Cycling Question

[xStardustx]

So I'm about 4 weeks into the cycling process, my nitrite levels have finally dropped (at 0 now were off the charts for awhile), ammonia is at .25, but still no nitrate....do I just need to give it more time?

 

[Mebbid]

Yep. your tank is fully cycled when a 4ppm dose will be cycled 100% into nitrates in 1 day. How often and how much ammonia are you dosing? When I did my first fishless cycle I got bored and just added the fish. My tank was cycling through 4ppm ammonia per day but the nitrite wasn't going away nearly as fast. I never had any readings of nitrite or ammonia after adding my fish.

 

[xStardustx]

There's fish in it... I couldnt wait....

 

[Mebbid]

Ahh I assumed that you were doing a fishless cycle. Then yeah just keep up with the water changes until you stop getting ammonia / nitrite readings. It can sometimes take up to 2 months while doing a fish in cycle. What do you have for stocking in the tank and how large is it?

 

[xStardustx]

75 gal - 4 Yellow Labs

 

[librarygirl]

If you had nitrites and now you don't, you should have nitrate. Nitrites are processed into nitrate. So unless they were removed manually through water changes you should have nitrates. What test kit are you using?

 

[xStardustx]

API master kit, I had nitrites for a couple weeks they're gone now, and no nitrates, which I thought was quite weird...

 

[Mebbid]

API master kit, I had nitrites for a couple weeks they're gone now, and no nitrates, which I thought was quite weird...

Are you carefully following the directions? Usually when I screw up doing the API nitrate test it gives me a 0 ppm reading.

 

[xStardustx]

Yep... i've done the tests multiple times... same results...