My cycle log.

[eco23]

You're off to a great start . Gotta love it when a plan comes together. The nitrAtes may be from the water you added...it seems a bit early for them to show up on their own.

 

[librarygirl]

Awesome!!!

 

[pistolero]

You're off to a great start . Gotta love it when a plan comes together. The nitrAtes may be from the water you added...it seems a bit early for them to show up on their own.

Maybe. My tapwater does show ammonia, but no nitrates or nitrites. I'm hoping it just started fast due to the seeded filter material. There was a couple of gallons from the cycling 10 though that would have had some. We'll know in the next few days, if it continues to go up.

 

[pistolero]

Also the nitrite and nitrate both rose in the last 24 hours, that's pretty good isn't it? Should be a good sign that both the ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate bacteria are present and working.

 

[eco23]

Also the nitrite and nitrate both rose in the last 24 hours, that's pretty good isn't it? Should be a good sign that both the ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate bacteria are present and working.

That's good news. It won't be long before you're begging for them to start dropping instead of rising, lol.

 

[pistolero]

That's good news. It won't be long before you're begging for them to start dropping instead of rising, lol.

Haha, yeah I hope so. Thanks.

 

[pistolero]

Temp 82 degrees
ph 7.5
ammonia 4 ppm
nitrite 5 ppm
nitrate 40 ppm

I guess they're kickin in now. Is it even possible to have that much nitrate & nitrite without a more noticeable loss of ammonia? I mean I put a few drops of ammonia and another pinch of flake the other day but that's not much in a 40.

 

[eco23]

Something weird is happening recently. What I'm learning with this cycling business is that things happen at the same time. It's like the fish gods say "I know! This week we'll make this happen to everyone's tank!". We've got a few members having similar things happening...and it's something I've never seen until a few days ago.

Even with seeded media, there should be significant drops in ammonia before you have nitrIte and nitrAte spikes. Seeded media can cause things like nitrAtes climbing without seeing nitrItes...but something has to be converting the ammonia to have nitrItes to begin with. Everything should be relative...so, ammonia drops and raises nitrItes, then the nitrItes are converted to nitrAtes, etc... NitrItes basically appearing out of nowhere seems to defy the laws of science and the nitrogen cycle.

Here's my advice for this weeks challenge . Don't argue with a good thing. If you have conversion happening...we'll just be happy for now. If in a weeks time we're still seeing no2 and no3 spikes without ammonia conversion...we're gonna have to find an accomplished microbiologist to ask a few questions to, lol.

 

[pistolero]

After a 10 gallon (25%) water change I have these readings:

81 degrees
ammonia 2 maybe 3
nitrite 2 ppm
nitrate 20 ppm

It doesn't make sense that a 25% water change would halve some values but the color charts basically double values at each change so the accuracy is compromised some I guess. Especially on the nitrite, for example, there's not much color difference between the 2ppm and the 5ppm but that's more than double the measurement. I'm working with what I got.

EDIT: Added ammonia back to 4 ppm.

 

[pistolero]

Haven't changed anything since upping the ammonia back to 4 almost 48 hours ago now we have this:

temp: 85
ammonia < 2 ppm, (darker than 1 but not near 2, like 1.5 maybe)
nitrite >5 (dark purple)
nitrate 40ppm

I'm thinking I should do another 10 gallon water change to lower the nitrite, I don't want to poison the BB, right?

 

[eco23]

Haven't changed anything since upping the ammonia back to 4 almost 48 hours ago now we have this:

temp: 85
ammonia < 2 ppm, (darker than 1 but not near 2, like 1.5 maybe)
nitrite >5 (dark purple)
nitrate 40ppm

I'm thinking I should do another 10 gallon water change to lower the nitrite, I don't want to poison the BB, right?

If you just hit 5 in the last couple days, I'd say you can give it quite a few more before needing a big pwc to bring it down. If you do water changes every time no2 hits 5....you're gonna be doing them every day which basically defeats the purpose of doing a fishless cycle. You can if you want...I'm just sayin.

 

[pistolero]

If you just hit 5 in the last couple days, I'd say you can give it quite a few more before needing a big pwc to bring it down. If you do water changes every time no2 hits 5....you're gonna be doing them every day which basically defeats the purpose of doing a fishless cycle. You can if you want...I'm just sayin.

Thanks! I may wait until Saturday when I have more time.

 

[pistolero]

I have 0 ammonia today.
Nitrite is >5 pmm.

I'm probably gonna switch the filters and gravel to the 55 tonight, and save a bucket or two of water from the 40 that will make it the same as a 85-90% water change. Hope to start stocking next weekend if the rest goes well.

 

[pistolero]

Aaarrggh. Well I moved everything over to the 55, kept 15 gallons of water from the 40 to put in it. It still tested over 5 ppm nitrite. So then I changed out 15 gallons and still got 5 ppm. Must have been way off the chart in the 40 gallon. I didn't add any more ammonia it tested at .5 ppm (from my tap water). Today it's closer to .25 so the BB isn't dead I guess. Just hope those nitrite eating bugs will kick in this week.

I dropped in a dose of Prime for about 20-25 gallons worth hoping maybe to keep the toxicity down enough not to kill off the BB. If I can muster the gumption I'll change out another 15 or 20 gallons tonight. I'd feel better if I at least knew where the nitrites were, as long as they test off the chart they could be 15-25 ppm for all I know.

On the plus side I think the tank/stand setup looks pretty sharp. With some fish in it it'll be cool.

 

[pistolero]

Well I didn't do a water change last night but I just got done doing a 25 gallon change (almost 50%). Tested when I got home, nitrite still 5 or more. Update imminent, I'll let it sit a few minutes then start testing for new numbers.

 

[pistolero]

Nitrite still shows 5 ppm. I did a nitrite check on my tap water and it shows 0. So there is definitely lots of nitrite in my tank. Should I do ANOTHER 50% water change?

 

[pistolero]

Changed 20 gallons more, still have 5 ppm reading of nitrite. ???

 

[eco23]

Changed 20 gallons more, still have 5 ppm reading of nitrite. ???

If you've got the bucket out and want to get it down...you might as well drain that thing to the gravel. That'll get the level down. You've already put in this much work...might as well finish it off . It wouldn't be the end of the world if you leave it as it is though.

 

[pistolero]

If you've got the bucket out and want to get it down...you might as well drain that thing to the gravel. That'll get the level down. You've already put in this much work...might as well finish it off . It wouldn't be the end of the world if you leave it as it is though.

Thanks, brother. That's pretty much what I've decided. It may wait until the weekend again. Probably not. But the next time I bother draining this tank I'm gonna take it down to the gravel.

 

[pistolero]

Well tonight I did a 50 gallon water change. The readings after the change (and a teaspoon of ammonia) are:
temp 85*
ammonia 2ppm
nitrite 0.25 ppm
nitrate <5ppm

I might bump up the ammonia, but just a little. I would really like to avoid doing this again!