Need Cycling Help

[domant]

My water has been cycling for three weeks now. To start it off I put in one shrimp. At that time I had no live rock. Before too long my ammonia spiked all the way up to 8 ppm and has been there for about one and a half weeks. Yesterday I decided to add a piece of live rock in to push the process along. Upon testing today I discovered that my ammonia was still at 8 ppm but I also noticed Nitrite for the first time which is at .25 ppm. Shouldn't I have seen the ammonia decrease before seeing the nitrite? What am I doing wrong? Should I take the shrimp out? I just want to make sure this thing is done rifht. Thanks!

[Andrew McFadden]

You wont see it go down till the bacteria catchs up with it. The reason its so high is because the shrimp was left in the tank. You can take it out and let it go down then put it back once it gets down below 1ppm. But it should build enough bacteria to turn it

[bavass]

You need to add all the rock you are going to add at once. Every time you add rock you are adding dead stuff to the tank and will start the cycle over.

[mr_X]

not only that, but you want the bacteria colony you are growing with the ammonia to cover the rock as well as the glass. Without a substantial amount of rock, you aren't going to be able to support much of a bio load.

[domant]

Okay thanks for all the replies. No more rock will be added and it was only a 3 lb piece that was transported in water any way. So would it be easier to just leave the shrimp in and wait? Also, I found a little blue leg hermit crab with the rock. Will he live?

[domant]

Originally Posted by mr_X

not only that, but you want the bacteria colony you are growing with the ammonia to cover the rock as well as the glass. Without a substantial amount of rock, you aren't going to be able to support much of a bio load.

Oh yes. I probably should of mentioned that there is about 45 lbs of dry rock in there with it. Today I tested again. Ammonia is at 4 ppm Nitrite is off the charts and NitrAte is at 160 ppm.

[bavass]

nitrites will cause false nitrates readings.

[austinsdad]

Take the shrimp out. It's done its job. Otherwise, all sounds as if its going well.