Do the test numbers of my cycling tank look normal so far?

mmync

mmync

Member
I am cycling my 180 gallon and would just like to know if my test numbers look normal so far. it has been cycling for about 6 days so far with 80lbs of cruhed coal sand, 40lbs of live sand and 70 pounds of really good cured live rock.
Ammonia - .8
Ph - 8.0
Nitrite - 0.0 (water was totally clear)
Nitrate - 5
(I hope I did the nitrite test right. It said that to test a cycling tank you add .5ml of tank water and then the rest fresh water. I hope i added exactly .5ml)
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Lights ON if you are using live rock, this will help to keep anything that might be alive on the rock....well....alive, like sponges that can come with the rock. If you were cycling with baserock then you could leave the lights off.
Thomas
 
bdhough

bdhough

Active Member
Your ammonia is high which is normal during a cycle. I wouldn't add anything until it comes down close to 0...
The scale im thinking of is 0,.25,.5,.75 per shade of color and so on. Correct me if im wrong. I can never keep my test straight.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Yea numbers sound right. Getting into this arn't you?!?. You and I started tanks 1 day apart. I haven't tested a thing yet and kept my hands out of the tank except to clean the dust off of the glass. For the record the dead prawn that I put in to cycle my tank is still hanging around, dangling a few inches from the top of the tank and all I smell is sea water.
Thomas
did you the email about the lights?
 
A

anthonynyc

Guest
Originally Posted by mmync
I am cycling my 180 gallon and would just like to know if my test numbers look normal so far. it has been cycling for about 6 days so far with 80lbs of cruhed coal sand, 40lbs of live sand and 70 pounds of really good cured live rock.
Ammonia - .8
Ph - 8.0
Nitrite - 0.0 (water was totally clear)
Nitrate - 5
(I hope I did the nitrite test right. It said that to test a cycling tank you add .5ml of tank water and then the rest fresh water. I hope i added exactly .5ml)
What test kit are you using to get reading like .8?
I just set up a 72 gallon tank, you tank a look at my readings for reference here...
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=192717
Anthony
 
oceanists

oceanists

Active Member
Looks good , that ammonia , will turn into ITES , then the ITES wil slowly change to ates , when your ites and ammonia are at a steady 0 and your ates come somewhat down , start tackling your tank with heavy water changes to help with bringing those ates down even further then you are ready to start adding some hardy specimens
 
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