Tank is acting strange

[AlaskanReefer]

im fairly new to saltwater and I'm wondering what is happening with my tank. Im familiar with the nitrogen cycle but my tank seems to be skipping over some stuff. My ammonia is reading at 0 but my nitrites and nitrate are building, I'm using a biocube 16 since it's my first tank. Please help!!

 

[jeff williams]

im fairly new to saltwater and I'm wondering what is happening with my tank. Im familiar with the nitrogen cycle but my tank seems to be skipping over some stuff. My ammonia is reading at 0 but my nitrites and nitrate are building, I'm using a biocube 16 since it's my first tank. Please help!!

Well that's what the nitrogen cycle does ammonia drops nitrite raises then drops and nitrates then raise. How long have you been cycling the tank and what was your cycling process?

 

[Big G]

Here's the scoop: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/#post-1603526

 

[jeff williams]

Here's the scoop: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/#post-1603526

That is a very informative thread but your gonna have to give me the readers digest condensed version. What was your method for cycling

 

[AlaskanReefer]

Well that's what the nitrogen cycle does ammonia drops nitrite raises then drops and nitrates then raise. How long have you been cycling the tank and what was your cycling process?

I've only been cycling for 4 days that's why I'm confused, from why I've read it should be slower than this. I was feeding my tank fish flakes to create ammonia from the breakdown. It seems like I forgot to tell everything about my tank haha.
It's a biocube 16 LED
Ammonia is staying at 0
Nitrite is between 0.5-1.0
Nitrate is at 60 (probably a good time for water change)
PH is 8.1
Using live sand and cured live rock

I'm just confused on why my nitrogen cycle is moving so fast I thought it would take longer

 

[AlaskanReefer]

I bought a bottle of BIO-SPIRA to help boost the cycle but it hasn't been used since I was waiting for my ammonia to spike a little

 

[Big G]

That is a very informative thread but your gonna have to give me the readers digest condensed version. What was your method for cycling

Bio-Spira + 1ppm of Ace Hardware Janitorial ammonia daily until first the ammonia drops to zero; then continue with the 1ppm ammonia until the nitrites drop to zero (this part of the cycle usually takes the longest); then the NITRATES will be sky high. So do huge 50% water changes to get nitrates down to 5-10ppm. Then you are good to go.

 

[jeff williams]

I've only been cycling for 4 days that's why I'm confused, from why I've read it should be slower than this. I was feeding my tank fish flakes to create ammonia from the breakdown. It seems like I forgot to tell everything about my tank haha.
It's a biocube 16 LED
Ammonia is staying at 0
Nitrite is between 0.5-1.0
Nitrate is at 60 (probably a good time for water change)
PH is 8.1
Using live sand and cured live rock

I'm just confused on why my nitrogen cycle is moving so fast I thought it would take longer

ok the live sand contains bacteria which will speed up the process. The cure on the rock is the next question ? It's possible the rock never cured all the way and is releasing an ammonia source and nitrates did you cure the rock? If so did you test for ammonia?

 

[AlaskanReefer]

ok the live sand contains bacteria which will speed up the process. The cure on the rock is the next question ? It's possible the rock never cured all the way and is releasing an ammonia source and nitrates did you cure the rock? If so did you test for ammonia?

I just started working at a LFS in Alaska and we cute our live rock here in the back of the shop, I'm really into freshwater and decided to give saltwater a go so I bought the tank and sand and set it up, filled it up and let the large particles settled for 18 hours. After that I fired up my filter and pumps and it cleared the water it about 8 hours and I started feeding the tank with fish food and the 3rd day I noticed no ammonia and nitrites and nitrates. I'm just assuming there was no ammonia in the cited live rock but it's just a guess. My nitrites are dropping daily and my nitrates are rising with the ammonia sitting at 0. It sounds too good to be true that my cycle is moving steadily faster than what I've read so I'm on here to figure it out haha

 

[ChiCity]

Ammonia is staying at 0
Nitrite is between 0.5-1.0
Nitrate is at 60 (probably a good time for water change)
PH is 8.1
Using live sand and cured live rock

I'm just confused on why my nitrogen cycle is moving so fast I thought it would take longer

If you do an h2o change, it'll last even longer...
Patience, just forget it's there for a little while and enjoy life.
The cycle will complete soon enough

 

[AlaskanReefer]

If you do an h2o change, it'll last even longer...
Patience, just forget it's there for a little while and enjoy life.
The cycle will complete soon enough

So just wait till my nitrites are gone and my ammonia is gone for the cycle to be complete? What if it's only been like 2 weeks is that safe for any fish?

