Hi all,

I've been cycling a 3 gal saltwater tank using the fishless cycle method. Its been going for a bit over 3 weeks now, ammonia readings started at @ 6 ppm and have been steadily dropping to just about 0 ppm today. My question though is that I've been checking just about every other day and have never gotten a reading for nitrites. Does that mean there's something wrong? or as long as ammonia is 0 am I all good? Thanks!

-M45

You should get a nitrIte spike but if you have plenty of algae (corraline, macros, hair, slime, etc) it could be the ammonia is being consumed by the algae. If that is the case it could be you will never see much nitrItes, but could see 20ppm nitrAtes or so after just a few days.

Then as the bacteria build up the Nitrates will finally drop down.

It's the nitrogen cycle factoring in the plant action.



my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Its actually a dwarf seahorse setup so I have fake plants only with a sand bed and sponge filter.

-M45

sounda like a piece of caulerpa profilera would help.

If you have no algae then you should see a nitrIte spike.


my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

You could take some water to a LFS and get them to test it also incase your test kit is bad just to be on the safe side.