Cycling advice

[Gremlin86]

Hey,
I'm currently setting up a marine 4ft aquarium. I added my RO water, Salt and Sand on around 6th Dec. I then added a large cup full of healthy live sand from my lps once the tank had cleared and was up to temperature. I have been testing my water since and have got the following readings:

09/12 - Nitrate 15 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.25 - PH 8.
12/12 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.5.
14/12 - Nitrate 30 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.25.
15/12 - Nitrate 10 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.5.
16/12 - Nitrate 20 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.5.
17/12 - Nitrate 15 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.5.
18/12 - Nitrate 15 - Nitrite 0 - Ammonia 0.25.
19/12 - Nitrate 30 - Nitrite 0.25 - Ammonia 0.15.

Does this look normal? Should I still be waiting for a Nitrite spike?

I have been ghost feeding the tank every other day with flake fish food and have some moss/fluffy white stuff growing on my sand at the back of the tank. I also have several little green/brown/sandy coloured hair-like bits growing all over the sand.

Also last night (I think) my heaters failed and I have came home today after a 13 hour shift to find my tank quiet cold due to neither heater working presumably for the last 13-20 hours! Would this have effected anything? I am not gunna be able to heat the water till mid-day tomorrow after i get into town.

Any advice, reasurance etc would be really good

James

 

[Beengirl]

Ghost feeding may not cause enough of an ammonia spike to get a good cycle. You'll want ammonia at least up to 4ppm, that way you'll get lots of BB and won't have a mini cycle when you add an actual fish. The cold water might have let some of your BB die off.
When you go to town for a new heater, I would get either some liquid ammonia (when you shake the bottle you want NO bubbles to form or its not the right kind of ammonia), or pick up a couple of raw shrimp or some other type of raw seafood and toss that in the tank and let it rot.
Good luck!!