cm11599ps
04/18/2011, 10:20 PM
I started my tank just over 4 weeks ago with all dry rock and dry sand and two pieces of raw shrimp. My ammonia showed up the next day and peaked at about 8 about 7-10 days after startup.
About 2 weeks after startup my ammonia levels dropped and nitrite began to rise. My tank also began to get some green algae and the water turned a little cloudy.
Last week I tossed two balls of chaeto in my fuge with DSB. Just before I tossed the Chaeto in I noticed some diatoms. Since then my ammonia is nearly zero but nitrite has been reading off the chart for over 2 weeks. Nitrate seems to have stayed the same at about 10-20. I wonder if it would have risen without the chaeto. FWIW, my chaeto has shown noticeable growth. My water has been crystal clear for the past 2 days and this afternoon I threw some ROX carbon in a reactor.
There's nothing in the tank except for some brittle stars and whatever pods came with the macro. I've seen a few amphipods. Once I added the Chaeto I tossed the cycling shrimp in the fuge. The stars seem to be fine and I see them moving around.
I'm just really anxious to get something in the tank. My ammonia peaked and was under 1 in just over a week. That's why it's so frustrating that my nitrite hasn't seemed to budge in over 2 weeks now. I was happy to see the water clear up so I got so excite when testing expecting to see a decrease in nitrites.
Should I just continue to wait it out? I was planning on getting a small piece of LR eventually to get some coraline. Should I get a piece now or wait till I finish cycling?
About 2 weeks after startup my ammonia levels dropped and nitrite began to rise. My tank also began to get some green algae and the water turned a little cloudy.
Last week I tossed two balls of chaeto in my fuge with DSB. Just before I tossed the Chaeto in I noticed some diatoms. Since then my ammonia is nearly zero but nitrite has been reading off the chart for over 2 weeks. Nitrate seems to have stayed the same at about 10-20. I wonder if it would have risen without the chaeto. FWIW, my chaeto has shown noticeable growth. My water has been crystal clear for the past 2 days and this afternoon I threw some ROX carbon in a reactor.
There's nothing in the tank except for some brittle stars and whatever pods came with the macro. I've seen a few amphipods. Once I added the Chaeto I tossed the cycling shrimp in the fuge. The stars seem to be fine and I see them moving around.
I'm just really anxious to get something in the tank. My ammonia peaked and was under 1 in just over a week. That's why it's so frustrating that my nitrite hasn't seemed to budge in over 2 weeks now. I was happy to see the water clear up so I got so excite when testing expecting to see a decrease in nitrites.
Should I just continue to wait it out? I was planning on getting a small piece of LR eventually to get some coraline. Should I get a piece now or wait till I finish cycling?