Spankenstyne
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
This seems very odd to me, i've been quite prepared for a month to 6 weeks minimum for my tank to cycle but it seems like it's either done or very very close to after just over two weeks. I hadn't tested for a couple of days since i expected the nitrite spike to last a while, but when testing today i get 0-.1 ammonia and the same reading on the nitrites. The ammonia has been basically non existant since after a few days in, but the nitrites were climbing daily and were getting near 3 ppm when i last tested friday.
My nitrate levels have even dropped slightly without any water change yet and are sitting between 5 and 10 ppm while they were just a bit over 10 on friday.
That seems to be the weirdest part but maybe some has been absorbed by the plants? I also eased up on the food for the comets that are in there, and we have some brownish-olive algae growing on the plants which seem quite happy sprouting root shoots all over into the sand.
Has my tank cycled already or is this some part of the cycle one can expect and it'll kick back up again for a couple more weeks of nitrites?
Oh and the ph has remained solid at around 7.6 every time i've tested, and the water tests at the top end of moderately hard.
My nitrate levels have even dropped slightly without any water change yet and are sitting between 5 and 10 ppm while they were just a bit over 10 on friday.
That seems to be the weirdest part but maybe some has been absorbed by the plants? I also eased up on the food for the comets that are in there, and we have some brownish-olive algae growing on the plants which seem quite happy sprouting root shoots all over into the sand.
Has my tank cycled already or is this some part of the cycle one can expect and it'll kick back up again for a couple more weeks of nitrites?
Oh and the ph has remained solid at around 7.6 every time i've tested, and the water tests at the top end of moderately hard.