Weird air bubbles and brown patch during cycling

[lost66]

Hi
I think I am in the middle of cycling - ammonia at 1ppm, nitrite 5.0 (end of API scale), nitrate 10-20ppm. Few days ago sand and rocks started to be covered by this weird brown patch. Please correct me but I think this is a good sign, right? It is not hairy, looks like typical algae but brown.

I am about to change my plumbing and I turned off pump and powerheads and noticed a lot of air or any other gas. I think they were present even when water was flowing but I thought it was just because return pump pushed some air. But now I think they were there. Is this something I should be worried about or is it normal? A lot of gas is trapped in the sand bed but that was from the beginning and I am cycling for a month now. I used CaribSea Aragonite Aquarium Sand
Please find attached video. https://photos.app.goo.gl/zYktdsSXwToffP796

 

[brandon429]

Your tank is done cycling when any visual life forms emerge. I realize your test kits might not agree, we can't get them to agree in matured reef measurements about 80% of the time. Your growths indicate you've added feed of some sort, and are approaching at least three weeks underwater is that right

We have a way to retest and prove the cycle is done by calibrating the ammonia test / easy but first is it accurate you've had water approaching three weeks time

 

[LadyMac]

Looks like diatoms, it’s a good sign.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Hi
I think I am in the middle of cycling - ammonia at 1ppm, nitrite 5.0 (end of API scale), nitrate 10-20ppm. Few days ago sand and rocks started to be covered by this weird brown patch. Please correct me but I think this is a good sign, right? It is not hairy, looks like typical algae but brown.

I am about to change my plumbing and I turned off pump and powerheads and noticed a lot of air or any other gas. I think they were present even when water was flowing but I thought it was just because return pump pushed some air. But now I think they were there. Is this something I should be worried about or is it normal? A lot of gas is trapped in the sand bed but that was from the beginning and I am cycling for a month now. I used CaribSea Aragonite Aquarium Sand
Please find attached video. https://photos.app.goo.gl/zYktdsSXwToffP796

It’s diatoms a normal stage during cycling a tank it eventually burn out. No need to worry

 

[brandon429]

Just reread above / one month yes your cycle is complete. Diatoms are expected with the new rocks and lighting, practice removing them out with siphoning and normal water changes. These aren't bad initially, but they provide a biological basis for other worse invasions to build from, so it's good to practice removing them now while easy practices

The tests you are using have cross reading issues / known reasons why your tests show what they show after a month. Change out your water over time as you remove diatoms for practice, and the readings will stabilize as best those kits can show. The timeframe and the growths prove the cycle, we expect API test kits to vary completely wildly tank to tank

 

[Terri Caton]

Diatoms and off-gassing Nitrogen. All good signs.

 

[lost66]

So my cycle is done? How much water should I remove? And when can I introduce CUC or my first fish - clowns?

I use the same freshwater kit since I also have american chiclid tank. I noticed that ammonia test with salt water is little bit different in form - it is like jelly at the beginning, I have to mix it very well to have a good color. Also, the max in nitrites, is it false test and is it safe to add live stock there?