Is My Cycle Complete?

[Daigle107]

I just tested my water, and my Ammonia is at zero, Nitrite is at 0, and Nitrate is at 80 ppm. Does this mean my cycle is complete? Or should I add more ammonia to it? Also my pH is down to 6.2...

 

[Liverbird36]

Your cycle is complete when your Ammonia and Nitrite readings are zero within 12hrs of dosing with Ammonia.

 

[Daigle107]

Ok, thank you.

 

[Liverbird36]

When they are hitting zero within 12hrs i'd recommend doing a qualifying week. You just keep checking the stats daily for a week and if they remain at double zero's then you're good to go.

 

[OldMan47]

You need to deal with your pH during a cycle. A cycle will stall at a pH of about 6.2 which is where you are. The fastest way to fix the pH is usually a nice big water change but you can use baking soda to bring it up during a cycle with no harm done. Until you are done cycling, adding a daily dose of ammonia to bring levels back up is needed. That then allows you to monitor how long it takes for the chemicals to be processed.