Nirites not going down...

[MarkW19]

I've been cycling my 38gallon for the past 3 weeks, and Nitrites rose very quickly to 10ppm in 2 weeks, but haven't gone down. They've been at 10ppm for a week now, without budging one bit.

Is this normal? They haven't even gone down to 8 or whatever, just stuck up there at 10 :/

 

[Brad]

Nitrites

It is my personal experience that the bacteria that handle the 'trites multiple much more slowing than the one's that handle the ammonia. It is also my experience that the nitrite level will fall extremely quickly once you get there. (like overnight)

Don't worry. Be patient. Just keep circulating water around and do water changes a bit more often so you don't hit toxic levels.

 

[Biggen]

I agree with Brad. The bacteria responsible for the conversion of nitrite to nitrate do grow much slower than the ones that convert ammonia to nitrite.

Give it some more time. The normal cycle time is typically 4-6 weeks anyway, so you have a little longer to go.

 

[MarkW19]

OK...

I haven't done a water change since I started the cycle - should I be doing?

I'm thinking about adding some cultured bacteria to speed nitrite - nitrate conversion. My store has just got a new shipment of very healthy-looking clowns, and I was hoping to let them settle in a bit at the store, and get one this week. Guess that's not going to happen though

Oh well, fingers crossed it's not too much longer. The cultured bacteria (thinking of Waterlife Bacterlife - anyone had any experience?) should speed things up.

 

[Biggen]

I haven't done a water change since I started the cycle - should I be doing?

Some people advocate water changes during the cycle while others do not. If you are using uncured LR to cycle the tank, then I would do water changes. If you were using the "shrimp method" or something similar and LR is not being used, I wouldn't do a water change.

The cultured bacteria (thinking of Waterlife Bacterlife - anyone had any experience?) should speed things up.

I have never heard of this brand. If it is in a bottle (i.e. Hagen's cycle) then it is worthless, IMO. The only brand I have any personal experience with is Marineland's Bio-Spira and that was the FW version. The reviews of the SW version have been mixed.

 

[MarkW19]

OK...can the bacteria do any harm though? I've heard good things about Bacterlife, they seem to be a reputable brand in the UK.

 

[Biggen]

...can the bacteria do any harm though?

Probaby not...

 

[MarkW19]

Okie...it can't overload the system or anything? May give it a shot for a couple of days, not go overboard, but try to speed it along a bit.



Mind you, if you say Nitrites can go from 10 to 0 overnight, it could happen any day...may leave it a few days and see what happens

 

[Hara]

answers are not found in a bottle, but in time and patience.
The only place you find time, in a bottle, is in a song.

 

[MarkW19]

You should be a poet...

 

[Biggen]

...Or a country song writer...

 

[Brad]

Patience...

I was going to say the same thing as Hara...but not as eloquently. Patience is a virtue in keeping an aquarium. The more you try to force things, the more trouble you're likely to have. There aren't short cuts to stability. Hang in there. The cycle ALWAYS works if you just leave things alone.

 

[MarkW19]

OK