I'm really trying to be patient here, but it is getting very hard. It's been three weeks now since I've had nitrite levels off the chart. As many of you suggested, I'm back to adding about 4ppm ammonia per day and that is getting back down to zero daily. But, my nitrites are still out of control and nitrates are steadily climbing. Should this phase really take this long? I don't know how much longer I can hold out. I feel like I'm gonna lose my mind, haha.
Three weeks and nitrites still off the chart
- Thread starter jrmjrm
- Start date
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supradupafast
Aquarium Advice Freak
Patience is the only answer.
Keep feeding the Bacteria and your Nitrites will eventually drop to 0.
If you have stopped adding ammonia for a while, you may have reduced the amount of Good bacterias and therefore it may take a lil' longer.
Welcome to AA
Keep feeding the Bacteria and your Nitrites will eventually drop to 0.
If you have stopped adding ammonia for a while, you may have reduced the amount of Good bacterias and therefore it may take a lil' longer.
Welcome to AA
IT-FishGuy
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2010
- Messages
- 59
LOL you won't lose your mind
Yeah just be patient and keep feeding the bacteria. It'll eventually roll over and then you'll get to wait for nitrate.
Are you doing anything else with the tank and water?
Yeah just be patient and keep feeding the bacteria. It'll eventually roll over and then you'll get to wait for nitrate.
Are you doing anything else with the tank and water?
vikask
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I just finished cycling a 46G tank. It took close to 2 weeks for nitrites to come down. In my case it didn't come down to 0 either. It stayed at 0.25 - 0.5 % for another week before finally coming down to 0.
Just kept feeding Ammonia and then finally did a 50% final change to make sure nitrates level were < 20 PPM.
Just kept feeding Ammonia and then finally did a 50% final change to make sure nitrates level were < 20 PPM.
BlackMagic
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2010
- Messages
- 469
i just throw out a bucket of good bacteria, if u was around maybe ill let u have it ... 
IT-gishguy -
I'm adding ammonia daily, that's it. The ammonia is gone within 12 hours. I've got nitrates already but the stupid nitrites are still up there. I'm really thinking about doing a huge PWC and adding fish. I've had it. It's been almost a month in this stupid nitrite phase.
I'm adding ammonia daily, that's it. The ammonia is gone within 12 hours. I've got nitrates already but the stupid nitrites are still up there. I'm really thinking about doing a huge PWC and adding fish. I've had it. It's been almost a month in this stupid nitrite phase.
supradupafast
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hehe... I feel your pain...
IME, I had the exact same issue. I tried the fishless thing twice and both had the same results. I ended up doing 2x 50% PWC, and the next day I went and got 12 Zebra Danios (in my 60g Tank) and monitored the levels daily. It cycled the next week.
IME, I had the exact same issue. I tried the fishless thing twice and both had the same results. I ended up doing 2x 50% PWC, and the next day I went and got 12 Zebra Danios (in my 60g Tank) and monitored the levels daily. It cycled the next week.
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
IMHO.
Sounds like nitrites are cycling, but you've got too much in the tank. If it was me I'd do 70-80% PWC to get the nitrites down to a reasonable level (like at least back on the chart so it can be measured), then dose with ammonia and watch the parameters. The ammonia should cycle then hopefully the nitrites cycle or at least start dropping (take a nitrite reading after ammonia hits zero, then again just before you add more ammonia). If it's too high to measure then it hard to know whats going on.
The bacteria has to build up to the point where it can handle the daily load. With that much nitrites you need way more bacteria to break down the build-up then you need to keep you tank cycled. So it makes sense to me to lower nitrites to a level the bacteria might need to convert in a day.
If you're handy with math you can mix your tank water with prepared water for a water change, and by diluting the tank water until you get a measurement will tell you how much nitrites you have and then you can do the math to find out what percentage PWC will get it to a proper level.
Sounds like nitrites are cycling, but you've got too much in the tank. If it was me I'd do 70-80% PWC to get the nitrites down to a reasonable level (like at least back on the chart so it can be measured), then dose with ammonia and watch the parameters. The ammonia should cycle then hopefully the nitrites cycle or at least start dropping (take a nitrite reading after ammonia hits zero, then again just before you add more ammonia). If it's too high to measure then it hard to know whats going on.
The bacteria has to build up to the point where it can handle the daily load. With that much nitrites you need way more bacteria to break down the build-up then you need to keep you tank cycled. So it makes sense to me to lower nitrites to a level the bacteria might need to convert in a day.
If you're handy with math you can mix your tank water with prepared water for a water change, and by diluting the tank water until you get a measurement will tell you how much nitrites you have and then you can do the math to find out what percentage PWC will get it to a proper level.
Week 4
So, today I did a huge water change. It's a 29 gal tank and I only left the water that was in the gravel - the rest was syphoned out. After refilling the tank I waited about an hour and tested for nitrites and nitrates. The nitrites were at .25 ppm and nitrates were about 5-ish ppm. I know that my tap water has no nitrates because I tested it, so it would appear that I have the bacteria that turns nitrites into nitrates - just not enough of them.
The purpose of the massive water change was so that I could go get fish, but when I got to Petsmart (the ONLY fish store within about 100 miles) they advised me that they were having some "issues with ich in their system." Nice. So.... I added ammonia and it's back to the fishless cycle for me.
So, today I did a huge water change. It's a 29 gal tank and I only left the water that was in the gravel - the rest was syphoned out. After refilling the tank I waited about an hour and tested for nitrites and nitrates. The nitrites were at .25 ppm and nitrates were about 5-ish ppm. I know that my tap water has no nitrates because I tested it, so it would appear that I have the bacteria that turns nitrites into nitrates - just not enough of them.
The purpose of the massive water change was so that I could go get fish, but when I got to Petsmart (the ONLY fish store within about 100 miles) they advised me that they were having some "issues with ich in their system." Nice. So.... I added ammonia and it's back to the fishless cycle for me.
Greenmaster
Aquarium Advice Addict
Are the nitrites staying down now or are they still going up with the daily dosing of ammonia?
Greenmaster
Aquarium Advice Addict
So you still have about a week or two left by the sounds of it.
