Hello, new here, and already crashed my tank :(

[e30 gangsta]

tested just now

ph 7.6 ppm
ammonia 2.0 ppm
nitrite 5.0ppm
nitrate 20ppm

I guess its starting?

 

[jlk]

Yes, conversion is happening!

 

[e30 gangsta]

Just tested my ammonia. 1.0ppm I then tried dosing it back up to 4.0, but I overdid it yet again :/ So I did a 50% water change then waited 5 minutes and tested the water. I am now at

ammonia 4.0ppm
nitrite 1.0ppm
nitrate 10-20 ppm
ph 7.6

Now the question is, did I harm the BB by doing a 50% pwc? I tried to keep everything wet and do the water change with treated water as fast as possible.

Please let me know. Thanks guys.

 

[jlk]

No, a water change will not harm or slow your cycle as long as you use conditioned, temp-matched water. Some water changes are sometimes necessary during cycling to re-establish buffers or to bring down crazy levels of nitrites. Your fine!!

 

[e30 gangsta]

perfect. if the water is off a couple of degrees off does it do any harm in a fishless cycle?

 

[jlk]

A few degrees shouldnt have any affect. If it was ice cold, it can shock the bacteria & set things back a bit. You should be fine!

 

[GoldsGuy]

Just tested my ammonia. 1.0ppm I then tried dosing it back up to 4.0, but I overdid it yet again :/ So I did a 50% water change then waited 5 minutes and tested the water. I am now at

ammonia 4.0ppm
nitrite 1.0ppm
nitrate 10-20 ppm
ph 7.6

Now the question is, did I harm the BB by doing a 50% pwc? I tried to keep everything wet and do the water change with treated water as fast as possible.

Please let me know. Thanks guys.

I agree. BB lives on surfaces and not the water column.

 

[e30 gangsta]

Hey guys Just tested my water just now. Here are my results

ph 7.6ppm
ammonia 2.0-4.0 ppm
nitrite ( off the charts its like neon pink )
Nitrate is inbetween 80ppm and 160ppm More towards the red 160ppm color.

So now that my nitrite and nitrate are up there, do I leave it alone or do a pwc?

And yay progress!

 

[jlk]

Looks good!! Lots of conversion happening! You will need to keep an eye on your ph as well to make sure it stays stable. We dont have to do a water change quite yet (unless your ph has dropped). Lets see how things look tommorrow!

 

[e30 gangsta]

Hey guys Just tested my water just now. Here are my results

ph 7.6ppm Maybe a little bit more because it has gotten darker.
ammonia 0!!!
nitrite ( off the charts its like neon/purple pink )
Nitrate is 160+ppm

I just dosed the water with more ammonia to keep the BB fed.

Now what should I do? Check again the ammonia tomorrow night and if within 24 hours all the ammonia is gone my cycle is complete?

 

[jlk]

You have lots of great conversion happening! Once your ammonia & nitrite both zero out in 24hrs, then you are cycled. You have the amm aspect down-now we just have to wait out the nitrites which always take a bit longer. You have nitrite>nitrate conversion happening but its not quite up to speed yet. So, keep watching your ph & lets hope for the best!

 

[e30 gangsta]

what should I be looking for in Ph? drops or spikes?

also should I keep dosing ammonia into my tank?

and last but not least, should I do a 50% pwc to keep things fresh? and give the BB new nutrients to work with?

 

[jlk]

Watch for either drops or spikes- both affect the bacterial growth with drops being most dangerous. @6.5 nitritfication slows down, by 6 it stops completely. You have alot of conversion happening & your buffers are being used up in the process. Without the buffers, your ph can crash quickly. I would keep dosing your ammonia in the meantime. Anytime you want to do a big wc, go right ahead! Just make sure you use temp-matched , conditioned water. Keep us posted!

 

[librarygirl]

Looks good! Once the nitrite falls to 0 on its own then you're cycled; unfortunately the nitrite phase is the longest of the phases and can take up to 3 weeks on average. Yep keep dosing ammonia, but just once in 24 hours even if you test more often and it's at 0.

 

[e30 gangsta]

So 35-40 hours ago I did a 50% pwc and I dosed the water with ammonia to 4.0ppm.

