Is my cycle normal?

[hoboapocalypse]

Hello! I started a new cycle last Saturday using Carib-Sea live sand and dry rock. I placed 3 pieces of frozen shrimp for the ammonia. I did a water test last night with an API test kit and found 0 Ammonia, 5ppm Nitrite, and 40ppm Nitrate. Are my tests accurate? Seems a bit too quick to be getting those numbers this early from what I have been reading. Thanks for any help!

 

PJ

[seabass]

Welcome to Nano-Reef.com. It's hard to say what's normal.

 

You can use shrimp if you want, but they polute the water and encourage the build up heterotrophic bacteria. I prefer to use a cleaner source of ammonia like DrTim's Ammonium. This way just the nitrifying bacteria populations get built up.

 

The presence of nitrite and nitrate indicate the process is coming along. I'm sure the live sand helped some. I'd be tempted to remove the shrimp and let nitrite become undetectable. Then I'd change out all of the water (the nitrifying bacteria reside mostly on surfaces like the rock and sand so this will be OK). Then I'd add a small cleanup crew of carnivores and omnivores. Sparingly feed the cleaners for a week (watching the ammonia level); if everything still looks good (undetectable ammonia), you could add a small fish.

 

Since you used dry rock, you'll want to add livestock very slowly to allow the bacteria populations to catch up (and a bio-film to become established).

[nickpop86]

^^^^what he said

[Leatherneck3755]

I used Dr. Tims. Super easy and I felt more in control of my cycle.

[Sailfish]

"Is my cycle normal?" - That's what she said!
Yeah, I'm THAT old