fishless cycle - what is happening

[jldesign]

not my first tank BUT the first time I have started one with 100% dead sand and dead rock and did a traditional cycle with caribsea aragalive sand/life rock.

first dr. tim’s one and only fishless cycle and ammonium chloride. below is the details and using API test kits. I believe what I was reading as 2ppm NO2 (around day 9 or 10) could possibly be escalating nitrite levels past 5 (API kits are no good at that point and color is so close between 2 or 5ppm). Today is day 17 i did a 50/50 water mix of my cycled tank and cycling tank and did nitrite test SAME COLOR. also did another test 1/4 cycling tank and 3/4 cycled tank SAME COLOR. I also ran nitrite/nitrate tests on cycled tank water which is ZERO NO2/low NO3 so kits are fine.

 

Is it possible I am in 10+ range of NO2 and stalled the cycle? NO3 is not increasing as well, but ammonia is processed quickly?

What should I do? nothing? do i keep adding ammonia drops daily or just wait out nitrites dropping.

25 gallon tank/16gallon actual volume - crushed corals/caribsea liferock
temp/ph/alk have remained constant. no skimmer or UV. API test kits.
78 temp
8-8.1 ph
8.5 alk

day 1: 1/12/2018 - bottle of one and only 30gallons and 64 drops ammonia
day 2: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 0 NO3 = 0
day 3: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 0 NO3 = 0
day 4: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 0 NO3 = 0
day 5: NH3 = 1-2 NO2 = .25 NO3 = 0
day 6: NH3 = 1 NO2 = 1 NO3 = 10
day 7: NH3 = .5-1 NO2 = 1+ NO3 = 10-20
day 8: NH3 = 0+ NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
ADDED 64 drops ammonia
day 9: NH3 = 2 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day10: NH3 = .5-1 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day11: NH3 = .25 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day12: NH3 = 0 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
ADDED 30 drops ammonia
day13: NH3 = .5-1 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day14: NH3 = .5 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day15: NH3 = 0 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
ADDED 30 drops ammonia
day16: NH3 = .5 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20
day17: NH3 = 0 NO2 = 2+ NO3 = 20

[Newstead]

That does look odd. Perhaps add a boost of another bacteria to jumpstart the cycle again? I have had good luck with Microbacter7 and Biospira.

[seabass]

When cycling with dry rock, the process slows/stalls when levels of ammonia OR nitrite reach 5 ppm.  If this happens, you must change enough water to bring levels down below 5 ppm, then wait for ammonia AND nitrite to reach 0.25 ppm before adding any more ammonia.

 

If you are getting nitrate, then nitrite is being processed and you have bacteria.  If it were me, I'd change out ALL the water, then dose 1 ppm of ammonia and see how fast it can process it.  The nitrifying bacteria reside mostly on hard surfaces (rock, sand,equipment, and walls), so. changing out the water won't get rid of your biofilter.