Unusual cycling!

Hello everyone,

Been offline for a while, hope everyone's ok!

Moved into a new apartment recently and got a new tank to go
with it! It's an Oceanic 40G Stretch Hex. Goregeous. I've got lots of
plants, 110W of CF lighting, DIY CO2 and have started cycling it with
six zebra danios.

I added the six danios three days ago. This morning, my ammonia was
already at about 6.0ppm - alarmingly high for three days. Did I overdo
it with six danios? I've already done two 4-5 gallon water changes to
get it in check. I will repeat tomorrow if levels are still really
high. Can I trust my ammonia test kit after using ammo-lock to
dechlorinate the new water?

Second surprising fact - the tank already has a non-zero nitrite
reading - about 1.0ppm. This isn't totally surprising, since I'm reuising
filter/bio-wheel and gravel from a very established tank. But wow,
three days? That seems *really* fast.

Does this cycling seem weird to anyone else?

Thanks for the input!

--
Ross Vandegrift


"The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who
make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine
man in the bonds of Hell."
--St. Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram, Book II, xviii, 37