 7 days.

I started seeing a hint of Nitrate NO3 on 3-3, not a recordable figure but definitely the color had changed. The next day on 3-4 out of curiosity I tested again, and it was at 50 tested twice, to confirm. 0 to 50 in 24 hours wow. The strange part I don’t understand and why I am creating this thread is that it has been falling slowly over the past two sequential tests and four days, it went from 50 to 30 to 20 today. Ammonia has gone from 3.0 down to 0.25 but the Nitrite NO2 is still off the charts. I expected to see both the ammonia and nitrite to fall and the nitrate to rise maybe this is normal?
Any thoughts, has anyone experienced this before?

Attached are my Excel logs.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

For me the longest part of the cycle was processing the nitrite. Was dosing MB7 and it took weeks. Ammonia was able to be processed very quickly. I'd say it's normal. For me I finally did a large wc and added a bottle of biospira which sped things up. All in all I cycled my tank for 2.5 months starting with dry rock that I bleach cured

 

[K7BMG]

Ok so no change at all still after some 7days.
Nitrate N03 still at zero. Nitrites as per Hanna at 200+
Ammonia at 0
What a waiting game this is. I still find it strange that one day I had a reading of 50 and the following tests showed a drop to 0 No3.
Never expected that. anyone ever come across this?

 

[K7BMG]

Ok so I am holding steady with my test results.

I have attached my reef log, and two pictures of my test results taken on the 17th.

On the 17th I did a few things, First I went to my LFS with a water sample for comparison, results with their API test kits were identical to my results.

I also purchased a Salifert Nitrite No3 test kit and you can see that the test kit reads 100 or over. This does not match the API reading of 0, No3. So, API with two tests show 0 and one test showing 100+.
I feel the Salifert result is more accurate, but the No2 still is off the charts. No2 is tested as I have said before with the API and a Hanna. The Hanna is reading 200+, So I believe the No2 is in fact off the charts.

I also bought and added two 8.45Oz bottles of Bio-Spira, on the 17th to my water. It was a tad cloudy for a day, and today it was clearer than I have seen it. Though clear the test results are the same.

Now my quarantine tank is testing as expected, I get a rise in ammonia to .25 and do a water change goes back to 0, No2 with both my test kits read 0, same with No3. Using the same RODI water and Salt mix for everything, so I don’t think this is a something in the water issue.

I know we can get into the test kit debate here though that’s not what I want to get into.

So, another FYI my LFS feels I over did on the shrimp, maybe so. I added two shrimp on day 1 let them sit for 10 days, pulled them added two more for ten days, pulled those and added two more for ten days. Then every other day added one cube of frozen food, but stopped at four cubes. He said that was way too much but was shocked to see that doing so only revealed a peak to 3.0 of ammonia. He said I should have added maybe two but 1 would have worked and pulled it after 48 hours, then left it alone.

Ok so that may have been the problem of strange cycle chemistry.

My plan is to wait two more days and see if four days of Bio-Spira will bring the N02 down. From there I plan to do a 75% water change and see what goes on after that.

I still find it strange that the API test showed a spike of N03 one month after the start then drop to zero after 6 days.

Again, thanks for the comments so far though there’s not been many, But I thought I would share this strange cycle in case someone else has a similar issue down the road.

 

[K7BMG]

Ok two days have passed since my last post and water test and today I finally got a API Nitrate No3 reading of 40.0 ppm.
Salifert Nitrate No3 still shows 100+ since I first started using it.
Hanna and API Nitrite No2 levels still off the charts.
Honestly the water is getting clearer each day as well.
The PH has dropped to 7.97 I gather due to the addition of the Bio-Spira.

So I will see you in two days, if all goes as I expect, Nitrate will be on the rise and hopefully Nitrite should finally start to drop.
Once it completes the cycle, I will do a water change and start the count down timer on turning on the lights.

 

[K7BMG]

Ok so I know we all have our ideas on test kits.

So here is the latest update on my cycle.

Tank water is getting crystal clear.

API tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, are the same.

API test for Nitrate is on the rise 3-19 was zero and today 3-23 four days later is at 80ppm.

The Salifert test kit I started using on 3-17 was over 100+ until today it’s at 50. (Dropping, and that’s strange yes!!)

So, the No3 tests are opposing each other, in my case. Now everyone I have talked to keeps saying the Salifert is a far better test kit over the API, I am not in disagreement. But I don’t know why there is a difference in the opposite readings.

Want to clarify something. My Nitrite No2 has been way off the charts. Once the reagents are added there is an immediate reaction and the sample gets dark fast. The last two tests that I have done the reaction has declined, the sample today was clear for a few seconds and slowly changing, when done the reading was still over the charts but obviously is dropping. I expect when I test on Monday, I will see the results low enough that my test kits will have actual readings.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Two comments. The first is that many kits, especially inexpensive ones, are simply not accurate, and trying to explain results is often an exercise in futility.

The second is that some nitrate kits read a little nitrite (say, 1 ppm) as a lit of nitrate ( say, 100 ppm) due to the way they are designed. Salifert nitrate kit is like this.

So folks often report nitrate jumps when in reality it results from small nitrite changes. Not saying that explains anything here, but keep it in mind.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Final comment is that nitrite is not toxic in marine systems and may not even be worth measuring except for fun.

 

[K7BMG]

Yes I understand that there are differences in the test kits.
Knowing that, I do not comprehend how they do the process.

I think I understand your meaning of how the Salifert reads. But by understanding that,
should it not be reading more than before? not less, or maybe I don't understand the explanation. LoL

I know I am going overboard here with my testing and all. You won't believe the looks I get when I have this discussion. Well maybe you do. I gather most here roll there eyes and laugh, say hey look its the 7 billionth guy here to be asking cycle questions.

My last adventure with aquariums long ago, I had a much busier life worked out of town a-lot, so it was fish only and never tested.
Now older, wiser, (Maybe) and have more time, I wanted to see the results as they played out.
I mean when you plan out a four month tank cycle what do you do other than test the waters literally. LoL

Thanks though for taking the time.