Cycle Update , Again

[madpad]

The agony continues, started on march 16. My ammonia is finally at 0 but my nitrites are still high.The wait continues.I think Ill try fish next time.

 

[Matt Nace]

what are your ammonia, nitrItes, and nitrates by now? ???

 

[JWright]

Did you seed anything? Cycling with fish won't be any faster, ammonia is ammonia.

Josh

 

[madpad]

Ammonia at 0/ Nitrites at 5ppm, Nitrates 10ppm

 

[gouramimommy]

hi madpad.
i'm sort of in the same boat... the A in my 30g hex has been 0 for weeks... the nitrites went high (over 5ppm).. and they're just starting to fall off now.. down to 1.0... almost there... chin up..

 

[gouramimommy]

PS: i thought, as soon as one has nitrAtes, the nitrItes were supposed to drop quickly... did i misunderstand?

 

[ronrca]

It depends! Ammonia will always fall the fastest because the nh3 bacteria multiplies very quickly. Nitrites on the other hand will take longer because the no2 bacteria do not multiply as quickly. In my tank, I was adding to much ammonia therefore the nitrite and nitrate levels were way off scale and would not come down. I did a water change and in 3 days everything was complete. I tested to be sure for another 3 days. Im not sure if it is the same in your case however. Im actually surpised that it is taking that long. I cant remember madpad, how much ammonia do you add and how many times a day? I also added 'cycle' but Im not sure if it did anything. My tank did cycle in 4-5 weeks.

 

[madpad]

I was adding 30 drops, but now Im down to about 7 drops. I did a water change about a third and still have high nitrites.This just seems to be going on to long.

 

[JWright]

The amount and frequency of the ammonia addition doesn't really affect the speed of the cycle (as long as there is always some ammonia).

What will really make a difference is how well you seeded the tank. IMO, cycle, etc., really don't do much. You can really speed up the cycle by adding gravel or filter material from an established, disease-free tank.

HTH,
Josh

 

[madpad]

J wright you came in on this a little late/ let me give you the background. I started the 60 gal tank with no established media so thats why its talking along time. But I think its gone on long enough.

 

[luvfishies]

You need to *kick* the tank. Do a 50% water change....test in 24 hours...if ammo is 0 add ammo and test NI and NA. The presence of NA suggests that you are almost there......I fishless all the time...the longest cycle I had was 5 weeks..my 1st tank with *no* seeding...
HTH

And during the water change lightly vacuum the gravel...adds 02 for the bacteria..

 

[JWright]

I'll assume NA means nitrate (NO[sub]3[/sub]). Nitrate doesn't necessarily mean he's almost there. You'll have detectable nitrate shortly after the nitrite spike begins. His nitrate level is pretty low, suggesting he still has a way to go. I would reccomend seeding the tank at this point. Many folks reccomend seeding a tank again during the nitrite spike anyway, reasoning that most of the NO[sub]2[/sub] bacteria starved before the NH[sub]3[/sub] bacteria had a chance to establish.

I'm not sure I'd vac the gravel either, you want to try to preserve as much bacteria as possible.

Josh

 

[luvfishies]

Josh I was just passing on information that I have seen on other boards. The consensus of opinion seems to be that LIGHTLY vacuuming the gravel could help, and shouldn't hurt, especially at this stage. And sorry for the shorthand...I've been used to chatting with people who use NA as shorthand..I do mean NitrAte.