has my cycle stalled

[yaioa]

I am starting my first ever tank and trying a fishless cycle. I started cycling my tank on 30th december 2012. I have tried to follow advice from this site. I have a 90 litre tank, with plants in it. I added seed from friends filter from established tank. I have been using ammonia. I thought everything was going well but now i'm not sure.

9th Jan 2013 - ammonia = 4ppm

10th Jan - ammonia = 2ppm, nitrite = 0.25ppm

11th Jan -ammonia = 1ppm, nitirte = 0.5ppm. I added ammonia back up to 4ppm.

12th Jan - ammonia =1ppm, nitrite = 2ppm. I added ammonia back up to 4ppm

13th Jan - ammonia =1ppm, nitrite = 5ppm, nitrate = 5ppm, ph = 6.8. I added ammonia back up to 4ppm

14th Jan - ammonia = 2ppm, nitrite was way off the scale, nitrate = 10ppm. I added ammonia back up to 4ppm

15th Jan - ammonia = 2ppm, nitrite was way off the scale, nitrate = 20ppm. didn't add ammonia today.

16th Jan - ammonia = 2ppm, nitrite was lighter colour but still off the scale,nitrate = 7ppm. I added ammonia back up to 4ppm

17th Jan - ammonia = 3ppm, nitrite is still off the scale but a lot lighter in colour than yesterday. nitrate was below 5ppm but not at zero. ph = 7.6.
I haven't done anything else today as am looking for help.

I have been testing at the same time every day and using API liquid test kit. I am not sure if I'm doing something wrong as my nitrites and nitrates seem to be going the wrong way. I have also added a small amount of fish food on the 10th and 13th. Only other thing I have added is plant food once a week.
Sorry if I've written too much, but thought I should put as much info as possible. Any advise about what I am doing wrong would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bdonaldson]

I have read that if you raise the temperature up to 85 or 90 degrees that the bacteria will grow much faster. Also read that the you should add the ammonia each day and when the bacteria starts to get established you will see the nitrite spike as the ammonia reading goes down and then the nitrite will go down. Once all the readings are at 0 then your tank will have finished the cycle. Also read that you shouldn't add all of the fish that you want to keep at the same time. Add a few fish every couple of weeks. Good luck.

 

[Bdonaldson]

I wouldn't put anymore ammonia in for at least a couple of days but continue to monitor the readings and see what happens with the nitrate and nitrite reading.

 

[yaioa]

I have had the temperature up high since I started cycling the tank. Am worried that the nitrates as well as the nitrites are going down. Thinking of doing a pwc to see if that helps!

 

[Bdonaldson]

You want them to go down to 0.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Once they have spiked which it looks like the have. Then you want them to read 0.

 

[Bdonaldson]

I am just setting up a 20 gal. Planted tank so I am getting ready to do the same thing.

 

[yaioa]

Thanks for your prompt reply. I thought it was only the ammonia and the nitrite that had to go down to 0. Shouldn't the nitrates keep getting higher.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Yes you are absolutely right. Meant to say ammonia and nitrite. The cycle is finished once the nitrate levels start to rise and the ammonia and nitrite levels are at 0.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Just give it a day or two. The fact that you have a nitrate reading indicates that the cycling process is working. You just need for the ammonia and nitrite to go down to zero.

 

[yaioa]

OK, thanks for your advice, I'll just leave it and test the levels over the next day or two.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Just read some additional info.

I just read that you shouldn't let the Ammonia get down to less than 1ppm during the cycling process until the cycling is finished. But it looked like you were ok. Just thought I would forward that info.

 

[yaioa]

Thanks for your advice. Checked today. Ammonia = 1ppm, Nitrite = 0.25ppm, Nitrate almost zero and PH = 7.6. I am wondering if the plants are using up the nitrates.Did a 75% pwc and added ammonia up to 4ppm and PH = 7. Hopefully everything will keep going in the right direction. Will measure everything tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!

 

[librarygirl]

The water change to get nitrite down was a good idea. I didn't see a PH number in your initial post so I'm wondering if the PH dropped which caused the cycle to stall. If it's at 7 now that's good, but test it again tomorrow when you do the other tests and let us know what it is. If it starts to fall then you may need to buffer the water to keep the PH up as the bacteria don't like it when the PH falls to mid-low 6's.

 

[yaioa]

My PH was 6.8 at start of cycle 20 days ago, it was 7.6 for the last few days before the water change, and 7 after. Checked my levels today and nothing has changed.
Ammonia = 4ppm, Nitrite and Nitrate are at zero and PH = 7.
Any advice appreciated!!

 

[Bdonaldson]

Aeration

I also read that you need to have a lot of aeration in the tank to help the process along. I just started my 20 gal. planted tank and have been reading up on the subject of fishless cycling. So far my readings have been

For 12/17 and 12/18

Ammonia = 4.0 to 5.0 ppm for both days.
Nitrite = 0 which still not established which is to be expected at this early state.
Nitrate = 0 also since it is still early in the process.
Ph = 8.5 for the first day and second day was 7.5
KH = was 240 first day and 120 second day.
GH = 30 for both days.

Just thought I would share my reading with you so you can compare with yours.
Hope it is all going well.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Nitrite wrong

Corrections:
My nitrite was .5 on the second day.

 

[librarygirl]

My PH was 6.8 at start of cycle 20 days ago, it was 7.6 for the last few days before the water change, and 7 after. Checked my levels today and nothing has changed.
Ammonia = 4ppm, Nitrite and Nitrate are at zero and PH = 7.
Any advice appreciated!!

Since you just did a large water change I'd wait a couple more days to see if anything happens. I suspect the PH fluctuations may be playing a role here, too, but let's see what happens in the next few days.

 

[yaioa]

Thanks for advice, will keep checking for next few days then and I'l let you know how I get on!