lmetcalf
Aquarium Advice Activist
I started my tank cycling 11 days ago. I have a 30gal with 20lbs of live rock, half cured half not. I added a cocktail shrimp to start the cycling process as well as a "bacteria in a bottle" sort of thing.
I was away this past weekend and when I saw my tank this morning it was covered in brown algae (which i understand is normal in the cycling process)
Here is my recorded params for the cycling so far:
day number ammonia nitrate nitrite pH
------1 ----0--------- 0----- 0----7.8
------4--- 1.0-------0-5.0-- 0.25--8.1
did 10% water change
------6---0.5 or 1--- 0to5.0--0.25--8.1
-----11-----0----------0------0---off the chart
(please excuse the dashes between numbers, that was to keep them in their respective collumns)
given that the values have reached zero, it seems that the cycling process is done, although this worries me since it's only been 11 days. Also, why is the pH off the chart? The top end of the pH scale is purple and my sample turned out dark blue. (I tested twice with two different test tubes to be sure)
So, am i done cycling? where should i go from here?
I was away this past weekend and when I saw my tank this morning it was covered in brown algae (which i understand is normal in the cycling process)
Here is my recorded params for the cycling so far:
day number ammonia nitrate nitrite pH
------1 ----0--------- 0----- 0----7.8
------4--- 1.0-------0-5.0-- 0.25--8.1
did 10% water change
------6---0.5 or 1--- 0to5.0--0.25--8.1
-----11-----0----------0------0---off the chart
(please excuse the dashes between numbers, that was to keep them in their respective collumns)
given that the values have reached zero, it seems that the cycling process is done, although this worries me since it's only been 11 days. Also, why is the pH off the chart? The top end of the pH scale is purple and my sample turned out dark blue. (I tested twice with two different test tubes to be sure)
So, am i done cycling? where should i go from here?