Cycling done?

[jaycapz]

Hey


So I set up my 26g bow front almost 3 weeks ago. About 15 lbs of live rock with aquaclear 70.

Initial readings first 2 1/2 weeks were all 0. 3 days ago nitrates were at about 20ppm, so I threw in pure ammonia to raise levels to about 1ppm. Today I'm back to 0. Nitrates at about 20ppm again. Nitrites 0. Any chance the tank is ready for fish? I did this on a fishless cycle, to be humane . I would let it sit one more week, just want to be certain.

 

[jaycapz]

Bueller? Lol

Also just another note, I noticed yesterday one of my aqua cultured lr has about 50% die off which is now floating around the sand. Should I leave it? That should help continue the cycle right? My bigger Fiji rock is going strong, no die off.

 

[TheTodd]

So you used a shrimp? Maybe I read this wrong, but you said you had zeros for everything and suddenly got nitrates? You should be getting ammonia and nitrites initially, which will usually drop to zero around a month in and your nitrates will climb at the end. The zero, zero and 20 sounds like the end of a cycle, but not if the other two never went up.