Tank Cycle help!!!

[Lee Haynes]

I feel like I'm really close to finishing my tank cycle.

My Nitrite has been 0 for days now and my Ammonia has been at the 0.25ppm mark.

I'm normally so patient but this is driving me mad Ha! I've seen a few charts that show a general cycle and it shows that the Ammonia will build up first then die down before the Nitrite will (Seen below) Am I doing something wrong?

 

[reef208]

All cycles vary and you may never see nitrite in a measurable amount. Definitely got to wait until the ammonia is gone though.

 

[Lee Haynes]

All cycles vary and you may never see nitrite in a measurable amount. Definitely got to wait until the ammonia is gone though.

I know, It would be silly to pay good money for a fish that could die straight away... I just never heard of the Nitrites being 0 first over the Ammonia in a cycle. Especially when the Nitrite was up at quite a high level like I had.

 

[reef208]

Usually it goes ammonia spike => nitrite spike => nitrate spike. There is still a chance you could see nitrite, but with that low of ammonia and still no detectable nitrite, it wouldn't completely surprise me if you don't see any.

 

[Chris-tico]

with water changes that nitrate will come down!

the cycle always want to drive us crazy hahaa i know that feel

 

[dfm34]

What test kit are you using for ammonia is it API? I have had false readings with API. I would double check test results at lfs

 

[Lee Haynes]

What test kit are you using for ammonia is it API? I have had false readings with API. I would double check test results at lfs

I am using API but I'm sure I've just got to wait

 

[pdiehm]

Don't worry about nitrites.

Mistake I made was, everytime nitrites would hit 0, I would dose ammonia and keep doing until both hit 0 in 24 hours. While that is all ok and such, I finished the cycle with in excess of 100ppm nitrates.

What I should have done is dose ammonia, wait for nitrites to hit 0, test for nitrates, and go from there. Basically I cycled the tank like I would a freshwater tank, where nitrites are extremely toxic. I kept dosing until I got 0 and 0 in 24 hours. It wasn't until about 2 weeks ago, where Randy pointed me in the direction that with marine systems, nitrites have to hit 150+ppm before they are toxic to fish, and in some cases, over 300ppm nitrites. In freshwater, nitrites of 1 is toxic.

If I had to do it over again, I would dose ammonia, when that hit 0, I would test for nitrites to make sure I'm not overly high, and then I would test for nitrates, and if i had them, I would start adding 1-2 fish and let the system stabilize for a month or 2 before moving forward, albeit slowly.

 

[Lee Haynes]

I haven't dosed any ammonia I didnt think I should have been! I thought the live rock would have sorted that out

 

[pdiehm]

Live Rock may have done that for you. I started with all dry pukani rock. I had to dose.

 

[saltyphish]

IME api test kits sometimes test .25 ammonia when it is not detectable on my salifert nitrate test kit. May try testing ammonia with a different brand/kit.

 

[Lee Haynes]

Live Rock may have done that for you. I started with all dry pukani rock. I had to dose.

Ah ok yes I've got live rock which started the cycle on its own and both Ammonia and Nitrite have been high and come back down nitrite to 0 but Ammonia still showing 0.25 ppm

 

[Lee Haynes]

IME api test kits sometimes test .25 ammonia when it is not detectable on my salifert nitrate test kit. May try testing ammonia with a different brand/kit.

Yes I was curious about that but I tested ro/di water and it registered 0