Cycle Questions

[Baby Ray]

I recently set up a new AIO 12 gallon nano, and started the cycle with Fitz’s booster, live sand, a couple pounds of live rock (I already had a dry rock aquascape designed but added this live rock to help quicken the process), and have been ghosts feeding the tank.

It has been four days and I am testing for the first time, mostly because I have been slammed, and secondly because I thought after that time frame I would still be detecting ammonia.

I attached images of my test results, and I know these kinds of tests aren’t the best, but from my vision it looks like ammonia is running between 0.2 and 0.4, nitrites are 0, but Nitrates are running between 2 and 5.

I thought that there could be no nitrates if the tank is still cycling because there is no bacteria to convert the ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates.

Do y’all think these values seem conducive to a normal or should I be concerned?

 

[Baby Ray]

The top picture is nitrites, the middle green one is ammonia, and the last one is nitrates

 

[Baby Ray]

Bump

 

[Talisker]

New to the hobby, but just went through that part of the cycle not to long ago. 4 days is to soon I think and your still showing ammonia wait till that shows zero then see where your nitrites/nitrates are at. Maybe wait a few days pause ghost feeding or reduce and see if the ammonia is being consumed. If it is your bacteria colony is heading in the right direction

 

[BonnieB]

Our ReefSquad experts would tell you that when you can raise the ammonia to 2ppm and it comes back down within 24 hours then you are cycled. You want to let it do its thing and dry rock takes infinitely longer than live rock. Good bacteria needs time to grow so it can outcompete the other stuff. I don’t want in any way to discourage you but once you have cycled you will have the” ugly stage” ahead of you but all part of establishing a reef with good biodiversity. I hope this helps and there are plenty of reefers here that go through this with every tank, me included!

 

[redacted_]

Seeing a bit of ammonia at 4 days is expected. The nitrates are probably either leaching from your ghost feeding or rocks/sand.

I would avoid adding any fish at the moment. Patience is a virtue.

 

[Baby Ray]

Update

It’s been a month and I’ve tested a couple days in the last few days and each time it has said 0 ammonia

A couple days ago nitrites were 0, but last night it looked like there was a marginal amount

And nitrates have varied. We’re very high, but algae has started to grow and they have come back down.

Does this sound like the tank is fully cycled after 5 or so weeks? I need to schedule the weekend to have my clownfish overnight shipped to me and was hoping to have it done this weekend

 

[Fish Fan]

Update

It’s been a month and I’ve tested a couple days in the last few days and each time it has said 0 ammonia

A couple days ago nitrites were 0, but last night it looked like there was a marginal amount

And nitrates have varied. We’re very high, but algae has started to grow and they have come back down.

Does this sound like the tank is fully cycled after 5 or so weeks? I need to schedule the weekend to have my clownfish overnight shipped to me and was hoping to have it done this weekend

Sounds like that's cycled to me