strange cycle

[Weyou]

Details: 24x24x24 cube
Sump: 20x2020
Filtration: real-reef rock, filter sock, and deltec 1455 sc skimmer.
Return pump rossmont RX 1400 rated for 5000 liters per hour.
Lighting: maxspect recurve r60.
Aqua forest sea salt.
Week one: I put the salt, put the rocks, and left it without a skimmer or source of ammonia or any bacteria added. Just let it all sock.
Week 2: put two frozen raw shrimp in the filter sock. Turn the protein skimmer on and added a bacteria with no light at all.
All the parameters check with salifert test kits. The ammonia did appear 0.25
Also in week 3
Nitrite: 0.5
And nitrate: 50.
Today ( week 4) I check again and the ammonia drop to 0.15 nitrite 0.25 nitrate 50
All water is rodi from the beginning... 1-0 ppm.
Temperature 25 Celsius.
Checked day by day, and this is the result.
Look to me very strangely after I read and look at the cycle process.
there is no sign of algae
today ( week 5) i check again, and the nitrite is 1, and ammonia is 0.15
the cycle is already five weeks i think
I also want to say that i don't know if i should use continuous add food source or when to do a water change. Also, i don't have any of powerheads in my tank only the return pump

 

[lapin]

I think you are done. I would do a big water change to get the nitrates down to 10 before adding a fish. If you do not add a fish then put a few pellets or something in the tank to keep the bacteria population growing. It wont die without food but also will not grow.

 

[Weyou]

Do you suggest to put one more shrimp in the tank?

 

[lapin]

No just a few pellets or flake food

 

[Weyou]

No just a few pellets or flake food

I don't have where to buy during the COVID 19, can I put a little piece of shrimp that I squeezed by hand?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Nitrite at 0.5 may mean zero nitrate. That 0.5 ppm nitrite will show as 50 ppm nitrate with some kits, by design.

 

[lapin]

I don't have where to buy during the COVID 19, can I put a little piece of shrimp that I squeezed by hand?

Yes that will work

 

[Weyou]

that means what, and I don't fully understand
by check, today nitrite is one nitrate 100
do I need to feed my tank
or water change?

 

[lapin]

Today nitrite is one nitrate 100
Do I need to feed my tank or water change?

I would feed the tank a very little bit.
I would also do a big water change.

 

[Weyou]

Nitrite at 0.5 may mean zero nitrate. That 0.5 ppm nitrite will show as 50 ppm nitrate with some kits, by design.

I don't get this message

 

[lapin]

Some test kits will see the nitrite as a high level of nitrate. (Its the way the chemicals in them work)
So if you have 1ppm nitrite the kit might show 100ppm nitrate, when you do not have any nitrate.

 

[Weyou]

So everything okay with my test kits?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

that means what, and I don't fully understand
by check, today nitrite is one nitrate 100
do I need to feed my tank
or water change?

It means that you may actually have zero nitrate.

It doesn't impact thoughts on cycling which should focus in ammonia and its decline, not presence or absence of nitrate anyway.

 

[Weyou]

So my cycle proses are going just fine; all I have to do is get patient?