3 weeks in....

Ok, tank has been cycling for 3 weeks now, but I'm a little confused on my test results. Ammonia has been at 0.6 since I set it up. I'm thinking I has a problem with my test kit on that. My nitrites are at 0.1 and nitrates are at 0 I presume.( my test kit only shows 5 ppm and I am a lighter shade than that)
My question is do you guys think my cycle has ended? I started with 40 lbs of live rock and live sand.

 

I think something is wrong with your kit. As far as I know when you first set up a tank your going to have quite the Ammonia spike and much higher than just 0.6pmm. After 3 weeks there should be no detectable ammonia. If your test are accurate I would say no!

 

That's what I was thinking, but lat week I did see the nitrites rise and fall along with the nitrates. It is the ammonia that is throwing me off

 

Doesn't sound like it's over, sounds like it's just beginning.

What did you start with to cycle it? Shrimp? It can take a little time for that to break down and begin to produce ammonia. Then you will see a rise in nitrite as the bacteria begin to populate. My guess is that your ammmonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate converting bacteria haven't established themselves fully yet. Once they do, you'll see the rise in nitrate and reduction in nitrite and ammonia.

 

Started it with a shrimp and left it in there till it started to fall apart. I did see a rise in nitrite and saw it fall also. The the same in nitrates. That's why I was thinking the ammonia test is just screwed up. It's a nutrafin test system. I think I may take a water sample to Lfs to verify my reading though

 

Sounds like it's still in a cycle process and trying to stabilize itself. I wouldn't have removed the shrimp. The bacteria will die without a source of food, thus pushing your cycle back to the beginning. The idea is that once the bacteria establish themselves, anything being converted to ammonia is, more or less, immediately converted to the less harmful nitrite and even less harmful nitrate. The tank needs an ammonia source.

Regardless, 3 weeks is very short time for a cycle. Many people wait months.

 

You may have stalled the cycle, do a water change and retest again in a couple off days.

Typically the nitrogen cycle is complete when you show no detectable ammonia and nitrites and show a nitrate level.

Getting the results double checked it a great idea. Even if the LFS tells you you're good to go with stocking I would still do a water change, wait and retest.