When is WC needed in a fishless cycle

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simplicitysarah

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
May 13, 2012
Messages
265
Location
Ohio
Hi! I am 1week into a fishless cycle in my 55 gals!
I am using pure ammonia to dose to 4ppm.
Yesterday's numbers:
pH 7.6
high pH 8.2
ammonia .25
Nitrite 5
nitrate 80-160

when do i know i need to do a water change or do i keep dosing ammonia until nitrites lower?
Thanks for your help!!
 
No water changes until cycle is complete. The best part of a fishless cycle.
 
if your nitrites go off the charts and stay there for more than a week, it is probably time to do a water change. Also, if you pH drops rapidly and gets below about 6.5, you would want to do a wc. But, otherwise, you just sit and watch it cycle.
 
looking good. you are on your way. in my experience nitrites basically disappear overnight, so test daily, any day could be the day.

by the way, there is only 1 pH reading in your tank. Your pH is 8.2. Both the pH test kit and the High Range pH test kit measure the same thing - the pH of the water. The range of pH they test is narrow, thus the necessity for different tests for different ranges. As 7.6 is the highest measurement for the "low range" pH test kit, if your pH is higher than 7.6 it will read as 7.6 on this kit. The High Range pH test kit is providing you with your true pH.
 
looking good. you are on your way. in my experience nitrites basically disappear overnight, so test daily, any day could be the day.

by the way, there is only 1 pH reading in your tank. Your pH is 8.2. Both the pH test kit and the High Range pH test kit measure the same thing - the pH of the water. The range of pH they test is narrow, thus the necessity for different tests for different ranges. As 7.6 is the highest measurement for the "low range" pH test kit, if your pH is higher than 7.6 it will read as 7.6 on this kit. The High Range pH test kit is providing you with your true pH.

im silly!! sorry! i wondered why there were too!!!..
my pH has been stable at around 8..
ok i'll continue on my cycle!!!!! just making sure i'm on right track!!!
 
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