Tank cycle

[willbaroo200]

Hi guys. After a bit of advice. My 52L tank has been cycling for 5 days with dead prawn. I have some live rock, live sand . I've tested every day.
Ammonia 1.0ppm (at day 2)
Ammonia 0.5ppm (day 5)
Nitrite 0ppm (day 2)
Nitrite 0.50 (day 5)

Out of interest , day 5 I tested for nitrates and it read 20ppm. Any reason why I'm showing nitrates? Obviously not cycled yet but was just wondering. Thanks

 

[melosu58]

Nitrates are the finished product of the cycle. You'll need to do PWC's to lower the nitrates. Looks like your cycle is well under way.

 

[willbaroo200]

Nitrates are the finished product of the cycle. You'll need to do PWC's to lower the nitrates. Looks like your cycle is well under way.

I'll test again in a couple of days. Get rid of ammonia

 

[melosu58]

ammonia and nitrites. both are lethal.

 

[willbaroo200]

Tank seems to be cycled. No ammonia no nitrite. Have 20ppm of nitrates. Did a 30% water change on Sunday. Did another 20% tonight

 

[Sniperhank]

Make sure that there is an ammonia source for the beneficial bacteria in the tank to feed off of. The goal is 2 ppm of ammonia to be consumed in a 24 hour period. Or if you used a shrimp method, you want a shrimp present decomposing and no detectable ammonia or nitrite.

 

[willbaroo200]

Make sure that there is an ammonia source for the beneficial bacteria in the tank to feed off of. The goal is 2 ppm of ammonia to be consumed in a 24 hour period. Or if you used a shrimp method, you want a shrimp present decomposing and no detectable ammonia or nitrite.

Had shrimp in tank for two weeks. Had ammonia and nitrite spike. Regular testing and both are 0 ppm. nitrates are at 20ppm so deffo had some type of cycle?

 

[Andy Sager]

Maybe this will help:
The live rock and live sand would account for the nitrates as the nitrifying bacteria in both those would consume the ammonia produced by the dead shrimp eventually becoming nitrates.
As Sniperhank described, the goal is to have any ammonia level of 2 ppm or higher be at 0 ppm in 24 hours or less. But understand that what that means is that your bacteria bed is sufficient to handle the biological load present at the time. To give an example using fish: a tank that is "cycled" by using 3 fish of 1" size, by removing those three 1" fish and adding back six 1" fish, the tank is not cycled for six 1" fish so a rise in ammonia would be expected until the bacteria bed "catches up" with the ammonia level. Thankfully, once established, nitrifying bacteria reproduce rather quickly so that rise in ammonia may not exist for more than say, 24 hours. But it needs to be watched.
So you either need to equate how much ammonia is being produced by those rotting shrimp before adding more life to the tank or just proceed slowly/ cautiously.
Hope this helps.

 

[willbaroo200]

Maybe this will help:
The live rock and live sand would account for the nitrates as the nitrifying bacteria in both those would consume the ammonia produced by the dead shrimp eventually becoming nitrates.
As Sniperhank described, the goal is to have any ammonia level of 2 ppm or higher be at 0 ppm in 24 hours or less. But understand that what that means is that your bacteria bed is sufficient to handle the biological load present at the time. To give an example using fish: a tank that is "cycled" by using 3 fish of 1" size, by removing those three 1" fish and adding back six 1" fish, the tank is not cycled for six 1" fish so a rise in ammonia would be expected until the bacteria bed "catches up" with the ammonia level. Thankfully, once established, nitrifying bacteria reproduce rather quickly so that rise in ammonia may not exist for more than say, 24 hours. But it needs to be watched.
So you either need to equate how much ammonia is being produced by those rotting shrimp before adding more life to the tank or just proceed slowly/ cautiously.
Hope this helps.

Thanks. Makes alot of sense. Perhaps just adding in one or two small fish anyway. I mainly want coral. My plan is to go very slowly. I'm confident it's had some kind of cycle but like you say , I need to go slow and avoid a tank crash.

 

[willbaroo200]

Is this coralline algae growing on my dry rock?

 

[Andy Sager]

Is this coralline algae growing on my dry rock?View attachment 314614

It appears to be.