Fishless Cycle - Stumped!

[guppy grandma]

I have been fishless cycling since 20/09/11 and am wondering what I’ve done wrong. There have been a couple of times I have been unable to take reading, but they are as follows:-

Date​

​

Ammonia​

​

Added​

​

Nitrite​

​

Nitrate​

​

20/09/11​

​

4​

​

　　　

21/09/11​

​

< 1​

​

Y​

​

　　

22/09/11​

​

4​

​

Y​

​

0 > <.25​

​

　23/09/11

0​

​

Y​

​

1​

​

80​

​

24/09/11

0.5​

​

Y​

​

0​

​

80​

​

25/09/11​

​

0​

​

Y​

​

0​

​

80​

​

28/09/11​

​

4​

​

　

>.25​

​

>80​

​

01/10/11​

​

0.25​

​

Y​

​

0​

​

< 80​

​

03/10/11​

​

> 0 < .25​

​

Y​

​

0​

​

> 40 < 80

04/10/11​

​

0.5​

​

　

0​

​

80​

​

Have been adding the odd pinch of food now and then. Cant understand why the nitrite and nitrate are not moving and WHY have I suddenly got lots of snails, I would have thought the conditions would have been almost primordial at times Help!

 

[eco23]

I'm having trouble following the chart to be honest. Are you saying that in 3 days the ammonia dropped once and the nitrAtes went from 0 to 80ppm? What test kit are you using and what's your pH? Are you using seeded media?

 

[guppy grandma]

I know apologies, hit the wrong button...proper one under "Fishless Cycle...the real one" Thank you for trying, have asked to have it removed.

 

[guppy grandma]

And, yes I'm using seeded material and using API liquid test and following you intructions I hope..

 

[guppy grandma]

The post "Fishless Cycle..the real one" can be read ok..it's me trying to be clever...never works, does it

 

[guppy grandma]

Better?
Date....... Amm...... Nitrite........ Nitrate
20/09 ........4
21/09........ < 1
22/09 .........4 .........>0 < .25
23/09 .........0 ...........1 ..............80
24/09 ....... .50 ..........0 .............> 40 < 80
25/09 ..........0............0 ..............80
28/09 ..........4 .........> .25 .........> 80
01/10 ....... .25 ...........0 ............< 80
03/10........ >0 < .25 ....0 ............> 40 < 80
04/10 ....... .50........... 0 ...............80

 

[eco23]

Seems like you might already be cycled. It's normal to not see no2 if cycling with lots of seeded media.

Tonight add 4ppm of ammonia...at this same time tomorrow test...if you have zero ammonia and zero nitrItes with some degree of nitrAtes...you're cycled

Seeded media is awesome

 

[guppy grandma]

WOW! That was quick. Will do as you advise. I checked the PH it is 6.5, which is low for our area, tap water is 7.6. Dont know what to do about the snails, dont know where they came from and there are dozens tonight.

Agree about the seed stuff, just given some to a friend, hoping it will sort her out. Right, downstairs to grab the ammonia, whoopee!!

Thank you for your patience with the initially Rubbish post.

My fish love crisps!

 

[eco23]

WOW! That was quick. Will do as you advise. I checked the PH it is 6.5, which is low for our area, tap water is 7.6. Dont know what to do about the snails, dont know where they came from and there are dozens tonight.

Agree about the seed stuff, just given some to a friend, hoping it will sort her out. Right, downstairs to grab the ammonia, whoopee!!

Thank you for your patience with the initially Rubbish post.

My fish love crisps!

Yeah, snails usually hitchhike their way in on live plants. If your pH is running low. I definitely do a very large pwc to restore it to the same value of your tap water. A sudden drop usually shows the buffers have been used up by the bacteria...and that can lead to stalls. Doing a large water change will restore those things to your water. I'd do that, add the ammonia then test tomorrow night. Hopefully it'll be good news