Nitrate and nitrite went up after 4 weeks of water cycling

[jle2003]

My Nitrate and nitrite went up after 4 weeks of water cycling. Should I let it continue or water changes? I have a few nails, a clown, and a damsel in the tank.

[lebowski]

There has to be a reason why your params went up..

You could have gotten some uncured liverock, stirred the substrate ( in this case sand ) drastically, or something can be decomposing from cured live rock you got...

Let's just hope your inhabitants hang in there...

I strongly beleive in not adding any inhabitants to the tank for atleast a month after cycling.. I always like to add live rock after or during cycling, let the tank sit for a month or so, and then add a cleanup crew, have all your algae breakouts occur, wait a month or a couple, let the tank stable down, and then add some fish and corals after months and months...This method is not for impatient people, but will ensure a healthy reef tank IMO.

This does not mean you have to follow what I said, many many people don't, or will disagree with me, I just felt like sharing.

[Gerard the fish]

There is a strong chance your tank was not done cycling in the first pace.

Just because you get 0's across the board does not mean your cycle is over.

The longer you wait in the beginning the better off your tank will be IMO

- g