Is my tank cycled?

[fuadramsey]

I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank.

I'm in day 25 of trying to get the cycle. Ammonia will drop from 3ppm to .5 in 24 hours (I know it should be 0) and nitrites are zero and nitrates are off the chart. I've seen the nitrites peak and then fall to zero at around the second week of cycling this.

Here's what I've done:

Initially dosed the aquarium to 4ppm ammonia. Did not take that much ammonia (4 drops). Kept the ammonia levels to 4ppm with around 4 drops added daily. Then around the second week nitrites climbed off the charts 5+ppm and it took about 25 drops of ammonia daily to bring the levels up to 4ppm. After the second week the nitrites then went down to zero.

It's been about a week and a half from then and each day the nitrites are zero, nitrates are off the chart 100ppm or so, and ammonia is around .5ppm after 24 hours, and that's after bringing the ammonia levels up to 3-4 ppm.

Is my tank cycled since the nitrites spiked and the ammonia is being converted? I know ammonia is supposed to be 0 in 24 hours, but why is the nitrite 0 then? Maybe I'm adding too much ammonia?

Please advise.

Thanks!

 

[eco23]

What's your pH level? Often times a pH drop (commonly caused during cycling) can affect the beneficial bacteria. IME, the pH crashes tend to have more impact on the ammo > no2 converters.

 

[fuadramsey]

What's your pH level? Often times a pH drop (commonly caused during cycling) can affect the beneficial bacteria. IME, the pH crashes tend to have more impact on the ammo > no2 converters.

It's 8.1 and has stayed that way from the start.

 

[eco23]

Odd. One thing to consider is that on an API Master kit, it's ridiculously hard to distinguish 0 from .25. However, if your tank is capable of dropping 4ppm down to .25 in 24 hours...I'd say you've got a sufficient amount of BB to handle the job.

Personally I'd do a massive water change, and try dosing the tank up to a lower level for a couple days (maybe 1-2ppm), and if the bio-filter is capable of dropping that to zero with zero no2 after 24 hours, I'd say you're good to go. I just would like to see the tank be able to knock the ammonia down to zero a couple times to make sure nothing else is in play.