Test question

[Islank]

Introduction: I'm brand new to the nano reef hobby, I use to have a 50 gallon saltwater tank for about a year and a half. I recently purchased a 12 gallon aquapod. Last sunday I filled it with 13 pounds of sand and seeded that with live sand from another tank and put some ammonia in the water to engage the cycling process. I also added 14.5 pounds of paritaly cured live rock from Haiti. Today I bought a test kit and tested my water my readings were
Ph- 8.2
Alk- 2 - 2.8
Ammonia- .25 p.p.m
nitrite-.1
nitrate-20 p.p.m

my question is, where is my tank at in the cycling process?

 

[skipm]

Since there is still ammonia present you are still in the process of cycling, you may be close to through with the ammonia since you are showing nitrite levels but IMO you still have a long way to go before your tank is cycled. My guess would be at least 2 weeks minimum.

 

[Jennie]

I agree with Skip!

And :welcome to Nantank!

 

[skipm]

I missed the fact that this was your first post, I also want to say :welcome to the board. :mrgreen:

 

[Islank]

thanks for the replies

 

[JeffDubya]

I have a question about cycling a tank this way...

Do you just use standard, OTC ammonia? How do you determine the amount to put in the tank?

 

[idog]

Do not dose with ammonia, that is a fresh water trick for tanks w/o LR or sand.

If using uncured LR, no need to add anything, let the rock do the work.

 

[Jennie]

idog is right, the dieoff from the uncured live rock is what is going to start the process.

 

[JeffDubya]

My live rock is already cured. I got it from my LFS which has had it in a tank for months. Very clean.