Is my tank done cycling after a crash?

[gbpackers]

So I've had a little fun with crashing my 40 breeder reef tank with toxic silicone with mold preventer after redesigning with a new 20 gallon sump. My ammonia spiked after the crash and it's been 8 days now.
The last 48 hours my ammonia has been zero and still zero nitrites and I did not do a 10% water change today. Otherwise I had done at least 10% water changes everyday and the ammonia would still spike up by the next day.

I'mbeginning to think that it's not cycling after all and I just had an ammonia spike from the die off since I feel like I should be seeing nitrites by now. Does anybody know if after 48 hours of zero ammonia and zero nitrites that it's actually not cycling or if it is the cycle is over?
I have some green star polyp and some zoanthids that are doing very well that didn't die.
I have two clowns in a hospital tank that I'm anxious to get back into the main tank so wondering if it's finally time.
The hospital tank is small enough that I have to watch it like a hawk to keep the ammonia from spiking in there which it did after 4 days.
Thanks

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[hegeh]

Did you check for nitrate? If there is some reading... please do large waterchange.

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[Sk8r]

My own treatment for a bad problem is a 30% water change, wait a day, then a 20%, wait a day, then another 20%. This changes out a mathematically skinny half of your water, so unless the problem has gotten into rock and sand, it should be safer. PolyFilter can also pick up (and id) chemical problems so you can feel sure it's ok if it stays white.

 

[gbpackers]

I haven't tested for nitrate yet because theoretically there shouldn't be any If it was cycling because it hadn't gotten to that point yet, but I will today.
I did run a toxin remover from my local fish store. I threw the package away so I can't remember what it's called. I also did daily water changes until yesterday.

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[Vinny Kreyling]

When you are cycling do NOT do water changes, it interrupts the cycle.

 

[clevername]

My own treatment for a bad problem is a 30% water change, wait a day, then a 20%, wait a day, then another 20%. This changes out a mathematically skinny half of your water, so unless the problem has gotten into rock and sand, it should be safer. PolyFilter can also pick up (and id) chemical problems so you can feel sure it's ok if it stays white.

second this!

 

[gbpackers]

When you are cycling do NOT do water changes, it interrupts the cycle.

So how do I know if I just had an ammonia Spike from some die off or if I'm going through a cycle? I did water changes initially hoping it was just an ammonia spike trying to save the tank and now no ammonia nitrite or nitrate with three days of no water change.


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[Reef Bass]

So how do I know if I just had an ammonia Spike from some die off or if I'm going through a cycle?

Doesn't really matter. If ammonia is zero and continues at zero you're likely good (barring the potential presence of other toxins in the water). If you've removed any and all sources of ammonia (such as dead organic material like fish) and ammonia continues, you're likely not done cycling. This is also where nitrite and nitrate testing can be useful. Those should rise as ammonia drops in a typical cycle. First nitrite then nitrate.

 

[gbpackers]

Doesn't really matter. If ammonia is zero and continues at zero you're likely good (barring the potential presence of other toxins in the water). If you've removed any and all sources of ammonia (such as dead organic material like fish) and ammonia continues, you're likely not done cycling. This is also where nitrite and nitrate testing can be useful. Those should rise as ammonia drops in a typical cycle. First nitrite then nitrate.

Yep, that's why I was thinking I just had an ammonia spike from die off versus a cycle given the fact that I have not had any nitrite for 8 days and no nitrate and now and no ammonia for 3 days with no water change for 2 days. I'll keep checking.
Hopefully I'm back in business with my live rock still remaining functional.
Thanks

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