My fishless cycle log

[Christina717]

Day 27 (10-11-11)
Ammonia: 3-4 ppm
ph: 7.6
NitrIte: 0ff the chart
NitrAte: 20ppm
Shouldnt my ammonia be dropping more? maybe do a water change to get the NitrIte down so I can read them ?

 

[librarygirl]

Day 27 (10-11-11)
Ammonia: 3-4 ppm
ph: 7.6
NitrIte: 0ff the chart
NitrAte: 20ppm
Shouldnt my ammonia be dropping more? maybe do a water change to get the NitrIte down so I can read them ?

It just started climbing so a water change shouldn't be needed but if you want to do one it won't hurt anything. Ammonia may start to drop any day now; once nitrites skyrocket ammonia conversion should speed up. Are you sure ammonia is only at 3-4 and not higher? Those test can be hard to read and distinguishing between 4 and 8 is hard. I'd wait a few days and see what happens, ammonia should start dropping soon. Conversion is happening, that's the good thing.

 

[Christina717]

Day 28 (10-12-11)
Ammonia: 3-4ppm (GRRRR!!!)
Ph: 8
NitrIte: off the charts!
NitrAte: 20-40ppm
Temp: 82F

 

[eco23]

Something has to be up with the test kit, or the ammonia was seriously overdosed. IMO, it's just not scientifically possible to have screaming high nitrItes without drops in ammonia. Ammonia turns into nitrIte...so it should literally be impossible for that to happen unless you are directly adding a nitrIte source (which you're not).

It wouldn't hurt to do another large water change and dose the ammonia to a lower level like 2ppm. That will make it easier for us to monitor and see for sure where we are.

 

[librarygirl]

^^ What Eco said (he beat me to it )

 

[Deckape]

My best idea is an overdose of ammonia.

 

[Christina717]

I tested my water with another test kit and it was the same result so im gonna do a water change to get it lowered and see were that gets me.
Do you think the sponge had nitrItes already in it when i got it and thats why i have them?

 

[eco23]

I tested my water with another test kit and it was the same result so im gonna do a water change to get it lowered and see were that gets me.
Do you think the sponge had nitrItes already in it when i got it and thats why i have them?

NitrItes are a chemical compound, they're not like living beneficial bacteria. The sponge may have a healthy portion of ammo > no2 bacteria...but unless it's converting the ammonia, it's not excreting nitrIte. There's a form of nitrIte you can purchase similar to the way you purchase ammonia,, but I can't imagine any feasible way nitrItes would appear in an aquarium unless they are being converted from ammonia or introduced by the water source (tap water).

 

[Christina717]

Well i know i dont have any nitrItes in my water or I would of had them when i first started, but i will see where my ammonia is at after it runs through for 10min.
If i need to stick my hand in the tank should i use rubber gloves? just incase thats what happened when i installed the media and the extra air bubble

 

[librarygirl]

No, as long as they are clean. I usually wash mine with a very small amount of soap and then rinse rinse rinse a lot and wipe with a clean paper towel. I wash my hands up to my elbow as well if I'm going to be putting my hands deep into the tank.

 

[Christina717]

Ok I got my water down to about 1ppm after doing 3 25% water changes, so maybe now I can finally tell if its going down or not, hopefully by tomorrow its down to almost Zero(yellow)....fingers crossed

 

[Christina717]

Day 29 (10-13-11)
Ammonia: .25-.50ppm (yah finally seen a drop)
Ph: 7.6+
NitrIte: Off the charts
NitrAte: 20-40ppm (almost red but not quite there yet)
Should I dose higher or wait till it goes to zero?

 

[Christina717]

Ok i tested my water again today and its at 0-.25 its not quite yellow yet but ALMOST!!! What should I dose my waters ammonia to?

 

[millerb7]

I would dose it back to 4ppm. You basically want it to religiously go from 4ppm-0ppm in 24 hours for a couple days in a row before you call the cycling done. And remember if theirs a delay between when you add fish... dose to 1ppm to keep feeding the bacteria.

 

[Christina717]

Ok so I dosed my ammonia back to around 4ppm I will test it tomorrow to see where its at. hopefully Zero but i have my hopes up haha

 

[Christina717]

Day 30 (10-14-11)
ammonia: 0-.25 (16hrs since last dose to 4)
ph: 7.6+
NitrIte: Off the charts
NitrAte: 40ppm
Temp: 82F

 

[Christina717]

Whats my next step? water change?

 

[Christina717]

In the guide it says do a water change when NitrIte and NitrAte get high but what if my NitrItes are high and my nitrAte are at 40ppm? My ammonia is at Zero but i cant dose untill 10

 

[eco23]

It's up to you. Water changes never hurt, and sometimes they can help...they're just not necessary too often. But yeah, if you want to do a large pwc it might be a good idea. If you don't get to it...no biggie.

 

[Christina717]

alright thnx