Help!

I have a 68 gallon marine tank with 40 KG of live rock(uk gallons!) and have been taking the ammonia , nitrite & nitrate levels every day over the past 3 weeks to see if the cycle would start but im baffled as my readings have been as follows :
week 1: ammonia 0 , nitrites 0.1 , nitrates 0
week 2 : ammonia 0 , nitrites 0.1 , nitrates 5
week 3 : ammonia 0 , nitrites 0.1 , mitrates 10

Im confused as the ammonia in my tank has stayed 0 my nitite has always been 0.1 and the only thing rising is my nitrate which has so far reached 10.

why has this happed as i thought the ammonia was ment to go up then drop as the nitrite gos up then drops as the nitrate gos up?!

any advice would really help!
Thanks for you time
K

 

Everyone's tank cycles differently. You have some LR in your tank. That is your answer. The LR. There was enough bacteria to take care of the ammonia already there. You just need to catch up on your colonies that eat up the nitrites. You do have bacteria that is processing the nitrites because your nitrate levels are rising. So your tank is progressing as it should.

Mine showed ammonia and nitrates but I have NEVER shown nitrites, because that is the bacteria that I imported in the greatest amount on my LR.

So just keep an eye on your NO2 and NO3. Your NO2 will drop here in a few weeks to 0 and your nitrates will continue to rise. Then the NO3 will fall a bit. Then they will start to rise. On the second rise, that is when you can consider yourself cycled.

Then just move very slowly with your stocking. Your tank will be a little on edge because it is so new. Just one fish at a time every two weeks is all I would do. You will get some spikes in your numbers, so don't be surprised.

 

Good advice from pharmrjohn, my tank cycled like yours. I never saw any ammonia, my nitrite only went up to about 1 ppm. Don't worry about it, just let nature take its course. When the nitrite goes to 0ppm, you should be set to go.

 

are you using carbon? if you are take it out for a week or two and it might help along the way, but there be NO3 for quite some time, and a lot of times it will remain at low levels of .10 and .05 and there is nothing wrong with it, although ideal would be between .05 and undetectable.

 

Thanks for all your help, it all clear in my head now!;D