Can someone answer a quick question about ammo/nitrites/nitrates 'cycle' process?

heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
So i', a whole whopping 4 or 5 days into the cycle process....and i'm already showing nitrates...and i'm confused because i am showing all 3 parameters
current reading is...
ammonia 4ppm
nitrites 2ppm
nitrates 10 (it actually might be 20, as the color was orangish, but it definitely wasn't yellow. API test kit)
i'm confused because, if i have nitrates, shouldn't my ammonia be zero then? and also my nitrites?
and are the tests ever wrong and do they expire? my kit is like 5 years old, but still shows results, but maybe they're skewed from age?
anyways, only question i really want answered is .... is it normal to show all 3 parameters at the same time? and if not, how do i fix? water change?
how did it go so fast? 60lbs bagged live sand, 30lbs liverock from a lfs, and 30lbs old baserock.... no seeding material from established tanks (other than the LR i guess)
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
The amount of food a bacteria colony can consume depends mostly on the population of the colony. In the case of Ammonia, you do not yet have a large enough population to consume all of the ammonia being produced by your system but you do have a population that is consuming ammonia and producing Nitrite.
Same with Nitrite, you have a colony but it's not big enough to consume all of the nitrite being produced but it is consuming some and therefore is producing nitrate.
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
yea, i have 30lbs.
i was under the impression that it takes levels like... above 10ppm ammonia to actually 'potentially' hurt the cycle.
or do you mean hitchhikers?
i don't think i have any hitchhikers to harm. my LFS cures all their liverock in a special tank....thats rock only.
 
tthemadd1

tthemadd1

Active Member
Cured live rock has micro and macro fauna which is what bang guy is talking about. Look in your tank at night with a flash light and you will see pods. Good stuff. A water change may help this issue.
 
heymybigfish

heymybigfish

Member
Thx for the replies. Today I did another test. I tested ammonia, at 4ppm yesterday,and at 1 today. Nitrites at 2 again today, and nitrates at 20(10 yesterday). I'm guessing ill test 0 ammonia tomorrow.
What am I watching for now, nitrites to drop right? What lvl do i Let the nitrates get to before a water change? 40?
Anyways, once I test the ammonia at 0, I should add more to feed the bacteria right?
And once the nitrites hit 0, I should dose the ammonia up to 4ppm, and make sure it goes to 0 overnight right? Then it's cycled?
 
tthemadd1

tthemadd1

Active Member
You want all three at or close to 0. Then your cycle has finished. Be sure to add fish slow. One or two at a time if you move too quick and add too much you will repeat your purchases. Take your time and plan out the fish you want to make sure yet are compatible to each other and the other items you purchase.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tthemadd1 http:///t/395532/can-someone-answer-a-quick-question-about-ammo-nitrites-nitrates-cycle-process#post_3521686
You want all three at or close to 0. Then your cycle has finished. Be sure to add fish slow. One or two at a time if you move too quick and add too much you will repeat your purchases. Take your time and plan out the fish you want to make sure yet are compatible to each other and the other items you purchase.
LOL...CLOSE???? Any nitrite, or ammonia means the tank is not cycled, and if those show up later in tests, it means the tank is in trouble. You should never have ammonia or nitrite readings on your tests at all. Fish can handle above 100 of nitrates, but inverts are going to die at 40. We do want to keep nitrates as low as possible, but once you see nitrates, and no ammonia or nitrites, your tank is cycled.
You don't have to do a thing...the cycle will continue until only the nitrates remain. I always did a water change after the cycle. Then continue to ghost feed your display and the new set up quarantine tank...just a few flakes of food...I would wait 1 week after the cycle looks complete and test both tanks again. If the cycle is as it should be, then the ghost feeding didn't cause a spike of ammonia, and you're good to go.
The water you remove should go into a 10g quarantine tank, along with a piece of PVC pipe, an air line (no stone attached to the PVC pipe by a rubberband) and some media from your now established tank. Once you wait the week, and retest to be sure and it all looks good...add I small fish to the QT, those stick tests for ammonia are really handy for keeping an eye on the QT after you add that first fish...after a couple of weeks and no sign of problems or disease, add it to the display, and go get the next fish. Continue that cycle until you have your tank stocked.
 
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