Cycling my 60 Gallon tank - Are these readings normal?

[NoxArcane]

Hello!

Firstly, I would like to shout out and say, THANKYOU to eco23 for his fishless cycle guide. It was just what I needed!

I'm in the process of cycling my 60 gallon tank. I started it on July 27, and I have kept a journal of my readings ever since I started it.

I have plants in my tank, and I am dosing them with Flourish, Flourish Excel and Flourish Iron -- but my plants aren't the problem, although I know they can give screwy readings.

14 August - I took 80 litres out of the tank when NitrItes and NitrAtes were off the chart, but it did not lower them very much.

17 August
NitrIte = 2ppm
pH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0ppm
Fed my plants

18 August
NitrIte = 0.50ppm
pH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0ppm

19 August
NitrIte = between 0.25 and 0.50ppm
pH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0ppm

20 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 2ppm
NitrAte = 30ppm
Ammonia = 0ppm
Fed my plants

21 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 0.25ppm
Ammonia = 0ppm

22 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 1ppm
NitrAte = 40ppm
Ammonia = 0ppm
Fed my plants

23 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 4ppm
NitrAte = 80ppm
Ammonia = oppm

24 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 5ppm
NitrAte = 80ppm
Ammonia = 0ppm

25 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 5ppm
NitrAte = 160ppm
Ammonia = 0ppm
Fed my plants

26 August
pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 0.25ppm
NitrAte = 20ppm
Ammonia = 0ppm


Oh, and I'm using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, for testing these readings. The batch number for the kit expires 2017 so it's still good.

This is documenting my readings I have taken from the tank ever since my Ammonia was dropping overnight after I was dosing it up to between 3 and 4ppm. Sometimes I wasn't dead on 4ppm because some nights my tank was stubborn to reach 4ppm so I settled on a "near enough" approach.

I was wondering if the fluctuating in the readings of my nitrItes and nitrAtes are normal, because of my heavily planted tank. And if the ammonia disappearing overnight means the cycle has finished, and it's only my plants that are giving me the nitrItes that are bouncing around all over the place.

On another fish forum, I asked how long a tank can survive without any ammonia being put in (because I have literally got none left now, and I'm sweating on some arriving in the mail because I cannot buy it from any stores in my area - I'm in Australia), but I got my head ripped off that I was putting too much ammonia in the tank and my nitrItes shouldn't be allowed to get higher than 2ppm because they will stall the cycle. (Not a pleasant experience on that forum, right from my "hello, my name is..." post) And that I should perform 100% water-change, dose the tank to 1ppm and if it disappears overnight, then it is finished.

So here I am, asking the people who are familiar with the guide I am following, if these kind of readings are normal...
I am reluctant to do the suggested 100% water change and then add more ammonia to the tank, because not only is it a hell of a lot of water that I will have to change AGAIN before I get my fish... but because eco's guide says that water change happens at the end, and the only time a water change has to be done is A) if the pH starts dropping, or B) to bring the nitrItes and nitrAtes back into a readable range.

Any advice would be welcomed. (So long as it doesn't involve biting my head off again, because I've had a bellyful of that, to be honest.)

 

[NoxArcane]

Doing further reading, I have read that it is necessary to shake the test bottles... not only the test tubes. Woops.

So, these are today's readings, approximately 2.5hours after I administered more ammonia to the tank.

pH = 7.6
NitrIte = 5ppm
NitrAte = 80ppm
Ammonia = 2ppm (I cannot add more ammonia to get the ammonia levels higher. Can't add what I haven't got )

 

[Rivercats]

If you can't or don't have ammonia you can use something else as your ammonia source. Some people put fish food in a media bag and put it in the tank, some use a raw shrimp in a bag. Research for alternative ammonia sources you could use. They won't be as precise as using measurable ammonia but sometimes you have to think outside the box.

 

[NoxArcane]

I had enough ammonia to add to the tank today, so I have my fingers crossed that the new stuff will arrive tomorrow. If not, I will try putting some fish food in a media bag.

I have been advised against using a shrink or anything dead in the tank as a source of ammonia because it runs the risk of introducing bad bacteria.


Test results today
pH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0ppm
NitrIte = < 0.25ppm
NitrAte = 40ppm

My nitrIte have dropped a LOT since last night.

 

[Rivercats]

It sounds like your getting to the end of your cycle.

 

[NoxArcane]

So the fluctuations I have been experiencing with my nitrItes the last couple of days have been normal? How it drops down to practically nothing, only to surge back up to 5ppm or greater the following day?

 

[Rivercats]

Everybody's tank cycles differently and there is no way to explain why one tank does something strange and another tank is text book perfect. As long as the end result is the same there is no use worrying about something that can't be explained.

 

[NoxArcane]

Okay, thanks. I will try and not worry.

 

[flitabout]

I got really weird results at the end of mine too. It is totally normal for it not to be normal!

 

[NoxArcane]

Thanks, flitabout.
My ammonia has arrived and I have started dosing the tank again (after having some fishfood in it) so hopefully it won't be long now until the cycle has finished.