Cycling help- nitrite phase

[h2ogirl]

We survived ammonia. Now in nitrite day 4. Any idea how many days I can expect this part to last? Its rough. Thanks!

 

[mrvincent]

Don't know for the time it will take, it's case to case, depends on temperature, surface agitation, PH, and other parameters.

If you survived the first ammonia spike it's good thing. Just keep the nitrites not too high with frequent PWCs, so your fishs keep survive, you're on the good way.

Adding product like "BBs in bottle" help boost the process, adding cycled filter media from a friend may help too.

 

[threnjen]

It takes a while for the cycle to complete. 4-6 weeks is normal.
Just have patience

 

[fish4phil]

I agree, times greatly vary. I've heard cycling take as little as 9 days! (?) For me, trusting bacteria in a bottle slowed me down, took a total of about 40 days.

Don't worry -- you're already doing more than most other aquarists I wish everyone started off this way. Keep at it.

 

[mrvincent]

I agree, times greatly vary. I've heard cycling take as little as 9 days! (?) For me, trusting bacteria in a bottle slowed me down, took a total of about 40 days. .

Fun you say that, I cycled my 29g in 9 days with "Nutrafin Cycle"... Don't know how you slowed the process with BBs ?

 

[fish4phil]

Fun you say that, I cycled my 29g in 9 days with "Nutrafin Cycle"... Don't know how you slowed the process with BBs ?

And funny YOU should say THAT! That's the product I used....and it is responsible for killing some of my fish and frogs (or am I for using it? ). Nutrafin Cycle convinced me I had a cycle (0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites, 5 Nitrates), until I stopped using it (well, why would I need to continue using it if I'm cycled? That's when my cycle got reversed completely). Nutrafin Cycle contains hetetrotrophic bacteria, which is the kind of bacteria that breaks organic waste into ammonia, not nitriofying bacteria, which is responsible for a "cycle", that's autotrophic bacteria. Autotrophic bacteria requires oxygen to survive (so you tell me how they keep autotrophic bacteria alive in a bottle for so long ).

I recently found a tremendous article on this. It's a long read, but it's well written.

Heterotrophic Bacteria and Their Practical Application in a Freshwater Aquarium

 

[mrvincent]

Usually, the product "Nutrafin Waste Control" contains the bacterias you talk, "Nutrafin Cycle" is suppose to be autotrophics bacterias... Worked for me, the product Nutrafin Waste Control gave me huge green water, probably for the ammonia production it did...


According to some informations I saw on the web, "Nutrafin Cycle" contains a bit heterotrophics bacterias, and I didn't know it, it would explain the ammonia spike I got when first fishless cycling my 29g. I will say it helped in my case by "simulating" bioload in the tank... Maybe you got problems because you was fish-in and there wasn't enough BBs in the bottle versus the amount of heterotrophs?

Did you used old substrate ?

 

[fish4phil]

Maybe... No, new substrate. I was using Nutrafin Cycle for a month before I stopped it, with 10 fish by that month mark. Tests quite often, showing no ammonia or nitrite, until I stopped using it. For me, for the future, it's all fishless cycling

 

[mrvincent]

Less problems fishless

 

[Sk3lly]

I used nutrafin cycle with fish. Not a problem

 

[librarygirl]

We survived ammonia. Now in nitrite day 4. Any idea how many days I can expect this part to last? Its rough. Thanks!

Unfortunately the nitrite phase is the longest; every tank is different but typical time for nitrites is about 3 weeks. Hang in there.

 

[mrvincent]

I used nutrafin cycle with fish. Not a problem

For me too. Hetereotrophics bacterias need uneaten food or "quality waste" to create ammonia. Don't understand how this could happen in a new clean tank...

 

[Delapool]

I've heard that before too. In a fresh tank, it will take off and produce ammonia. Pretty odd since organics should be very low.