Is my tank cycling?

[GoPokes43]

I'm not sure what to think of my readings. Your opinions are quite welcome!

4/5/03
- Added 90 lbs of live rock to empty 55 gal tank (empty meaning just saltwater). The rock came from Reefermadness.com.

A couple of days later, ammonia read around 0.5 ppm

4/12/03
- ammonia a little over 0.25 ppm
- nitrite about 0.2 to 0.5 ppm

4/15/03
- ammonia a little over 0.25 ppm
- nitrite: 0.0 ppm
- nitrate: about 25 ppm

4/20/03
- ammonia: 0.25 ppm
- nitrite: 0.0 ppm
- nitrate: 20 ppm

5/2/03
- ammonia: 0.25 ppm
- nitrite: 0.0 ppm
- nitrate: 15 ppm

5/6/03 (30 days since adding the live rock)
- ammonia: 0.25 ppm
- nitrite: 0.0 ppm
- nitrate: 10-15 ppm

All the above tests were with a Red Sea kit (uses liquid drops).
I got a FasTest kit (uses powder) on 5/2/03 and those tests showed these results on 5/2 and 5/6.
ammonia - 0.0 ppm
nitrite - 0 (actually it is labeled as less than 0.2 ppm)
nitrate - 0-10 ppm

I took some water to the LFS. They used a liquid drop test kit that they said was a FasTest. They said my readings were:
- ammonia: 0.25 ppm
- nitrite and nitrate: 0 ppm

I have performed a some water changes - 3 to 5 gallons once a week or so. A little more often early on after blowing debris off the rocks with a turkey baster and siphoning that out of the tank.

I have some brown algae that started growing about 10-14 days ago. It is not thick. Water is clear and always has been. There has never been any unpleasant smell - except for the little bit of stuff that comes out of the protein skimmer.

So, what's going on? Is my tank cycled? LFS says no. Do I wait a few more weeks to see if any readings change?

[photobarry]

Since you saw nitrite peak and then go away I really doubt that you still have any ammonia in your tank. How does it smell? If things are still rotting it is pretty obvious. But, that is a lot of rock to cycle in a small tank (relative to the rock). Also, since you have algae growing that is a good sign that things are progressing nicely. Unless someone thinks otherwise I would start adding snails to start working on that algae. Sounds like you are doing a good job of taking it slow and doing it right.

Good Luck!
-Barry

[Craig Lambert]

I would suggest picking up some Salifert test kits, and measuring A,N,N again. Hard to believe you still have an Amonia level that high after a month. I doubt the accuracy of your test kits.

Craig

[asmujica]

When in doubt, expect the worse and save some fish.

Wait a while. :bum:

[GoPokes43]

Thanks for the comments. I will wait and keeping testing. Maybe I'll shell out the bucks for a Salifert - or maybe not. :)

Today I noticed a few spots of bright green algae showing up on a couple of my rocks.

What if I throw in a piece of thawed shrimp? What would that do at this point? Any comments about what should happen? If I do it and the ammonia doesn't move much, does that mean I have a good colony of bacteria established?

[photobarry]

No need for the shrimp. Algae growth shows that there is already sufficient ammonia to nitrite to nitrate conversion going on. I would double check your ammonia test kit by testing some RO/DI water that you know if free of ammonia. I am suspicious that it is still showing ammonia. You never answered my question about how your tank smells? It is pretty easy to tell by that whether or not there is anything still rotting in your tank.

[GoPokes43]

The smell. There is no unpleasant smell. If I open the cover and take a whiff, there's a seawater smell. When I enter the house after being out for a while, I smell nothing. One day, about 10 days after adding the live rock, I did smell a slight unpleasant smell when I entered the house - but it could have been something rotting in my kitchen trash.

The protein skimmer produces a little bit of brown gunk/liquid. It smells pretty awful when I empty it out. It produces about 1 cup a week.

[Witchdoctor_h]

I agree with Photobarry. I think you can go ahead and ad a few snails before you are overgrown with algae. And Craig is probably right, try a Salifert test kit. It's my understanding that they are more reliable and accurate.

[photobarry]

I agree.

It certainly sounds like you are done with the initial part of the cycle and are now in the wonderful period of massive algae growth.

-Barry