Still cycling?????

[Lwedin]

75 gal tank
20 gal sump
No skimmer
dry rock in tank and in sump
Using Tropical science nitromax
Water temp 80
ph 7.8 consistantly)
ammonia .25
nitrite 0
nitrate 0


So here is my dilemma(s) I have been cycli g for a month now. And the current readings of the tank are as mention above.
1. I started off with phantom feeding per the stores reccomendation. Fish store suggested I add 2 clown fish to help the cycle about 2 weeks ago. So I did. (Before I found this site)
2. Amonia has stayed consistent @.25 nitrate and nitrites 0.
3. I have started using a ph buffer to help bring my tank up to 8.2 but ph drops back down to 7.8 within 36 hours.

any suggestions to help and guidance would be greatly appreciated. My long term goal is to have a reef tank with a clam and a few fish.......i would like to be able to stabilize the tank with having to consistently add chems all the time.

 

[brandon429]

you are done, your reader can't discern low levels very well.

see all cycling charts, ammonia is controlled by about day 8-12 and you're well past, can begin. its not possible you couldnt be cycled by now, or when we type in 'aquarium cycling chart' into google, varying charts would come up.

but they're all the same, across pages. nitrite by day 25 typically although nitrite and nitrate aren't needed to be known in updated cycling science, its only about ammonia nowadays.

you wouldnt need to reverify anything; you're cycled fully, simply begin.

 

[Spare time]

Have you tried another test kit? Most hobby ones for ammonia are giving you a ballpark reading and so you could actually have 0 even though you are seeing 0.25.


If you are worried, just add a bottle of bacteria when you get your first fish.