I tested the water just now and this are my results.

ph 7.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 5.0+ ppm ( its a bit darker than the chart )
Nitrate 160ppm +



So the tank is totally converting ammonia, yet the nitrite is still there.

So the question is now what do I do?

Will daily changes help bring the nitrite to zero? Or should I just leave it be?

I'm going to go ahead and dose the water with more ammonia. I just want to figure out what to do with these nitrites!

Please let me know guys thanks.

 

[boadams87]

So 35-40 hours ago I did a 50% pwc and I dosed the water with ammonia to 4.0ppm.

I tested the water just now and this are my results.

ph 7.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 5.0+ ppm ( its a bit darker than the chart )
Nitrate 160ppm +

So the tank is totally converting ammonia, yet the nitrite is still there.

So the question is now what do I do?

Will daily changes help bring the nitrite to zero? Or should I just leave it be?

Please let me know guys thanks.

U need to add more ammonia and keep waiting and watching ur PH. U don't need water changes unless ph drops.

 

[GoldsGuy]

So 35-40 hours ago I did a 50% pwc and I dosed the water with ammonia to 4.0ppm.

I tested the water just now and this are my results.

ph 7.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 5.0+ ppm ( its a bit darker than the chart )
Nitrate 160ppm +

So the tank is totally converting ammonia, yet the nitrite is still there.

So the question is now what do I do?

Will daily changes help bring the nitrite to zero? Or should I just leave it be?

I'm going to go ahead and dose the water with more ammonia. I just want to figure out what to do with these nitrites!

Please let me know guys thanks.

Hey man

Well the cycling process involves growing two different BB colonies. You got a mature colony of BB which converts ammonia to nitrite. The BB that feeds on nitrite doesn't even really grow until the first part of nitrogen cycle is complete.
Now the BB colony that converts the nitrite to nitrate is being established which takes just as or a bit longer than first step.
Think of it as a circuit. The first colony feeds on ammonia and converts it to nitrite. The second colony converts nitrite to nitrate which you then control with PWCs or plants.
You have to continue giving the first colony ammonia to "eat" to keep the cycle going. Normally the fish supply a continuous supply of ammonia which starts and maintains the two different BB colonies. By you adding the ammonia you are essentially taking the place of the fish.
So pretend you are the fish, keep supplying ammonia and pH to maintain balance.
When both ammonia and nitrite maintain at 0 ppm then you are cycled.

 

[jlk]

So 35-40 hours ago I did a 50% pwc and I dosed the water with ammonia to 4.0ppm.

I tested the water just now and this are my results.

ph 7.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 5.0+ ppm ( its a bit darker than the chart )
Nitrate 160ppm +



So the tank is totally converting ammonia, yet the nitrite is still there.

So the question is now what do I do?

Will daily changes help bring the nitrite to zero? Or should I just leave it be?

I'm going to go ahead and dose the water with more ammonia. I just want to figure out what to do with these nitrites!

Please let me know guys thanks.

Your tank is doing great! You have nitrite>nitrate conversion happening but its just not up to speed yet. As long as your ph is staying stable, a water change isnt needed yet. Continue dosing your amm in the meantime. If we dont see a noticeable change in nitrites in the next week, a water change to bring them down to a readable level (@2 or lower) is in order. If you want to do one sooner, go right ahead (temp-match & condition)! Keep us posted!

 

[e30 gangsta]

Thanks Jeff and jlk. You guys are great and now i fully understand. I'll keep you guys posted. I can't wait to stock my tank!

If you add live plants it helps keep the nitrite and nitrate down? Does that allow you to wait longer in between pwc's ?

Thanks again guys. Angels plus active filters are the best

 

[jlk]

Thanks Jeff and jlk. You guys are great and now i fully understand. I'll keep you guys posted. I can't wait to stock my tank!

If you add live plants it helps keep the nitrite and nitrate down? Does that allow you to wait longer in between pwc's ?

Thanks again guys. Angels plus active filters are the best

Plants will help with nitrate levels as they use nitrates for food. They dont eliminate the need for pwcs though! Pwcs remove nitrates, dissolved solids, and restore buffers which are necssary to keep your ph stable & to allow nitrification to happen. So, pwcs still should be done on a weekly basis- plants or no plants. Plants are beneficial overall for maintaining a healthy tank- they also use carbon dioxide in the water & release oxygen in addition to using nitrates.