Is my cycle done?

[poiuy678]

I raised my ammonia too high to 4 ppm before adding fritz turbostart 900 on day 1. After 3 days, my ammonia has gone down to 0.25 ppm (I'm using an API test kit, so I know that I won't get a 0 ppm reading, but this is the lowest on the chart). My nitrite has spiked a lot (+5 ppm, the highest reading), probably around the 2nd day after I've added fritz turbostart. As of writing, this is the 6th day and the ammonia and nitrite is the same and haven't decreased at all. (I used API to measure these results)

I ended up buying salifert ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits because I heard that they are more accurate. I tested ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and it shows that my ammonia and nitrite are 0 while my nitrate is 100 (the highest)

Does this mean that API test kits is the problem and my cycle is done and all I need to do now is a big water change? Are API test kits that bad that they misread my nitrite to 5 ppm while salifert reads it as 0?

 

[BeanAnimal]

I am sure that this is not what you wanted to hear, but your simple question has a rather complex answer

Your "cycle" is not "done" until you stop adding living things and nutrients to your system... Okay, that doesn't help you.

As for your test results, I can't tell you which ones to trust.

The longer answer - you have started your nitrogen and it will come to equilibrium based on the input of organics. Be they dumped in from a bottle, fish poo, decomposing food, etc. The level of denitrifying bacteria can only rise to the level of food it has to eat. When that food goes away, the bacteria die off (no food). So be it a NEW aquarium or 10 year old aquarium, anything added above the baseline causes a "cycle".

What is the total volume? Live rock? Sand? Etc... (don't answer, rhetorical to a point).

What you are asking is if it is safe to put A fish in the aquarium. It more than likely is. But that does not mean you should add 6 either. If you have live rock, then all bets are off... I couldn't guess as to the state of the rock and if it is going to crash (due to no food or unhappy parameters) or has found its balance already.

In either case there is no harm in waiting for another week or six.. this hobby is a marathon, not a race. As you add livestock (and feed said livestock) the ecosystem will grow. Add too much too fast and you will have a mess or even a crash.

 

[jjmg]

As Beananimal said, your tank will never actually stop cycling which is a good thing. I don't own an ammonia or nitrite test kit, I've started several new tanks in the past year by adding half the ammonia that the the bottle says will get the water to 2 ppm, add the bacteria and in a day or two start testing for nitrates. When my nitrates peak and stabilize I know the ammonia has been processes and the tank is "cycled". If you have nitrates maxing out the test kit you must have really nuked it with ammonia in the start. My previous tanks were all started using "real" live rock that was available years ago.

I would do a water change to try to bring the nitrates down and in a week or so start adding fish, depending on the size tank one or two small fish max and wait another week or two and watch for nitrate spikes before adding more. If you plan on adding corals, depending on the type you could add a frag or two and bring in the extra bacteria and life that will hitchhike in on the frag.

As Bean said, think marathon, go slow and learn as you go. Research the critters well before putting them in the tank and make sure they are what you are going to really want in the tank long term.

As for test kits, I find some impossible to read the slight variations in colors that can make a large difference. I've got old eyes and that may be part of the problem, I've found the investment in Hanna checkers for nitrate and phosphate to be good since I don't feel I can get accurate readings from the Salifert. I do use Salifert for Alk, calc and mag, those 5 tests are all that I test for.

Good luck, go slow, and research.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I would also add - that is you patiently watch your ecosystem grow... do exactly that... WATCH IT grow. You will start to see things grow (bad and good) that will come and go as the ecosystem evolves. I suggest a magnifying glass or one of the fancy ones sold to the hobby. It is absolutely amazing to see pods start running around on rocks, little itty bitty live things in the water column, etc. Enjoy the system at both the macro level and the micro level.