Ammonia Problem during Cycle

[dinotrex]

I've been cycling for 3 days now with a shrimp, I started off with the following

saltwater I bought from the LFS
livesand
liverock
a dual protein skimmer
heater to where the water is 77 degrees now
and a maxijet to flow the water

before I put the shrimp in, I tested the ammonia and it was at zero, I've read that when cycling to put in a shrimp, so I did. after I saw the ammonia level was at zero, I still put in a shrimp to feed the LR and LS. three days has since past and now my ammonia level is at 1.5. How do I bring the ammonia level back down to zero?

here are the rest of my test results

PH: 8.3 - 8.6
Nitrite: 0.3
Nitrate: 12.5

are these ok levels?

 

[jackdp]

Read up on cycling, when your tank is first cycling the ammonia level isn't going to be zero. The ammonia will rise until enough bacteria have grown to process it into nitrites. Then the nitrites will rise until some bacteria have grown to process the nitrite into nitrate, once the ammonia and nitrite levels are zero then your tank is most likely done cycling. If you are concerned about any hitchhikers that you got on your liverock you could do water changes to keep the ammonia at a lower level, however this could prolong the cycling process.

 

[dinotrex]

Nope, no hitchhikers. So am I supposed to leave the shrimp in the tank? or take it out throughout the whole cycle process? I took it out after I saw the ammonia level rise up. Oh my god! it STINKS, the smell is just something from a sewer!! back to the cycle, should I put another shrimp in there again then? and what you're saying is that the ammonia level will go back down? and thats after my nitrite level goes up from the ammonia? does the nitrite level go back down?

 

[WarOrks15]

do a google about salt water tank cycling.

 

[jackdp]

Also, pick up the book "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner. It sounds like you should do some reading on the hobby while your tank cycles. It could save you lots of money and headaches down the road.

If your LR was uncured then you probably didn't need the shrimp at all. The die off from your LR would have gotten the cycle started. If you had a shrimp in the tank and the ammonia levels went up then you shouldn't have to put another shrimp in.

You may also want to read this article from this site regarding cycling with shrimp.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

 

[dinotrex]

I've tested the water again today and I think there's been some improvment... PH has gone back to 8.3.... Nitrite is still at 0.3..... Ammonia has gone back down to zero, Problem is Nitrate is still at 12.5. I thought that as the ammonia goes back down on the cycle so is the nitrate? so why is my nitrate not going back down?

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

You dont feed lr or ls with shrimp lol they get their nutrients from calcium and the lighting

 

[dinotrex]

So just leave my lights on and my nitrate should go down? I didn't know lighting had anything to do with that!! It didn't say anything about lighting in the article

 

[WarOrks15]

no keep the light off during the cycle. it will give you a really big algae problem. when the cycle is done thn you can turn it on. the nitrate will come down when the cycle is done.

 

[Hara]

it takes roughly a month to cycle a tank. Is your protein skimmer on? If so, you need to turn it off. The entire idea behind cycling your tank is to first get high ammonia, then the high nitrites and then the high nitrates and then it all goes back to zero...this takes TIME......lots of TIME.....patience is a virtue in this hobby...

During all this time, read read read and then ask questions until you find you are starting to understand the answers.

Teen you are not quite right with your answer either...