Anything to speed it up???

[flitabout]

Impatience is the name of the game today! So it hasn't even been a week since I set this tank up and I have already had to do 3 water changes. I am using material from my other tank and in all reality it's going very well. But my nitrites spikes up everyday to unreadable levels and I have to do a water change. Today I did a 75-80% water change and it brought it down to 1ppm nitrite The tank is processing 4ppm of ammo in 12 hours to nitrite and some to nitrate obviously because yesterday my nitrates where at like 160+ But it's just annoying that I have to keep doing wc's because my nitrite level is so stinking high everyday. Is there anything I can do to speed this up short of adding bb in a bottle? Tank temp is 82, 2 HOBs doing 11 times an hour turn over. Water level is slightly lower than the filters so there is lots of splash. I added a crap load of wisteria that I took out of my other tank to help keep the nitrate levels down. I am just sick of doing water changes when I don't even have fish in the tank.

 

[gilpi]

Why are you even changing the water then? Me personally, I'd let it go through it's process and especially if you have media from another tank in your new filter, hopefully cycled? If that's the case you should be up and running in no time without dosing the tank with ammonia. I would wait till the ammonia and nitrites drop then use a small or "sacrificial" fish and keep checking the water.

 

[Fresh2o]

Maybe you can lower the dosing amount of ammonia to 2 ppm. That might cut down on the water changes. Sounds like the bacteria converting the nitrites has some catching up to do.

 

[flitabout]

Why are you even changing the water then? Me personally, I'd let it go through it's process and especially if you have media from another tank in your new filter, hopefully cycled? If that's the case you should be up and running in no time without dosing the tank with ammonia. I would wait till the ammonia and nitrites drop then use a small or "sacrificial" fish and keep checking the water.

I am changing the water to keep the nitrites down so the cycle doesn't stall. This is my daughters' tank and a sacrificial fish isn't an option. The fish going into to this tank were born in my other tank and all have names. Besides I wouldn't do that even with a fish that I didn't want.

Maybe you can lower the dosing amount of ammonia to 2 ppm. That might cut down on the water changes. Sounds like the bacteria converting the nitrites has some catching up to do.

I am thinking this is what I might do. I just want to make sure that it can keep up with the bio load from 8 platys and a few otos. When I move them they are all going all at once to the new tank. If it helps it's a 36g bf eventually heavily planted once the plants fill in! Dirted with a sand cap.

 

[threnjen]

If the cycle stalls at the nitrite phase it is probably one of these things:
a) pH crash - test your pH. If it's below 7.0 I'd add some baking soda. 1/8 tsp per 5 gallons would raise it from 6.6 to 7.0, so you can just make an estimate. Too high of pH won't matter because you do the biggest WC possible at cycle end.
b) low phosphates. You can add a tiny pinch of fish flake to add phosphates to the water.


Most won't really care about the technical details but a few of the other members and I are conducting some research/studies on why the cycle actually stalls for some people at the nitrites stage.
Like Gilpi, I never do any WCs during cycle. I am currently conducting a fishless cycle experiment where I dosed a tank up to 18ppm ammonia (you read correctly) and it's almost done cycling with no stalls. I've just kept up on the pH to watch for crashes and have had to add baking soda a few times.

 

[flitabout]

pH is good it has been dropping but my tap is so high I haven't worried to much about it. It started out at 8.2 and has dropped to 7.6 in the last 3-4 days. Phosphates are at 2ppm. I dose the tank every morning for the plants. My tap has 1ppm in it. I guess I shouldn't complain it's going really well after only being set up for 5 days! I am going to try to let it ride after today's wc. I have seen your other post about the experiment. It's definitely interesting, and I have been following it.

 

[gilpi]

threnjen
Just curious and don't mean to go out of topic or steal the thread... Are you looking for a faster cycling time by dosing the tank with that much ammonia?

 

[threnjen]

Yes, I was taught on a different forum how to cycle, and they do it very differently there.
The disparity of techniques has overall just made me interested in the differences.
Come join us on that other thread if you'd like to ask questions about what we're working on,
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f23/post-your-test-data-287003-17.html
Obviously we're happy to have as much participation as possible to the discussion, in whatever capacity I don't want to take over flitabout's thread talking about it.

flitabout it sounds like you absolutely know what you're doing with this process!

 

[flitabout]

No worries about hijacking this is how we learn different techniques!

 

[gilpi]

I probably will be dropping by the other forum but not sure I can offer a scientific point of view to fishkeeping. My idea of cycling a tank from scratch is to put a hardy fish in the tank, do some water changes and eventually in a month or two add another fish then slowly add some more. I have never owned a test kit in my life and yet I raise discus, angels and many others. Not trying to be controversial, just that my approach to fishkeeping is very simple.
Thanks for the invite and will probably see you there!

 

[Toad]

Yeah I have to admit if it were me I'd have just stuffed a wad of extra filter material from a set up tank and just added a couple of fish and then go from there. Its an instant cycle, and then just slowly add fish over a few weeks.

But if you're having fun by all means have at

 

[flitabout]

I added a bag of ceramic rings a filter sponge and an old filter cartridge.

 

[trickshot3102]

I would suggest aeration

 

[molliwopp]

Fishless cycling, you can also term up your heater for faster becterial development in the cycle.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/ you can even use your browser!

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[flitabout]

I would but the stupid thing is up as high as it goes! Nest time I go into town I am going to get a new heater for it one that doesn't struggle to maintain 82. I guess at the moment It works but to be totally honest this thing is the worst heater I have ever used!