Are my parameters good?

[namlessdude]

Hey all!

I am currently cycling my tank and experienced something odd so I want to confirm.

Context: i am cycling a 40 gallon tank by dosing bacteria. I ghost fed for 2 days until i got a reading of 1ppm ammonia then stopped. I also have had live rock in the tank (5 rocks from a 6 year old tank). The 1ppm reading was about 4 days ago. 0 nitrite or nitrate. Fast forward to yesterday and my ammonia was 2ppm. I assumed it's due to the food still breaking down so i didn't really care since my tank is still empty. I tested today and it was down to 0.5 ppm! Is it possible to go down this fast?

Also, are the following parameters acceptable?
Alk: 9
pH: 7.8
Mag: 1120
Phos: 0.5
Calcium: 400 (mag, and calcium might have increased slightly since i recently added components 3+ from aquafores)
Nitrate and nitrite are 0.
Salinity: 1.024

 

[dakoop]

Cal (420+)mag(1300+) and salinity (1.026)are all a bit low

 

[tbrown]

If your ammonia dropped there should have been nitrite or nitrate since it would have been converted. Also, if the rock was live, it theoretically already had bacteria populating the surface so you should have seen nitrates pretty quickly. Are you positive your results on nitrites and nitrates are accurate?

 

[Dburr1014]

Cal (420+)mag(1300+) and salinity (1.026)are all a bit low

But if he raises salinity the mag and cal will come up some.

 

[dakoop]

Indeed

 

[Euphyllia97]

I would only care about keeping your salinity stable for the moment. You have a 0,5 reqding on ammonia, so your cycle has or will start. Wait for the ammonia to read 0 and nitrates to go up. Your tank will mature and find its stability. Would start to look into the other parameters only when cycle is completed and you want to add corals.

 

[namlessdude]

If your ammonia dropped there should have been nitrite or nitrate since it would have been converted. Also, if the rock was live, it theoretically already had bacteria populating the surface so you should have seen nitrates pretty quickly. Are you positive your results on nitrites and nitrates are accurate?

I tested twice with API master test kit and both readings were 0. I would think maybe i read the colors wrong but the color between 0 and the next step are very clear so im confident i read it right. Maybe there is a very high concentration of bacteria that nitrite and nitrate are being converted to nitrogen instantly and that's why there's no reading?

I will bring the salinity up and retest the parameters.

As for the pH and alkalinity, i see no one commented on that. Does that mean they are good?

 

[I never finish anythi]

I tested twice with API master test kit and both readings were 0. I would think maybe i read the colors wrong but the color between 0 and the next step are very clear so im confident i read it right. Maybe there is a very high concentration of bacteria that nitrite and nitrate are being converted to nitrogen instantly and that's why there's no reading?

I will bring the salinity up and retest the parameters.

As for the pH and alkalinity, i see no one commented on that. Does that mean they are good?

Those rocks you added from the established system are doing the work .

 

[tbrown]

I tested twice with API master test kit and both readings were 0. I would think maybe i read the colors wrong but the color between 0 and the next step are very clear so im confident i read it right. Maybe there is a very high concentration of bacteria that nitrite and nitrate are being converted to nitrogen instantly and that's why there's no reading?

I will bring the salinity up and retest the parameters.

As for the pH and alkalinity, i see no one commented on that. Does that mean they are good?

pH is lower than most people shoot for but not bad. Alkalinity is good. If you raise salinity, that'll likely go up as well.

 

[Seansea]

Ph is low. Bring that up with algae scrubber or fuge

 

[namlessdude]

I raised the salinity to 1.026 and will test parameters again soon. I will leave the tank for a few dayts and if the ammonia goes down to 0 with no signs of nitrite or nitrate then that means the rocks are doing great and my tank is ready for their very first hosts of clown fish!