Day 7 of Cycling--already cycled or just a fluke?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

imasillymomma

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
19
Location
Pennsylvania
Hello!

I posted exactly a week ago about doing a fish-less cycle. As was suggested, I started adding ammonia to the water with a pinch of flake food. I also took the filter cartridge from one of the filters in my other tank, shook it out in the water and then placed it in the filter in front of the new cartridge (so the water flows through the bacteria-filled one first).

That being said, for two days now my ammonia level has dropped to zero within 24 hours and my nitrAtes have gone up, but I have seen no nitrIte spike at all. I keep adding more ammonia and it seems to just disappear. I brought it up to 4ppm this morning and this evening it is already reading 0ppm. Am I doing something wrong? Should I test more often to see if the nitrIte spikes?

As much as I want to get some of my fish into the new tank, I am not willing to risk their lives. I do not want to put them in until I am absolutely sure that it is cycled.

Thanks for any advice!

~Tammy
 
Hello!

I posted exactly a week ago about doing a fish-less cycle. As was suggested, I started adding ammonia to the water with a pinch of flake food. I also took the filter cartridge from one of the filters in my other tank, shook it out in the water and then placed it in the filter in front of the new cartridge (so the water flows through the bacteria-filled one first).

That being said, for two days now my ammonia level has dropped to zero within 24 hours and my nitrAtes have gone up, but I have seen no nitrIte spike at all. I keep adding more ammonia and it seems to just disappear. I brought it up to 4ppm this morning and this evening it is already reading 0ppm. Am I doing something wrong? Should I test more often to see if the nitrIte spikes?

As much as I want to get some of my fish into the new tank, I am not willing to risk their lives. I do not want to put them in until I am absolutely sure that it is cycled.

Thanks for any advice!

~Tammy
Usually when you cycle you see an ammonia spike first and nitrite and nitrates read 0 then ammonia starts going down to zero and nitrite starts to spike. After nitrite lowers to zero that's when you usually get reading for nitrates. If your testing for all three and you're getting zeros for ammonia and nitrite and some nitrate then your close. Nitrates arent as bad so low nitrates are ok just my opinion. especially if your going to have live plants.I always test everyday for a week after I think a tank is cycled. I try to bring nitrates as low as I can and slowly add fish. And when I do I always add son notifying bacteria to help with the extra waste the fish will produce. Hope this helps and good luck. If I'm wrong in anything someone please correct me
 
Sometimes you never see the nitrites spike. In a properly cycled system, it does not linger. The spike may last a few hours at best.
Just curious, how much fish food was needed to raise the ammonia to 4 ppm?
 
I used about 3/4 cap full of pure ammonia and a pinch of food in a 30 gallon tank. I was told that the food helps with getting the bacteria to grow.

I added more ammonia last night to get it back to 4ppm and will be re-testing the parameters shortly.

Thanks for the replies!
 
After adding ammonia last night, my parameters were:

pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 4ppm
NitrIte: 0ppm
NitrAte: 40ppm

Almost 12 hours later my parameters stand at:

pH: 8.1
Ammonia: 2ppm
NitrIte: .25ppm
NitrAte: 40ppm

I will test again around noon and see how it's going.
 
This seems to be turning into a journal of my cycling. LOL

Noon parameters:

pH: 8
Ammonia: 1
NitrIte: .25
NitrAte: 40
 
No, I'm too new to all of this and am trying to get the courage up to plant a tank. This one has nothing but silk plants at this time.
 
No, I'm too new to all of this and am trying to get the courage up to plant a tank. This one has nothing but silk plants at this time. Would the fact that I used a seriously bacteria laden cartridge from my other tank to help things along make a difference?
 
Last night's readings (24 hour mark):

pH: 8.1
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
NitrAte: 40

Added more ammonia and this morning we are at:

pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 4
NitrIte: .75
NitrAte: 40
 
Jobin is right... you should be seeing an increase in nitrate whenever ammonia and nitrite decrease. The most like cause of these weird readings is, and don't take this personally, that you're doing the tests wrong. What testing method are you using? The nitrate test for the API Master Kit is notorious for giving false readings unless you REALLY shake up the reagent bottles first. I know its tricked me more than once.

Its possible that the filter squeezings you added helped jump start your cycle a bit and thats why youre not seeing a big nitrate spike. I wouldnt put all of my trust in that though. Keep testing for a bit longer until you know youre getting good (and accurate) results.

Also, whoever told you to "add a pinch of fish food to help the bacteria grow" was misinformed and has consequently misinformed you. Just use the ammonia. Dont feel bad... it happens a lot around here. Feel free to second guess stuff, get second (and third) opinions and do independent research outside of these forums. After a while you'll start to learn who's giving decent advice and who's just parroting the bad information that they received when they were first starting in the hobby.
 
Jobin is right... you should be seeing an increase in nitrate whenever ammonia and nitrite decrease. The most like cause of these weird readings is, and don't take this personally, that you're doing the tests wrong. What testing method are you using? The nitrate test for the API Master Kit is notorious for giving false readings unless you REALLY shake up the reagent bottles first. I know its tricked me more than once.

I am posting results of tests that I am taking 3 times per day. I actually stopped posting because I figured it was pointless when I have the information here in a notebook. I am seeing nitrite go up now and then drop again. I just tested again a short while ago after bringing the ammonia up to 4ppm again 24 hours ago. My current parameters are:

pH: 8
Ammonia: 0
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: 40

I have not changed the water since I started and do not intend to until I know for sure that it is cycled. As for the Nitrate test, I shake the first bottle for about 10 seconds then add it to the test tube. Then, I bang the second bottle off of the counter a few times to loosen the stuff at the bottom of the bottle and then shake it for 30 seconds minimum before adding it to the test tube. Then I shake the tube for a full minute. It's staying at a constant 40ppm NitrAte now, which is exactly what my other tank is. The water here is from a well and it starts out at 40ppm from the tap. I've tested it multiple times and even spoke with my landlord about it. Is there any other test I could try?


Its possible that the filter squeezings you added helped jump start your cycle a bit and thats why youre not seeing a big nitrate spike. I wouldnt put all of my trust in that though. Keep testing for a bit longer until you know youre getting good (and accurate) results.

Also, whoever told you to "add a pinch of fish food to help the bacteria grow" was misinformed and has consequently misinformed you. Just use the ammonia. Dont feel bad... it happens a lot around here. Feel free to second guess stuff, get second (and third) opinions and do independent research outside of these forums. After a while you'll start to learn who's giving decent advice and who's just parroting the bad information that they received when they were first starting in the hobby.

Thanks for the tips! I'm waiting until I have a full week of steady results before moving forward with anything.
 
Back
Top Bottom