Day 27 Fishless Cycle, Where are the Nitrites??

[Ruth87]

Hi

Just wanted some peace of mind that the cycling is working. My tank reduced the first lot of AMM from 5ppm to almost 0ppm in roughly 3 weeks without showing any Nitrites. As advised I topped up to the Amm to 4ppm and the Amm is dropping roughly 3ppm today but I am still getting 0ppm Nitrites and Nitrates. Is this normal? If so any ideas when i might start to see Nitrites etc?

I've boosted the tank temp to about 82 as sugested in the fab guide on the forums.

I've read about adding some fish food to help would this work?

Many thanks everyone

Ruth

 

[Hubert90]

Hi

Just wanted some peace of mind that the cycling is working. My tank reduced the first lot of AMM from 5ppm to almost 0ppm in roughly 3 weeks without showing any Nitrites. As advised I topped up to the Amm to 4ppm and the Amm is dropping roughly 3ppm today but I am still getting 0ppm Nitrites and Nitrates. Is this normal? If so any ideas when i might start to see Nitrites etc?

I've boosted the tank temp to about 82 as sugested in the fab guide on the forums.

I've read about adding some fish food to help would this work?

Many thanks everyone

Ruth

U should be getting a nitrate reading at least. Are u using liquid test kit? Are u shakin ur nitrate bottle #2 for 30 sec and the test tube for 60 sec? If not u wouldn't get a reading.

Adding fish food is another source of ammonia. In ur case it wouldn't be necessary because ur ammonia is already up at 4ppm

But u are close by the looks of it. Keep testing. Soon u will probably get a huge spike in nitrite.

 

[Ruth87]

Using an API master test kit , liquid one doing alot of shaking of bottles and test tubes lol but yeh checking every 3 days.

 

[Hubert90]

Using an API master test kit , liquid one doing alot of shaking of bottles and test tubes lol but yeh checking every 3 days.

That's really odd. To get no nitrite and nitrate reading with 4ppm ammonia. Do u have any plants?

 

[Ruth87]

no plants at all

 

[rich311k]

I think you are probably close to done, have you had your tests results verified by a store or a second test kit. All that ammonia went somewhere.

 

[j2112j]

I didn't see any nitrItes even after my ammo had been converted, until the day after I added a few fish flakes. The suggestion is that the flakes have nutrients the cycle needs that your water may not have. It could have been coincidence though.

It's all a mystery to me at this point.

My ammo still can't convert 4 ppm to 0 in 24 hours after 2 months

Actually it can't even convert 1 ppm to 0

So whatever I did, do the opposite

 

[eco23]

I've gotta agree this is most likely a false test. I've heard of some bad batches of API liquids that aren't effective. BTW, whoever told you to add fish during this process has absolutely no idea what they're doing and should be legally banned from ever keeping fish, lol.

 

[Hubert90]

I've gotta agree this is most likely a false test. I've heard of some bad batches of API liquids that aren't effective. BTW, whoever told you to add fish during this process has absolutely no idea what they're doing and should be legally banned from ever keeping fish, lol.

He said add fish food not fish I thought I read fish the first time round xD

 

[Ruth87]

so.... if my test kit is faulty iv got a problem as I cant get to my local store easily erm do i just keep monitoring my AMM until it drops within 24 hrs and carry on as usual?

 

[eco23]

He said add fish food not fish I thought I read fish the first time round xD

Haha, I guess my eyes move faster than my brain some time. Unless an edit took place, lol.

 

[rich311k]

I think that after 27+ days if you add 4 ppm ammonia and it goes to 0 in 24 hours you have got to be well on your way to done. I would at that point if it were my tank do a 90% water change and add some fish. I would do 50% changes every 2-3 days but if the fish did well I would consider the job done and get on to the fun stuff.

 

[eco23]

so.... if my test kit is faulty iv got a problem as I cant get to my local store easily erm do i just keep monitoring my AMM until it drops within 24 hrs and carry on as usual?

No, we've gotta make sure no2 drops to 0 in 24 hours as well. The no2 is just as dangerous as ammo and may be spiking very high right now if the test is not accurate.

After all the work you've already done...lets make sure it's actually finished before stocking.

 

[eco23]

I think that after 27+ days if you add 4 ppm ammonia and it goes to 0 in 24 hours you have got to be well on your way to done. I would at that point if it were my tank do a 90% water change and add some fish. I would do 50% changes every 2-3 days but if the fish did well I would consider the job done and get on to the fun stuff.

Sorry Rich, I've gotta really disagree with this one. I think a second opinion on the test is the absolute minimum we've gotta get done. I don't think we're at the point that we've gotta pull the panic switch yet.

27 days of fishless cycling that just results in a fish-in cycle is whats really wasted time IMO. Remember too a fishless cycle can take 4-8 weeks, many people can finish faster with a few tricks that you seem like you're doing.

 

[xawen]

It's possible that there aren't any nitrites or nitrates and the test is accurate. I have similar unfortunate experience with a long cycle that won't get started. I noticed that over the period of a few weeks, the ammonia levels would very slowly drop to about 1ppm without producing any measurable nitrates or nitrites.

My best guess is that over that long a period of time, some of the ammonia is off gassing in the air exchange (my tank has a lot of surface agitation during it's cycle).

Just a theory, but it's something I did notice...

 

[rich311k]

Sorry Rich, I've gotta really disagree with this one. I think a second opinion on the test is the absolute minimum we've gotta get done.

27 days of fishless cycling that just results in a fish-in cycle is whats really wasted time IMO. Remember too a fishless cycle can take 4-8 weeks, many people can finish faster with a few tricks that you seem like you're doing.

That is more than fair enough that is why I said 90% water change, if we all agreed what fun would it be. I do agree new tests or at least a second party doing tests is needed here.

 

[eco23]

It's possible that there aren't any nitrites or nitrates and the test is accurate. I have similar unfortunate experience with a long cycle that won't get started. I noticed that over the period of a few weeks, the ammonia levels would very slowly drop to about 1ppm without producing any measurable nitrates or nitrites.

My best guess is that over that long a period of time, some of the ammonia is off gassing in the air exchange (my tank has a lot of surface agitation during it's cycle).

Just a theory, but it's something I did notice...

At the rate the ammo is dropping, I don't think is being caused by anaerobic bacteria converting anything. It's gotta go further through the nitrogen cycle for that to happen. A heavily planted tank could really reduce it, but I don't think that's what's happening.

 

[Ruth87]

perhaps another few days and test again to see if nitrites start to show i have noticed that the test i have done tonight the Nitrate tube isnt just pure yellow it looks kinda of off yellow so perhaps things are showing just slowly. Im considering adding a live plant soon so when i go perhaps at the weekend i'l take a water sample for them to test. Local decent pet place is almost an hour away by bus. the local pet shop probably wudn't know what a test is the last time i went there the poor little fish were covered in white spot.

 

[eco23]

With the way this is going, assuming the test is accurate...I'd expect to see am explosion of no2 in the next few days. Maybe the nitrifying bacteria is just constipated, lol.

 

[Ruth87]

do you think adding live plants could be a benefit?