 

[AlaskanReefer]

I guess what I'm trying to get at is if the cycle is seemed to be complete in a short amount of time should I add a low cost first fish in or wait a couple extra weeks to see what happen

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I guess what I'm trying to get at is if the cycle is seemed to be complete in a short amount of time should I add a low cost first fish in or wait a couple extra weeks to see what happen

If you aren't sure the tank has cycled, you can always dose a known amount of ammonia and see how fast the tank processes it. By feeding the tank with food, you are creating an ammonia source, but you have no idea how much is being created at any point in time.

 

[jeff williams]

If you aren't sure the tank has cycled, you can always dose a known amount of ammonia and see how fast the tank processes it. By feeding the tank with food, you are creating an ammonia source, but you have no idea how much is being created at any point in time.

+1 ammonia has to be present its the first step in the nitrogen cycle. I would dose the tank as mentioned above an test in 24 hrs to see the reduction. You can use pure ammonia from the store look at the contents and you don't refractors in the ammonia these are like soap. Dose a gallon of water with 1 drop then test that gallon and see were it reads this will give you a known dosage amount to add to your tank. If you dose 1 ppm and your tank reduces it to near zero in 24 hrs and reduces the nitrite to .25 or so you should be good to go

 

[brandon429]

we need pictures of this cycling tank to see the rock type used.

 

[Test led]

You used live sand and cured live rock. You are processing any ammonia in your system because of your live rock. This is the reason you are only seeing nitrites and nitrates. Continue to ghost feed, and I would add a some of the Bio-Spira.
Let your tank run it's course over the next couple weeks. Continue testing the nitrites and nitrates as you are very likely past the ammonia stage. You may have some die off in your live rock so I would definetly keep on eye on your nitrates and phosphates.

 

[AlaskanReefer]

You used live sand and cured live rock. You are processing any ammonia in your system because of your live rock. This is the reason you are only seeing nitrites and nitrates. Continue to ghost feed, and I would add a some of the Bio-Spira.
Let your tank run it's course over the next couple weeks. Continue testing the nitrites and nitrates as you are very likely past the ammonia stage. You may have some die off in your live rock so I would definetly keep on eye on your nitrates and phosphates.

So my tank skipped the ammonia stage and went straight into nitrites and nitrates?
Does that mean it should cycle faster than if it went through the ammonia stage at the beginning? I'm in no rush to get fish or anything in there I want what's best for the tank

 

[AlaskanReefer]

+1 ammonia has to be present its the first step in the nitrogen cycle. I would dose the tank as mentioned above an test in 24 hrs to see the reduction. You can use pure ammonia from the store look at the contents and you don't refractors in the ammonia these are like soap. Dose a gallon of water with 1 drop then test that gallon and see were it reads this will give you a known dosage amount to add to your tank. If you dose 1 ppm and your tank reduces it to near zero in 24 hrs and reduces the nitrite to .25 or so you should be good to go

As of today my tank is reading this:
Nitrate - 30
Nitrite - 0
Alkalinity - 280
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Salinity - 1.024

Haven't done any water changes and have been continuing to ghost feed but it's confusing me a bunch, it appears to be cycles but I'm completely unsure with it as it's only been 5-6 days

 

[AlaskanReefer]

This is all that's in there at the moment

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So just wait till my nitrites are gone and my ammonia is gone for the cycle to be complete? What if it's only been like 2 weeks is that safe for any fish?

Let it sit for a month. At week 4 do the ammonia test.
Do a water change and probaly buy your cuc. That's the most basic and oldest advice out there for good reason.

A couple days is too soon. IMO. No need to theorize much past that.