Still cycling

[DTP89]

My tank has been running for little over 4 weeks now.
I have had brown algae and green hair algae, now the GHA is 90% gone.

Question is if it's normal to have ammonia level at 0,2 at this point? I thought the cycle would be completed when the algae is cleared up.

Nitrite always been zero, and nitrate now at 0.2. Ro/di water show zero ammonia with the same test kit. Tank water has been 0.2 ammonia at all times

 

[sde1500]

Well first off, algae has nothing to do with the cycle. Cycling a tank is purely from a bacteria standpoint building up the population of bacterias that process ammonia into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate. If the same test kit is showing zero on rodi and .2 in the tank, you aren't done cycling. What test kit are you using?

 

[DTP89]

Using red sea for all my tests. I just didn't expect ammonia after 4 weeks.

There's 80 gallons and and about 70lbs live rocks

 

[thegrun]

You may want to take a water sample into your local fish store for testing, most will test your water for free, you could have a bad test kit as it is unusual to still have ammonia after four weeks but certainly it is possible. How did you start your cycle (what did you use to spike your ammonia) and what was the highest level your ammonia reached before falling to 0.2?

 

[DTP89]

You may want to take a water sample into your local fish store for testing, most will test your water for free, you could have a bad test kit as it is unusual to still have ammonia after four weeks but certainly it is possible. How did you start your cycle (what did you use to spike your ammonia) and what was the highest level your ammonia reached before falling to 0.2?

Did not test the first 5 days. Ammonia has been constant 0.2 so I never saw any spike. Only live rocks to start cycle, and haven't touched anything since day 1

 

[roostertech]

you should add more ammonia source to better observe the cycle. I use Dr Tim Ammonia bottle to bring tank to 2ppm and watch the shift.