In your opinion?

[jmdlax20]

my ammonia is .25
my ph is about 8.4
and my nitrite is .25
the cycle ends when my nitrite and ammonia reaches 0?

 

[lion_crazz]

that is correct. Your ammonia and nitrite will be 0 and you will begin to have only nitrates.

 

[jmdlax20]

will the nitate begin to go down cause right now there r at 10....is that good or bad?

 

[lion_crazz]

they will go up once your ammonia and nitrite are 0.

 

[celacanthr]

You can make them go down using certain techniques, but they won't go down just because of the cycle. In fact the cycle will make the trates continue to rise.
HTH

 

[jmdlax20]

where do u want your nitrate level to be at? 0?

 

[lion_crazz]

A small nitrate level (downwards from 20) is not very harmful at all. Nitrates are not like ammonia and nitrites. Ammonia and nitrites NEED to be at 0 or you will have major problems. This is not the same for nitrates. Just make sure that they stay low and you will be fine. Ideally though, closer to 0 is the best.

 

[jmdlax20]

once the live rock is cured will it keep on cycling and hav the ammonia go back to .25 and the nitrites go to .25? or will they stay at 0?

 

[lion_crazz]

No, once all of your live rock is cured, the ammonia and nitrites should not ever go up. If it does, you will have problems. It will only go up if something in your tank dies or if you put too much livestock into the tank at one time.