No nirites during cycling?

[cparker]

So I have set up a new Fluval Edge 12g for a nano reef. Right now it just has live sand and live rock and has been cycling for about the past week and a half. I used a little ammonia ( ace hardware brand) to jump start the cycle and adding Seachem Stability . I have been testing the ammonia, nirite, nitrate, ph and sg every day for the past week. I also have not done any water changes, only top offs every day/every other day. I have been running with the lights off. When I started testing the ammonia was at 4ppm, which is now down to .25 ppm. The nirites has remained a steady 0 ppm the whole time. And the nirites have risen to over 80 pm. Obviously it's cycling because the ammonia is dropping and the nirates are spiking, but I have gotten ANY reading for nitrites what so ever. I am using API test kit, which I have used on other tanks so I know the nitrite test liquid works.

 

It almost seems like the nirite step is being skipped... is it possible that the nirites are being converted so quickly that there is enough in the tank to register?

[jamescstein]

yes, with the liverock and live sand in addition to the bacteria you've added.

[yomon347]

I've only seen nitrite when I cycle with dry live rock.

[Nixperience]

Same. I never saw nitrite. I also used stability. Only ammonia and nitrates when cycling. I still use a little stability every day and I have 0 ammonia, nitrite, nitrate now. I think it's a good product.

[JavaJacketOC]

I've always seen nitrites during a cycle when using dry or "live" rock. It's typically the longest phase of the cycle, however if the ammonia source is small and the existing bacteria is able to convert from ammonia to nitrate quickly you might want to consider adding ammonia each day to boost the biological filtration your tank will be capable of when the cycle is complete.

 

If you have a small cycle to start with, you may experience a soft cycle once you start adding livestock.

[righttirefire]

I support javas thought +1

[scruggyj]

Yeah - make sure you are adding enough of a load to create the ammonia needed.

 

I just added some ammonia to my cycling tank and have both ammonia and nitrite in my tank right now.