Day 6 of Cycle

[zacdl]

Just was wondering how my tank was coming along. Is this pretty fast results?

SG- 1.0225
Alk- 5.5
PH 8.0
Total Ammonia- 0.8
Free Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 1
Nitrate- 15


Is it coming along faster than normal? Slower?

 

[Phyl]

I don't think you'll know the answer to that without seeing the curve. Has the ammo spiked already and on the way down? What about the trites? Those are the indicators of where you are in the cycle. Raw current numbers are a little hard to know because we don't know if you're on your way up or on your way down.

What are you using to cycle with? How much LR do you have? Have you seen the diatom bloom yet? When you see that you're within spitting distance of the end of your cycle!

Enjoy!

 

[zacdl]

No LR.

I think the ammonia is still going up. Im testing every other day, and so far it is going up.

The Nitrates are pretty high up there too, but the Nitrites havent gotten high at all yet. Is this normal?

 

[Phyl]

You may have started with Nitrates depending on your source water (are you using RO/DI? feeding the tank at all?). Nitrates aren't all that high and if you're measuring with a dip stick they're highly unreliable so that could account for the presence. It looks pretty normal so far. Up and up and up is a good sign.

 

[zacdl]

Im using one of those mix it kits, not dip strips.

I did put some gravel from the show tank at LFS in there, that may be where it came from.