New 10g with interesting cycle Day 2

[Randeeeezy]

So, i'm not new to the hobby but this new tank has me feeling like I am.
My cycle after 24 hours is reading Low ammonia, and off-the-charts Nitrite and Nitrate.

I currently have a 40+30g, but that tank was cycled with a damsel due to being brand new to the hobby and getting my start/advice from petco.

This time I'm starting with live sand, dry reef saver rock, and RODI saltwater.

Day 1 of the tank I added 7ish gallons of the saltwater mix, BIO-Spira, and 28 drops of ammonium (4 drops per gallon for a ppm of ~2ppm ammonia per the instructions.) I didn't test ammonia right away as I needed to get to bed for work. Probably my first mistake.

Day 2, today (20 hours after starting tank). My readings are as follows:
Ammonia: .2-.4 ppm
Nitrite: 1-2ppm (chart stops at 1, my test was darker)
Nitrate: 50-100ppm (chart stops at 50, my test was darker)

I thought I knew how the cycle worked, but I don't understand how I have sky high no2 and no3 after less than a day. Did I screw something up horribly? What am I doing wrong here?

Thanks for any help given.

 

[KorD]

This seems normal. The first week of cycling I have seen many of my tanks do different things then the last. I just ignore the first few days worth of reading and start paying attention to the levels after the first week.
Once you start building up the bacteria, all levels will normalize and thing will be good

 

[lapin]

Without testing before and after you dont know what happened if anything.
I would first test my source water for nitrate.
Nitrate readings will not be accurate until you have little or no nitrite but I would check the source anyways.
Now that you know your ammonia level add some more to bring it up to 1 or 2. test . Then wait a day or 2 and test again.

 

[Randeeeezy]

Without testing before and after you dont know what happened if anything.
I would first test my source water for nitrate.
Nitrate readings will not be accurate until you have little or no nitrite but I would check the source anyways.
Now that you know your ammonia level add some more to bring it up to 1 or 2. test . Then wait a day or 2 and test again.

Source water has been tested before, always reads 0 tps, and 0 or near 0 ammonia, no2, no3, and phosphate.
My main worry is how is that nitrate going to leave the tank? potentially 100ppm and its just sitting there? only able to go higher?

 

[lapin]

Source water has been tested before, always reads 0 tps, and 0 or near 0 ammonia, no2, no3, and phosphate.
My main worry is how is that nitrate going to leave the tank? potentially 100ppm and its just sitting there? only able to go higher?

Nitrate will leave with massive water change you do before adding livestock.
If you are worried, change out 1/2 now.
Disclaimer: I have never cycled rock in a tank. Just in brutes or stock tanks. Once in the tank it gets all fresh water.

 

[Randeeeezy]

Nitrate will leave with massive water change you do before adding livestock.
If you are worried, change out 1/2 now.

So just re-dose the ammonia and give it a few days, yeah? I assume I just wait till I'm near 0 on everything except nitrate and then it's done?

 

[MnFish1]

So, i'm not new to the hobby but this new tank has me feeling like I am.
My cycle after 24 hours is reading Low ammonia, and off-the-charts Nitrite and Nitrate.

I currently have a 40+30g, but that tank was cycled with a damsel due to being brand new to the hobby and getting my start/advice from petco.

This time I'm starting with live sand, dry reef saver rock, and RODI saltwater.

Day 1 of the tank I added 7ish gallons of the saltwater mix, BIO-Spira, and 28 drops of ammonium (4 drops per gallon for a ppm of ~2ppm ammonia per the instructions.) I didn't test ammonia right away as I needed to get to bed for work. Probably my first mistake.

Day 2, today (20 hours after starting tank). My readings are as follows:
Ammonia: .2-.4 ppm
Nitrite: 1-2ppm (chart stops at 1, my test was darker)
Nitrate: 50-100ppm (chart stops at 50, my test was darker)

I thought I knew how the cycle worked, but I don't understand how I have sky high no2 and no3 after less than a day. Did I screw something up horribly? What am I doing wrong here?

Thanks for any help given.

Nitrite can cause a false positive nitrate level - its probably not that high (the nitrate)

 

[MnFish1]

Source water has been tested before, always reads 0 tps, and 0 or near 0 ammonia, no2, no3, and phosphate.
My main worry is how is that nitrate going to leave the tank? potentially 100ppm and its just sitting there? only able to go higher?

Your nitrate must be a false positive. (its from nitrite possibly)

 

[Randeeeezy]

Nitrite can cause a false positive nitrate level - its probably not that high (the nitrate)

That makes sense, I'm using the red sea test, and only one chemical separates the two tests, aside from amounts. Thanks