Cycling Issues

[mattruggiero]

Hey Guys,

I finally got water in my tank and I've been cycling the last five days. However, I think I may have a problem. There are some odd things going on and just need some info.

So I added some liquid ammonia to my tank and got the PPM up to 3.0. I decided to go liquid because the fish that I initially put in the tank was upsetting the wife with the terrible smell of rotting fish. Anyway, I've been using the Seachum stabilizer to help start it off. So far in my testing over the last five days is my ammonia levels have dropped from 3.0 PPM to 2.0 PPM but I have no traces of Nitrites or Nitrates. So what's going on here? Shouldn't those levels go up as my ammonia goes down?

Also, I'm developing some cloudiness in the clear tubing going to my carbon reactor.. not out. Is this normal?

Any information is helpful. I'm confused.

Thanks!

 

[tazdvl]

A few suggestions after reading your post I get the feeling you are like most of us that wanted to see some cool marine life in your tanks as fast as possible. Well after 5 or so years in this hobby I have learned that you must READ ALOT and go SLOW when making your choices in this hobby. You don't need to add a fish, prawn, shrimp ect to a tank to start a cycle. Simple ghost feeding flake food will do the trick. Liquid ammonia you can buy in most stores has surfactants, perfumes in it that we would not want in tank. I hope you have many happy years in this hobby, just remember nothing good happens fast in this hobby. While cycling the tank you don't want to run any lights/skimmer/filtering just ghost feed watch levels and you will see cycle finish.

Now I'm confused saw your post count and looked at some of your threads, are you "new " to the hobby?

 

[thegrun]

I certainly would not worry about it. The change from 3ppm to 2ppm could well be just testing deviations, you are only a few into the cycle, let nature take it's course.