when is the cycle over?

[rogergolf66]

Ok I have been reading alot it seems I get some slightly differant oppions

I thought the cycle was over when my amonia and nitrite read 0 and I have nitrates?

I have read that the cycle is over when the amonia nitrites and nitrates read 0, but I would think if you don't have a DSB or other denitrafication system setup the nitrates may never read 0. So I would be waiting along time to add fish.

What do you think?

Roger

 

[drummereef]

Ideally your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all 0. But, there are some factors involved with the nitrates. As long as your tank has stabilized for a week, with 0 ammonia and nitrite, and your nitrates are within a reasonable amount, less than 20ppm, then you are likely fine to add your cleanup crew.

 

[kevin2000]

Nitrates are not considered part of the cycle in many tanks .. thats because nitrates aren't going to naturally go down if you don't have live rock or a DSB.

 

[bertoni]

Well, at some point, it's only a word game. Ammonia is the only toxic item on the list, for most animals, so it's possible to say zero ammonia is the end of the cycle. Unfortunately, if there's live rock involved, there can be dying organisms releasing toxins for a while after the ammonia is zero. I'd wait for three weeks of zero ammonia before adding any animals, and touchy animals, like stony corals and anemones, shouldn't go in for longer than that.

 

[celano]

When is the cycle over?

Its never over. Once your hooked it keeps cycling over an over and each time it costs ya more money.
BTW once your ammonia and nitrites reache zero you should be set. Dont worry to much about nitrates unless they get insainely high(50+ppm). Even then the worst thing thats gonna happpen is a bad algea outbreak.