Cycle Completed?? Could this be??

[Cichlid_Man]

Hi folks.
Very strange here.
I started up my 30g tank last week, 8 days ago to be exact.
The tank had the old gravel in it from when I had my cichlids. The gravel was still wet but the tank was empty for about a week so I don't think the bacteria stayed alive.
Here is what has happened. I filled the tank.
I added shrimp for my source of ammonia and got a reading in 2 days of around 4ppm.
Then I added stress zyme, raised the temp, and tested the water daily.
Up until yesterday the ammonia was present, but this morning it was gone.
TOTALLY GONE!
I NEVER got a nitrite reading, but today as the ammonia was gone, I got a nitrate reading of 10....
How can this be explained? Is my tank cycled or not having never seen nitrites? Is it possible the old gravel still had some live bacteria in it?

[Glasstapper]

I'm no expert on cycling, so I don't really know what happened there. You're sure your tap water doesn't already contain nitrates? If the cycle was starting all over, it's NOT possible to have one of the major parts of cycle just skip. Maybe wait another week or two and keep testing your water. If you still have readings of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite with your nitrates slowly rising, then maybe there's a small possibility you had some nitrites, but they converted to nitrates before you caught it on the test.

I honestly don't know and just taking a guess here. Maybe someone else has something better to add?

[Cichlid_Man]

I'm no expert on cycling, so I don't really know what happened there. You're sure your tap water doesn't already contain nitrates? If the cycle was starting all over, it's NOT possible to have one of the major parts of cycle just skip. Maybe wait another week or two and keep testing your water. If you still have readings of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite with your nitrates slowly rising, then maybe there's a small possibility you had some nitrites, but they converted to nitrates before you caught it on the test.

I honestly don't know and just taking a guess here. Maybe someone else has something better to add?

The tap water is zero. That's what has got me.
To have nitrates, I thought at some point nitrites would have to be there.
I know there was ammonia and now that's gone, unless the stress zyme is messing with my readings?
I'll see if I get more answers, but thanks for the input...

[jeffs99dime]

well, when i was cycling my tank my nitrite levels never got past 0.25 and my ammonia never went past 0.5. my nitrate held at 5.0 and still is. ammo and nitrite held at 0 and still are.

[Cichlid_Man]

well, when i was cycling my tank my nitrite levels never got past 0.25 and my ammonia never went past 0.5. my nitrate held at 5.0 and still is. ammo and nitrite held at 0 and still are.

Well, I guess maybe the little bit of water that I left in the tank from the cichlids may have still help live bacteris?
When I added the shrimp I spiked the ammonia, but never saw nitrites.
I would say I can go and add fish.

Thannk you all