When my aquarium went through a mini cycle,due to my error,I found it took a week for the nitrite to spike @5ppm. And then diminish to zero. So test all your parameters again tommorrow ,now a week has gone by.If everything is the same readings as today,then your cycle is complete.Contiue to monitor your parameters regularly(2 or 3 times a week for a while to avoid the possibility of a crash,then,less often,after everything is established).
Now if your sure nothing else isn't a culprit,for the demise of those fish that have passed on,I can assure you that if you always purchase your stock from the same LFS,once in a while,your purchases will for unknown reasons die.It may have nothing to do with your abilities.It could be related to several things out of your control,that those fish you purchased are destined to die.It could be how the fish were treated a month earlier in shipping,or maybe it was poisoned with aersinic when captured from the ocean.Sometimes you never know the answer.
Before you decide to buy another fish ,also ensure they are compatible with one another.IMO,you are probably ready to try one fish to start.Try pick a hardy community fish ,and see how it does for several weeks before you decide if you want any new additions.The lower the bio load,the easier it is to maintain your parameters.BTW,I have a spare Starry blenny in my refugium,you can have.Unexplained fish deaths (and this explains why my spare Starry blenny is in the refugium...)are sometimes a result of some fish fighting other fish resembling their own image,and or for territory.My two blennies needed to be separated because(as cute as they are) they are ruthless little killers to one another in the same aquarium.Even in my 220 gallon display tank.
