New Tank Cycle Confusion

N

niteowl03

On Friday @ 11pm
Ammonia - 4.0
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 0

On Saturday @ 12pm
Ammonia - 4.0
Nitrite - 2.0
Nitrate - 5

***I added 20lbs of CaribSea "live" sand***

On Saturday @ 8pm
Ammonia - 4.0
Nitrite - 2.0
Nitrate - 10

On Sunday @ 12pm
Ammonia - 3.0
Nitrite - 5.0
Nitrate - 20

On Sunday @ 6pm
Ammonia - 2.0
Nitrite - 2.0
Nitrate - 80+

On Sunday @ 11pm
Ammonia - 2.0
Nitrite - 2.0
Nitrate - 40

Is this normal??? I thought that the Ammonia was supposed to hit 0 before the Nitrite spiked, and then the Nitrite would hit 0 before the Nitrate spiked. It appears that everything has spiked and is falling but the ammonia and nitrite seem to be stable @ 2. Is the fact that I added the sand causing another "mini" spike? I will be adding another 20-40lbs of sand by the end of the week. I would have done it all at once and maybe should have but didnt have the money at the time and didnt realize that it may cause a problem.

Please ease my stress over this amazing new tank! Any questions regarding the tank check the build log in my sig.
 
Cycling a SW tank takes weeks (2-8 depending on if you add any starters) . Patience.... Easier said than done.. I have none
 
in response to your question, the nitrite can increase before the ammonia hits zero. Just let it run its course and Dave is right, i added Live rock from another tank and barely got any ammonia - never saw the nitrite spike!

TB
 
niteowl03, congrats on new tank. As far as being normal everyone is right. I personally started w/ all dead rock, the cycle took way longer, but I did not want to deal with pests in the rock. Take this time that your tank is cycling to make sure your equipment is working as advertised. Dial in your skimmer, etc. Leave the lights off as well, it will help with algae later. In essence, what your waiting for is for bacteria to build up. Patience and positivity are the keys to sucess. Good Luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top