Giant Nitrite Spike

[jcub264]

Hey guys I need some advice. I have 20gal regular tank. It's been about 4 weeks fish-in cycle but I don't think it has fully cycled yet. I have 4 albino corys an oto and 3 red apple snails. It is planted with 3 amazon sword, anubis nana and a morimo moss ball. I've been doing daily water tests(liquid) and have been dealing with ammo spikes but have been doing well. I change my water, if necessary, 25% almost every other day. I treat it with Prime.

Okay now the problem. 5 days ago I put premium carbon ammonia neutralizing blend in one of my filters to help the spikes. The other one is just regular carbon. It's a penguin biowheel 150. I didn't do a water test or pwc for four days (vacation). Yesterday I did a water test, my ammonia was .25ppm nitrite 4.0 ppm Nitrate 20 ppm and ph is 8.2. So I did I 25% wc. I took another test this morning and got ammo .20 nitrite 3.0 Nitrate 20 and ph 8.2 so I did a 50% wc today and waited about a hour to test and got ammo .10 nitrite .25 nitrate 10 and ph of 8.0.

Ever since i've been testing my water my nitiries have always been zero. Did I mess my tank up with adding the ammo to my filter? Or is it just part of cycling? Thanks guys

 

[Mumma.of.two]

You haven't stuffed the cycle, yet. Take the ammonia absorbing media out. It will be stealing it from the bacteria colony. A large nitrIte spike is a sign of the cycle moving forward. As the bacteria that consumes ammonia increase in population they give off more nitrite. I would suggest you do more water changes. You really need to keep the ammonia and nitrite as low as you can. Water changes will not slow the cycle but will protect your fish.

 

[jcub264]

Okay I took the ammo media out and replaced it with a regular carbon yesterday. Thanks for the advice! So just to be clear, my ammo and nitrite will be zero when my tank has cycled? Even with fish in it?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Okay I took the ammo media out and replaced it with a regular carbon yesterday. Thanks for the advice! So just to be clear, my ammo and nitrite will be zero when my tank has cycled? Even with fish in it?

Yes, they will be zero. The bacteria colony will be big enough to consume and convert it before a measurable amount is detected in the tank. The nitrate will rise and ammonia and nitrite will stay at 0.