Cycling help

[David Nguyen]

I’m cycling a Fiji Cube 38G Peninsula AIO using Dr. Tim’s One and Only + ammonium chloride, dosed to 2 ppm on June 13 (33 days ago). No lights, no redose, ammonia has been 0 for weeks, but nitrite is still stuck at 1 ppm and nitrate is at 50+. Using Red Sea testing kit.

Using Real Reef rock and CaribSea sand. Everything else is standard AIO gear. Temperature at 78 degrees and Nero 3 for circulation along with return pump.

Is this long nitrite phase normal? Or should I be doing something differently? Or wait it out??

 

[Fish Fan]

I believe you're cycled

Nitrite is non-toxic in marine aquaria, and the idea that you have to wait for nitrite to go to zero is a throw back to freshwater aquaria.

If you're ammonia was once about 2.0 ppm, and is now nearly zero, and you're seeing nitrates starting to accumulate, you're in good shape.

The test, so to speak, would be to add more of the ammonium chloride until your ammonia hits about 2.0 ppm again, then check it after 24 hours, and if the ammonia is nearly zero after 24 hours, you're cycled, especially since this tank has been running 30+ days. If so, you can safely start to slowly stock some hardy livestock

Good luck!