Help with cycling

[aaronstoll95]

Need help with my cycle my ammonia is at 0 my nitrites is at 5ppm and nitrates or at 10ppm is my tank ready since I am seeing nitrates or do I need to wait for the nitrites to drop?

 

[EgotisticObeseChihuahua]

Nitrites are not harmful to saltwater fish as they are to freshwater fish, but just in case I would do a 10-20% water change and then dose more ammonia. Just to be sure that your cycle is finished. If the ammonia turns into nitrates within a couple days then you should be alright to add fish.

 

[Lavey29]

Agree with the above. Nitrites are irrelevant and don't need testing. Dose ammonia one more time. If it reads 0 after 24 hours and you have measurable nitrates then you are fine.

 

[jda]

As said above, nitrites are not harmful at this level to most fish. They can be for some inverts. I would not be shocked if the nitrites come down to almost nothing tomorrow.

You should be OK to slowly and smartly get some fish and progress. Your tank will not be anywhere near done, so have some patience.

 

[Miami Reef]

Don’t dose more ammonia.

 

[EgotisticObeseChihuahua]

Don’t dose more ammonia.

May I ask why it would be unwise to dose more ammonia?

 

[Miami Reef]

May I ask why it would be unwise to dose more ammonia?

More ammonia leads to more nitrites, and his bacteria is already equipped to handle the ammonia.

 

[Cell]

You cannot accurately measure nitrate in the presence of nitrite.

The drop in ammonia and presence of nitrite indicates ammonia is being processed and you can begin stocking slowly. Once nitrite goes down, and it may take awhile, only then can you trust your nitrate measurement. Until them, don't bother. Ammonia level is our concern and we can directly measure that, no need to rely on a nitrate measurement.

 

[jda]

Most think that more ammonia will lead to more AOB (ammonia oxidizing bacteria), but this is not true. The ones that you have can process the new ammonia that you add.

While the tank will expand the AOB populations as needed, let the ecosystem do this - this is why the cycle is never ending and cyclical so that each small part, like AOB, can expand and contract as needed.

If you are going to wait a while before fish, then you could add a bit if it makes you feel better. There are PLENTY of google scholar articles that show that AOB and the heterotrophs that will also use ammonia do die back in the absence, but they also quickly rebound. It probably is not necessary, but real science is real science to some.

Save that ammonia for when you have corals - they will very much like it.