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Did I skip the ammonia spike?

1K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  coralgazer 
#1 ·
Ever hear of a minor or non-existent Ammonia spike before nitirite spike begins?

2 days after starting my new tank and adding a raw shrimp, I started testing.

Day 1: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 1: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 1: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 1: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 1: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= 0.75
Day 1: ammonia= 0.25 (going down?) ; nitrites= 0.75

Using a fresh new API test kit. Shrimp has a cottony coccoon surrounding it, seems to be disintigrating underneath.

Is my tank cycling? Why only a minor ammonia spike? What should I do now?
 
#4 ·
My spikes were similar with the shrimp method, ammonia spiked at .5, nitrite at 1 and nitrate at 10. Wait until ammonia and nitrite go to 0, then do water change and add 1-2 fish and monitor and wait a month before adding any more. I've had my 2 fish in there since that cycle for 2 weeks now and ammonia and nitrites have remained at 0.
 
#5 ·
Meant to post this:
Day 1: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 2: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 3: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 4: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= not tested yet
Day 5: ammonia= 0.5; nitrites= 0.75
Day 6: ammonia= 0.25 (going down?) ; nitrites= 0.75

I used dry rock (homemade pieces); live sand; 5lbs of GARF grunge, and mineral mud in my sump, used half of a huge shrimp
 
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