Nitrite cycle skipped...

[djbrefik]

Im cycling a new aquarium and the nitrites have failed to spike at all. Nitrates have spiked, ammonia is present and ph is fine. Is this normal?

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[squirrilah fish]

No, what are you testing with? Is it new substrate, new filter? How long had it been cycling?
I have skipped the ammonia spiking plenty of times, but skipping the nitrite spikes is very weird to me. If your using a product like stability, or other "bio in a bottle" it's possible, but to have ammonia and nitrates, that's just weird. What are you testing with?

 

[djbrefik]

API freashwater master kit, used magnum 350, new API filstar xp & new substrate (sand).

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[squirrilah fish]

The used magnum could be why. If your doing a fish in cycle do a water change to get the ammonia out. And keep an eye on it. I have had nitrate readings, followed by nitrite spikes before. So just because your seeing nitrates doesn't mean it's safe.

If it's a fish less cycle if wait and see if it sorts itself out. It is possible to skip the cycling process with used media.

 

[djbrefik]

Its only been cycling for a couple weeks. Have some minnows in it and a few died because they were sucked to the filter intake but havent lost any since. Holding off putting any of my cichlids in until im 100% sure.

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[squirrilah fish]

Its only been cycling for a couple weeks. Have some minnows in it and a few died because they were sucked to the filter intake but havent lost any since. Holding off putting any of my cichlids in until im 100% sure.

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Sounds like you know what your doing, could just be one of those freak things.

 

[Coyne]

Just a thought, but you can sometimes get false positives with the API Nitrate test if you don't shake the test well enough (Both the droppers and the test tube).

 

[djbrefik]

Thanks Coyne but I make sure to do that.

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[trennamw]

Is it possible they spiked but so briefly you missed it with your testing?

 

[fishywishywowoo]

I'm similar. Nitrite always 0 but ammonia 1.0 and nitrate 5.0. It's odd

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[squirrilah fish]

It could be mini cycling, have your recently added new fish?

 

[djbrefik]

Unless they spiked and went down to 0 in 9 hours, that didnt happen. Im so impatient that I test every day. LOL

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[squirrilah fish]

With a new set up you should test everyday, I still test everyday actually but the only thing I really test for now is nitrates.