Ammonia Levels While Curing Live Rock

[Nolein99]

I set up my 30 gallon tank with approx. 30 lbs of live rock 4 weeks ago and am still showing significant ammonia levels. Is this normal? The tank smelled really bad and the water was very dirty looking for the first week, but for the past 3 weeks it has been crystal clear and no smell. And yet my test kit says there is still ammonia in my tank. Is there anything I can do to speed up this process?

 

[Expos Forever]

Yes this is normal. Are you skimming this tank yet? This should make your cycle end quicker, as would water changes.

And BTW,

Welcome to Reefs.org!

 

[Nolein99]

At first I did daily water changes to cut down on the smell, but i'm doing weekly water changes now. Thanks for the welcome = )

 

[Anonymous]

If you keep up with more frequent water changes you'll preserve more life. Also, if in doubt about your ammonia test kit, try diluting the test sample in half, see what you get then.