Quickest Cycle and Highest Spike? Mine is surpriseing me.

[Sylock]

My sig will contain up to the day stats on my cycle.

As you can see my ammonia spiked pretty high right away and is already significantly lower (still no where near zero, but still). The Nitrite has spiked and is somewhere over the 5 rating (that's as high as my test kit goes).

Should I be looking for another spike? I know that the fact that I had 75 or so lbs of cured live rock would really help speed the cycle along. However, it looks like the ammonia spike is almost ready to totally disappear. Should I be looking for something else that will be causing another spike?

[Jeremy1973]

It is quite possible for your tank to cycle that quickly. But, esp since you did have some uncured LR, I would still be patient, and give it time. It is possible that something in the rock hasn't really started to decay yet. (which could give another spike) But, yes, my 10gal cycled in 2 days. I was monitoring it every 3 hours..(hey I was new and bored and excited ) heh heh

[Geoff]

it is possible that it would cycle that fast with just LR. the LR contains enough of the bacteria to cycle a tank only. you should still wait until the bacteria have enough time to reproduce and cover all surfaces. you will still get spikes for a while whenever adding anything new. the bacteria take a while to catch up to the new influx of toxins.

HTH,

G~

[Sylock]

Ammonia is almost gone, Nitrite is completely gone, Nitrate took a large increase ... cycle looking good. Trying not to be to excited

[Sylock]

Come on somebody say something! I've been studying and learning for the last 16 months. Have had my nano going for 8 months. And now I've finally got my 75 up and the cycle is going great! I need some encouragement here people!

[Geoff]

Go Cycle
Go Cycle
Go Cycle

is that better

G~

[Sylock]

The part that is worrying me is that the Nitrates are 30. There's no way to reduce these are there? Besides a fully functioning DSB/refugium that is.

[Geoff]

water changes, but i would not do that if you do not have anything else in the tank. the bacteria that use nitrates will need them to get a good start. unless you start adding critters, i suggest against this then let the system go. when i first set mine up i let it run like yours for 2 months, i would have let it go longer, but my other tank crashed and had to move things over.

G~