My tank is cycling.what next?

[Authentic]

I just checked my ammonia and for the first time its almost 0. Nitrites are very high.do I have to wait for them to go to 0 or can I add something to the tank now?

[Mr.Tan]

Wait it out, how long has the tank been running? Have you checked nitrite at all? That needs to be zero n nitrates should be atleast as close to zero as possible

[AaronM]

Nope, don't add anything yet. Ammonia and nitrite are both dangerous to inhabitants. During a cycle, ammonia peaks first, then it drops off as nitrite increases and peaks. After nitrite peaks, nitrate may increase. Keep testing until nitrite = 0. A week or 2 after nitrite = 0, then i'd consider adding a CUC. These dudes will clean up some algae and push up the strength of your bio filter, i.e bacteria. A week after this, if all is good, i guess you can consider adding a fish or 2!

Edit: CUC mainly = snails and hermit crabs. And by "A week after this, if all is good" i mean if ammonia and nitrite still = 0.

GL.

[bberg16]

put some snail and some live rock no fish

[AaronM]

Really? Put some snails in when nitrite level is very high? Why? Good for cycle or good for snails..or neither?

[Authentic]

Been up about 10 days, I was glad to see something happening.

[Sk8r]

Emphatically no snails. Stick to live rock and sand, and wait for things to start growing on the rocks. Once it's cycled, which takes about 4-5 weeks, or 8 weeks if you have mostly base rock and only a little live rock, you go for a month with just snails. While your main tank has 'just snails', you can buy your first fish and put him in a bare glass quarantine tank for the same 4 weeks to make sure he is parasite-free: letting parasites get in to your main tank is a disaster. This process should enable you to detect and treat any that pop up, so he will go in clean and healthy. Repeat this process with any subsequent fish. All corals should be dipped in a parasite-killer, and then can go on in. Inverts don't have these problems, and a brief rinse-off in spare tank water will do the job.

[snorvich]

Good advice from Sk8r. A cycle could take 31/32 days if conditions are not optimum.

[dslizzy]

Hello, just reading the posts, and I spotted Sk8r say dip corals in parasite killer first. Any recomendations as to what product to get for doing this? My tank is cycling as well, looks like we are cycling at the same rate. My ammonia is almost gone, but nitrites are really really high.

[dslizzy]

just wondering, for future use on the coral dipper. I dont plan on getting any for a while.

[Authentic]

Thanks again for the help