How long before I start seeing nitrites??

[Salukie]

I'm so impatient!

New 60 gallon tank
Aquaclear 500 hob (110), foam and ceramic, no carbon
Temp: 26.5 C (80 F)
PH: 8.0
Water hardness: Hard!
Stock: none yet, planning on goldfish

I added cocktail shrimp in the tank 5 days ago, and added some seeded media in the filter 4 days ago (a piece of foam and a sock full of gravel).

Ammonia: hangs around 4ppm
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0

How long will it take for this cycle to start? Anything I should do that I'm not already doing?

I've got a bubbler going and the water level is a little low so the water coming out of the filter creates a little waterfall for aeration.

I should add that I've recently discovered that my town has been adding something to our tap water to combat some sort of algea bloom (lovely!). I've been doing water changes (with Prime) on my other tank (cherry shrimp) this whole time and everything seems fine there.

The water is supposedly still safe to drink but it smells a little funny and has an aftertaste. Maybe I should start a new thread asking about this anti-algae chemical.

Anyway...

For everyone who's done a cycle with seeded media, how long do I have to wait until there's Nitrites?

I was planning on adding some more seeded media once there was nitrites to further speed this cycle up and get nitrates. Good idea?

Another question: I've got the temperature cranked up high to speed up the cycle. Once the cycle is all done, will lowering the temp to goldfish comfyness put my beneficial bacteria in a state of shock or will my cycle be okay?

Thanks!!

 

[Clayman]

It's different for every tank, and usually IME, the bacteria for converting the ammonia to nitrite take longer than the bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate. Patience is the key. If your ammonia is staying at 4ppm all you need to do is wait until it starts to drop and then bring it back up until you see nitrates. Then wait for ammonia and nitrite to zero out.

 

[Mebbid]

Keep in mind it can take up to 2 months to cycle a tank.

I doubt the anti algae additive is going to be a hindrance, but you can call your water company to check what it is. We can help confirm if it's going to be problematic once you know exactly what is being added.

 

[ScotJudd]

It's also worth bearing in mind that if the filter has been seeded then your ammonia might convert to nitrites and then to nitrates without actually seeing a nitrite reading. This has happened to me a couple of times. Zero ammonia, zero nitrites and loads of nitrates is the aim.


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[Salukie]

Thanks for the replies.
I finally have nitrites, over two weeks later. Lol.
I don't think my seeded media worked.

 

[akrin1984]

Did you use any "bacteria in a bottle" products such as Seachem Stability? It's supposed to speed up a cycle. I got nitrites within a week using that.