Nitrite levels takes 48 hrs to drop

[lanabanana]

Hello reefers,

I need some help in regards to cycling my 26 gallon nano aquarium.

I started a fish-less cycle with bottled bacteria and ammonia chloride 40 days ago. Im also using caribsea live sand, life rocks, dry rocks and live rocks from lfs.

In the past 7 days:
Ammonia: 2 ppm - 0 ppm in 24 hrs
Nitrite: 1 ppm - 0 ppm in 48 hrs
Nitrate: 20 ppm - 5 ppm in 48 hrs

I’ve been dosing ammonia chloride after the 48 hr mark with the same nitrite results for the past 7 days.

Should i continue what I’ve been doing and be patient? Or is it safe to add 2 clownfish? Also… is it normal for nitrate to drop so fast?

Im anticipating a large water change once the cycle is complete. But is this necessary when nitrates stays low?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s cycled and ready. Ignore nitrite entirely.

 

[brandon429]

Read the fish disease forum before adding fish: note the loss rates from reefers that don't employ disease control choices

Your tank can carry several fish after a 40 day cycle but it's not safe for fish until you implement a studied disease plan.

Relevant:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-just-got-whiped-out-with-ick-or-valvet.1032280/
*the link above is just a recent post about new tanks and disease prep outcomes. Many hundreds more are available in the disease forum for pattern outcome tracking