So I am cycling my new tank and I have some nitrites, no ammonia and a lot of nitrates. but I need help on what to do next to make sure it is actually cycled or not. I am listing my levels for the past 10 days: I am using the Red Sea marine test kit for reference to numbers/colors.
Day2 May 21
Ammonia over 2
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 5
Day 3
Ammonia over 2
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 50
Day 4
Ammonia .1
Nitrite over 1
Nitrate over 50
PH 8.2
Day 5
Ammonia 0
Nitrite over 1 maybe 2+
Nitrate over 50
PH 8.2
Day 6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite over 1 maybe 2+
Nitrate 30-40 looks lighter than 50
Day 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrite between .5 and 1 I think, not as dark as 1
Nitrate maybe 40 not as dark as 50
Day 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .3, between .2 and .5
Nitrate maybe 40 not as dark as 50
Day 9
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .2
Nitrate same as day 8
Day 10 (today)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .2
Nitrate same as day 9
so I have only dosed the ammonia on the very first day, and never dosed again. I am using dr.tims one and only and I also added fritz turbo start on day 2. not sure why I did but for extra bacteria I guess. I followed her nano reef tanks video on YouTube on the dr tims cycling, and I know you are supposed to dose more ammonia on day 3 but I didn't because mine were more than 2 ppm.
Should I wait for the nitrite to go down to 0 on their own at this point? or should I dose more ammonia and test in 24 hours to see if they go down to 0 like in her video?
I do not have any filter socks or skimmer on now and have not had them on at all during the entire cycle. I also do not have any browning or diatoms or anything on the rocks and sand. I am using a bunch of marine pure blocks, and spheres, and biolux. I also only used one carabsea arag-alive 20 lbs bag of live sand.
thank you all
Day2 May 21
Ammonia over 2
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 5
Day 3
Ammonia over 2
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 50
Day 4
Ammonia .1
Nitrite over 1
Nitrate over 50
PH 8.2
Day 5
Ammonia 0
Nitrite over 1 maybe 2+
Nitrate over 50
PH 8.2
Day 6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite over 1 maybe 2+
Nitrate 30-40 looks lighter than 50
Day 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrite between .5 and 1 I think, not as dark as 1
Nitrate maybe 40 not as dark as 50
Day 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .3, between .2 and .5
Nitrate maybe 40 not as dark as 50
Day 9
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .2
Nitrate same as day 8
Day 10 (today)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .2
Nitrate same as day 9
so I have only dosed the ammonia on the very first day, and never dosed again. I am using dr.tims one and only and I also added fritz turbo start on day 2. not sure why I did but for extra bacteria I guess. I followed her nano reef tanks video on YouTube on the dr tims cycling, and I know you are supposed to dose more ammonia on day 3 but I didn't because mine were more than 2 ppm.
Should I wait for the nitrite to go down to 0 on their own at this point? or should I dose more ammonia and test in 24 hours to see if they go down to 0 like in her video?
I do not have any filter socks or skimmer on now and have not had them on at all during the entire cycle. I also do not have any browning or diatoms or anything on the rocks and sand. I am using a bunch of marine pure blocks, and spheres, and biolux. I also only used one carabsea arag-alive 20 lbs bag of live sand.
thank you all