Question about tank cycling

[Kaman8]

I just upgrade my tank. Tank is 60 gallon with 60 pounds live sands and 40 pounds live rocks. Everything is running for 2 days and today I start checking my water.

Ammonia 0,25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2

Shall I put a raw shrimp in the tank? Or am I good like this? But why do I have ammonia and nitrate at the same time ? I thought cycle will be from ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate.

[wooden_reefer]

Historically "cycle" refers to the up and down concentration of nitrite when a new tank is faced with ammonia accumulation. There is first a nitrite peak and then dropping to zero, hence a "cycle".

A cycle is a procedure; it does not necessarily mean that after a cycle the tank will be ready for whatever bioload. A cycle can be weak if the nitrite peak is small due to low level of ammonia during the cycle.

What is certain is that if the nitrite peak is very strong during the cycle, then at the end of the cycle, when nitrite has dropped to zero, the tank can handle a lot of bioload as far as ammonia and nitrite are concerned.

Also, a cycle is not always shown even when the resulting bacteria population is extremely high. If one adds ammonia so as to be just slight in excess for a long time, there will be no cycle but a great population of bacteria. Clearly, one does not have to cycle to account for slow growth of livestock.

To have a strong cycle, there has to be enough ammonia during the cycle. If you think you need to add ammonia, best is not allow a whole shrimp to decay. It is better to finely chop it up to suppress anaerobic decay and allow complete decay until gone.

[wooden_reefer]

"But why do I have ammonia and nitrate at the same time ?"

Why not? It is about rate of growth of the two major types of bacteria and processing of ammonia and nitrite.

Cycling is about lead/lag of population and rates of processing ammonia and nitrite, not equilibrium.

[thegrun]

It is likely your rock is leaching nitrates into the water, this is common if the rock was exposed to high nitrates while in another tank or holding bin.

[wooden_reefer]

Since denitrification can be slow to develop, nitrate can be for a while be considered the end-point for a period of time.

When there is some nitrite and some nitrate producing bacteria there will be some nitrate, even during a cycle.

[Kaman8]

Since denitrification can be slow to develop, nitrate can be for a while be considered the end-point for a period of time.

When there is some nitrite and some nitrate producing bacteria there will be some nitrate, even during a cycle.

So if the ammonia drop to zero then I will see nitrites showing up? This is the first time I change tank in 8 years. So I'm not sure I will have a full cycle or mini cycle.

[Kaman8]

Historically "cycle" refers to the up and down concentration of nitrite when a new tank is faced with ammonia accumulation. There is first a nitrite peak and then dropping to zero, hence a "cycle".

A cycle is a procedure; it does not necessarily mean that after a cycle the tank will be ready for whatever bioload. A cycle can be weak if the nitrite peak is small due to low level of ammonia during the cycle.

What is certain is that if the nitrite peak is very strong during the cycle, then at the end of the cycle, when nitrite has dropped to zero, the tank can handle a lot of bioload as far as ammonia and nitrite are concerned.

Also, a cycle is not always shown even when the resulting bacteria population is extremely high. If one adds ammonia so as to be just slight in excess for a long time, there will be no cycle but a great population of bacteria. Clearly, one does not have to cycle to account for slow growth of livestock.

To have a strong cycle, there has to be enough ammonia during the cycle. If you think you need to add ammonia, best is not allow a whole shrimp to decay. It is better to finely chop it up to suppress anaerobic decay and allow complete decay until gone.

Do you think I should put shrimp in? Because I use live sand and all live rocks , or I won't throw anything in the tank?

[Kaman8]

Bump

[wooden_reefer]

Do you think I should put shrimp in? Because I use live sand and all live rocks , or I won't throw anything in the tank?

In general, unless you are obviously having enough decay to yield ammonia, it is a good idea to be sure to have enough.

A reef tank does not need as robust a cycle as a FO tank.

Just 2 ppm N-ammonia on days 1 and 10 would help to be certain.

If the cycle is odorless, there is a good chance of not having enough ammonia.

[wooden_reefer]

So if the ammonia drop to zero then I will see nitrites showing up? This is the first time I change tank in 8 years. So I'm not sure I will have a full cycle or mini cycle.

Ammonia does not have to drop to zero to have nitrite.

If the source of more ammonia has dropped to less than the increasing rate of ammonia processed (all that is dedayable has decayed and few livestock, and nitrite producing bacteria keep increasing), then nitrite generation will correspond to ammonia drop.