120 gallon fishless cycle nitrites

[zooobs]

Hi, I need some help with my fishless cycle on a 120 gallon. We got started about a month ago. We used filter media from established tanks to get started. When ammonia is added, it is gone very quickly. The nitrites spiked over a week ago, and now they are so high they I can't get a reading. Over the last three days, we have done five water changes, and the reading is still above 5ppm.

Do we keep doing large water changes until we get a lower reading?
Thanks

 

[christine2012]

Do two 50% pwcs about an hour apart. Get them to a readable level. Some of the members on here suggest that nitrItes that high can impact your bb. I don't know how true it is. The trite spike can last for soooo long.

 

[zooobs]

We did two pwcs, 50% and 70%, two hours apart last night. The nitrites were still too high for a reading. This morning we did another 70% pwc with the nitrites still off the chart. Our tap water has 0 nitrites in it, so they are not coming from that at all.

Is there a point when we are doing too many pwcs, or do we just keep doing them until the nitrites are readable?

 

[bud29]

Wow. That's incredibly high. Do you redose the ammonia to 4-5 ppm after each water change?

 

[zooobs]

No, we have only been adding 1ppm every other day in the hopes that the nitrites will have a chance to fall.

 

[bud29]

Well, that's what you're supposed to do.......I would just keep doing water changes. This is odd though that it's staying so high.....

 

[techo]

I would take your water in to get tested? And stupid question, but you are talking about trites not trates correct?

And as well how old is your test kit? You may have a bad test kit, they can go bad.

 

[Mrc8858]

If this is a fishless cycle don't do any water changes just let the water sit and do its thing.. your removing the bacterias food to produce a healthy colony

 

[Mrc8858]

My longest fishless cycle took 8 weeks but granted I didn't seed at all and it was saltwater

 

[christine2012]

Considering all the water changes, you have replaced all of your water several times and then some. I don't see how they could still be that high unless you have a faulty test.

 

[zooobs]

I will take the water in to get tested, though I really doubt it is the test. We saw the gradual climb in nitrites, and our other tanks show 0 nitrites with the same test. It is an API Master Test Kit that is about a year and a half old.

 

[christine2012]

That's crazy. I have no clue. Keep us posted!

 

[jlk]

Stop dosing ammonia. You probably already dosed today, so dont tomorrow. Lets wait a few days to see if nitrites come down on their own. If they dont, do a 100% wc (or two) then redose. When nitrites reach insanely high levels, it may take 2-3 100% water changes to bring them down to a readable number (under 2ppm).

 

[zooobs]

Ok, thanks so much for your help! We will leave it alone for a few days and hope something changes.

 

[zooobs]

So we did a massive water change, and the nitrites finally registered between 2 and 5. We have been waiting for the nitrites to drop, and then adding ammonia at 1 ppm for the last few days. I added 2ppm ammonia yesterday morning to do my final check, and it was down to .25 this morning. It looks like we have finally cycled!

 

[christine2012]

So we did a massive water change, and the nitrites finally registered between 2 and 5. We have been waiting for the nitrites to drop, and then adding ammonia at 1 ppm for the last few days. I added 2ppm ammonia yesterday morning to do my final check, and it was down to .25 this morning. It looks like we have finally cycled!

Progress! You are finally cycled when ammonia and nitrite zero out on their own. You're right around the corner!

 

[jlk]

Do you plan on fully stocking this tank right away or gradually stocking it? For now, continue to dose ammonia daily & work on gradually increasing the dose to 4ppm. Once your tank can process 4ppm steadily on a daily basis for a couple of days in a row, its safe to say your cycled. You are getting close!

 

[zooobs]

So I just tested and nitrites are down to 0. So it took 26 hours to go from 2ppm ammonia to 0 nitrites. We are planning on gradually stocking, starting with a school of 15 rasboras and a school of 15 red eye tetras. Do I need to continue dosing with ammonia, or am I ok to get some fish tomorrow?

 

[jlk]

I honestly would give it a few more days of daily dosing. Newly cycled tanks are a bit tempermental & you want to be sure your getting steady zeroes 24hrs after dosing.

 

[Mrc8858]

I honestly would give it a few more days of daily dosing. Newly cycled tanks are a bit tempermental & you want to be sure your getting steady zeroes 24hrs after dosing.

+1 you've waited this long so just give it a few extra days to make sure