fuadramsey
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2011
- Messages
- 2
I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank.
I'm in day 25 of trying to get the cycle. Ammonia will drop from 3ppm to .5 in 24 hours (I know it should be 0) and nitrites are zero and nitrates are off the chart. I've seen the nitrites peak and then fall to zero at around the second week of cycling this.
Here's what I've done:
Initially dosed the aquarium to 4ppm ammonia. Did not take that much ammonia (4 drops). Kept the ammonia levels to 4ppm with around 4 drops added daily. Then around the second week nitrites climbed off the charts 5+ppm and it took about 25 drops of ammonia daily to bring the levels up to 4ppm. After the second week the nitrites then went down to zero.
It's been about a week and a half from then and each day the nitrites are zero, nitrates are off the chart 100ppm or so, and ammonia is around .5ppm after 24 hours, and that's after bringing the ammonia levels up to 3-4 ppm.
Is my tank cycled since the nitrites spiked and the ammonia is being converted? I know ammonia is supposed to be 0 in 24 hours, but why is the nitrite 0 then? Maybe I'm adding too much ammonia?
Please advise.
Thanks!
I'm in day 25 of trying to get the cycle. Ammonia will drop from 3ppm to .5 in 24 hours (I know it should be 0) and nitrites are zero and nitrates are off the chart. I've seen the nitrites peak and then fall to zero at around the second week of cycling this.
Here's what I've done:
Initially dosed the aquarium to 4ppm ammonia. Did not take that much ammonia (4 drops). Kept the ammonia levels to 4ppm with around 4 drops added daily. Then around the second week nitrites climbed off the charts 5+ppm and it took about 25 drops of ammonia daily to bring the levels up to 4ppm. After the second week the nitrites then went down to zero.
It's been about a week and a half from then and each day the nitrites are zero, nitrates are off the chart 100ppm or so, and ammonia is around .5ppm after 24 hours, and that's after bringing the ammonia levels up to 3-4 ppm.
Is my tank cycled since the nitrites spiked and the ammonia is being converted? I know ammonia is supposed to be 0 in 24 hours, but why is the nitrite 0 then? Maybe I'm adding too much ammonia?
Please advise.
Thanks!