numan
New Member
I'm just starting out in this new great hobby so I'm in need of some help please.
The first day I added 1 dead shrimp then added a second shrimp 3 days later. I did some testing the 5th day and ammonia results were weird because instead of a lightish green to a darkish green color shown on the test chart, I instead got was a very light blue color. So I'm trying to think if my ammonia went off the charts or wasn't registering because of no amonia? Maybe it was a major spike? But that day my Nitrite was at 0.50 ppm, or 1.0 ppm. If I'm not mistaken you cannot get nitrite if you don't have ammonia correct?
Just yesterday the 12th day into the cycle I removed the dead shrimps, actually only one since the first shrimp has decomposed. Today is the 13th day and I did some testing again and everything read zero but NITRATES which is 10ppm and PH being 7.8 I'm waiting 24 hours to recheck the ph since I added some ph buffer.
Here's what I used to cycle the tank. Two fake 6-10 pounds each white corals which have been in the 30 gal. for sometime and I did remove these and were out of the water for 3 days so I can add more Aragonite sand (none live) to the15-30 pounds of live from the 30 gallon to put in my new 75 gallon.
The reason why I'm asking if my tank cycled already is becuase I'm not sure? since many of you used live rock and live sand to start your cycle and sometimes still took longer than 3-4 weeks to complete. And all I used was 15-30 pounds of live sand and a couple dead shrimps and in 13 days my Ammonia and Nitrites are at zero. It just seems too fast that's all. So what am I supposed to do now? last night I put in 4 Hermit Crabs that I kept in my quarentine tank during this cycle and they appear to be doing fine. I really would like to add my one fish but I'm not sure if it's safe. BTW, the Test Kit I'm using is the 'Saltwater Master Liquid Testing Kit > by, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, inc.
I'm hoping somoene can help me. Anyhow thanks in advance.
The first day I added 1 dead shrimp then added a second shrimp 3 days later. I did some testing the 5th day and ammonia results were weird because instead of a lightish green to a darkish green color shown on the test chart, I instead got was a very light blue color. So I'm trying to think if my ammonia went off the charts or wasn't registering because of no amonia? Maybe it was a major spike? But that day my Nitrite was at 0.50 ppm, or 1.0 ppm. If I'm not mistaken you cannot get nitrite if you don't have ammonia correct?
Just yesterday the 12th day into the cycle I removed the dead shrimps, actually only one since the first shrimp has decomposed. Today is the 13th day and I did some testing again and everything read zero but NITRATES which is 10ppm and PH being 7.8 I'm waiting 24 hours to recheck the ph since I added some ph buffer.
Here's what I used to cycle the tank. Two fake 6-10 pounds each white corals which have been in the 30 gal. for sometime and I did remove these and were out of the water for 3 days so I can add more Aragonite sand (none live) to the15-30 pounds of live from the 30 gallon to put in my new 75 gallon.
The reason why I'm asking if my tank cycled already is becuase I'm not sure? since many of you used live rock and live sand to start your cycle and sometimes still took longer than 3-4 weeks to complete. And all I used was 15-30 pounds of live sand and a couple dead shrimps and in 13 days my Ammonia and Nitrites are at zero. It just seems too fast that's all. So what am I supposed to do now? last night I put in 4 Hermit Crabs that I kept in my quarentine tank during this cycle and they appear to be doing fine. I really would like to add my one fish but I'm not sure if it's safe. BTW, the Test Kit I'm using is the 'Saltwater Master Liquid Testing Kit > by, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, inc.
I'm hoping somoene can help me. Anyhow thanks in advance.