Does this count?

[Easyflip]

Day 7 of my cycle, 30 gal tank with 20 lbs live sand and 30 lbs live rock from a fellow reefer straight into my tank. 2 cc of raw shrimp in day 1, An ammonia 'spike' of .5 yesterday and 0 today. 0 nitrates all week but 5 ppm today. Never any nitrites. Everything in the tank seems happy including multiplying palys. Did it mini cycle with the rock quickly processing the shrimp? Many pods in the tank and 1 snail and many tubeworms. What do you think?

 

[melosu58]

Could be that the nitrifying bacteria that was already on the sand and rock took care of it. Add some more shrimp or a few flakes and see if the ammonia goes up or not. You should have had some nitrates. Can you have a second opinion on your water test results? I`m sure your LFS can give you that.

 

[Convict2161]

Could be that the nitrifying bacteria that was already on the sand and rock took care of it. Add some more shrimp or a few flakes and see if the ammonia goes up or not. You should have had some nitrates. Can you have a second opinion on your water test results? I`m sure your LFS can give you that.

^^^^ I agree, when I cycled my BC29 I saw little no nitrites. I'd take your water to your LFS and see what results they get. Like melosu58 said, you should be seeing nitrAtes, I also get readings of .05.

 

[Easyflip]

Well this morning a diatom bloom on the sand. I didn't test as I was late for work but I will tonight. I read this may signal the cycle coming to an end. I'm going to wait 2 more weeks and if 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites I'm going to do a big water change and add my cuc. I'll include diatom eating snails, any suggestions? Also hermits but I read about snail only cucs cuz hermits are mean. Anybody have thoughts?