No spikes during cycle ?

[Camps23]

Hello, Im cycling the new 50g cube using the Dr Tims fishless method.
Im 17 days into the cycle as of today. Im using Marco Rock in my display and about 10lbs of live rock in my sump.
I also mixed a cup of sand from a friends well established tank with my new sand when it was added.
I started out by adding pure ammonia chloride to bring ammonia to 2ppm and added a bottle of Dr. Tims. After 10 days the ammonia was at 0ppm and the nitrides were at .5ppm. As directed I added more ammonia to bring it back to 2ppm. After three days ammonia again was at 0ppm and nitrides were 0ppm. Last night I added ammonia again to bring it to 2ppm. When I tested today ammonia was at .25ppm , nitrides at 0ppm, and nitrates were at 0ppm. Things seem to be going ok but from everything I have been reading I thought I would see more spikes in my nitrides ...which in turn would cause my nitrates to spike as well.
Havent seen that but my tank seems to be processing the ammonia very quickly now. Is this normal ? Do I need to see those spikes ? According to this method as soon as your tank can process out 2ppm of ammonia in 24hrs your good to go.... ?
Help !

 

[pulpfiction1]

gotta love that dr tims

 

[Camps23]

Correction.....
I wasn't testing my Nitrates properly. My nitrates are at 10ppm. So if my Ammonia is back at 0 after 24hrs and nitrites are at 0 but nitrates are 10ppm. Is the cycle complete ?

 

[yveterinarian]

Yes, it sounds cycled to me.  I would have thought that the Nitrates would be much higher but I haven't used Dr Tims.  Did you do any large water changes yet to get the nitrates down yet (hence the lower nitrates)?  As long as the tank is clearing that much ammonia, you know it will accept the bio load of fish and the food to feed them.  Congratulations!

 

[Camps23]

No water changes yet....
Thats why I was worried. Im clearing that much ammonia but dont see much in the nitrides & nitrates readings.
I will test again this morning

 

[pulpfiction1]

i have been using these types of products for years now,the one you are using is ok,there are better,but once you have nitrates the cycle is complete ie:NH3-NO2-NO3,once you have detectable signs of NO3 the cycle has completed,i would just start using my tank,this constant adding of ammonia to see how fast it eliminates it is a pointless effort,if you have nitrates the required bacteria IS present

IMO and experience

 

[copperkills]

What are your phosphate readings?  Im interested to see how much leaches out of the marco rock.