questions on nitrate etc..

[blennyluv]

I recieved my live rock on 915, it seems my ammonia did its spike and is now leveled out, now my nitrate is at 10 and my nitrite is at 2.0 PH is 7.8. my questions. do the nitrite. and nitrate spike together and is that the 2nd cycle my tank has to go through? what will be next. Will my PH come up as the stuff balances out?
how much longer until the clean up crew will be safe?
(have a clam that seems to be surviving the ups and downs and a duster too!)

 

[birdy]

You are still very much in the middle of your cycle, the nitrites will take a while to go down and Nitrates may go very very high, then drop down. Don't worry about pH during your cycle it will settle out then your first water change will help also.
I am assuming the clam and feather duster are hitchikers.
Until your ammonia, nitrite are 0 and nitrates are below 40 you should not add a clean up crew. Will probably be at least a couple more weeks.

 

[blennyluv]

birdy, thanks!
cute kids, don't have twins, just kids very close in age (sometimes i think twins would have been easier)
ya, the critters are hitchhikers. the lfs said i could pput some damsels in right away, but isn't that kinda cruel?
once my tank settles, i do a water change before adding fish, right? how much the first time?