where am i on the fishless cycle?

[peterwins]

I started the fishless cycle about a week or so ago , and I got the ammonia level up to 4 PPM i then tested the ammonia levels every other day. i tested the ammonia level today and it was down to 2 PPM and so i tested for nitrites today as well and they were sky high 5PPM + so I then tested for nitrates and they were at 5PPM.


with that being said is it normal to see them get that high within a day of each other? the fish less cycle im using is:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html


should I wait till my ammonia level gets back down to 1 ppm or should i just dose it back to 4 PPM now.



thanks!

Peter

 

[impossible]

I started the fishless cycle about a week or so ago , and I got the ammonia level up to 4 PPM i then tested the ammonia levels every other day. i tested the ammonia level today and it was down to 2 PPM and so i tested for nitrites today as well and they were sky high 5PPM + so I then tested for nitrates and they were at 5PPM.

with that being said is it normal to see them get that high within a day of each other?

In my experience, it is not typical to be getting both nitrites and nitrates within one week, but I don't think it is cause for concern. As long as nitrites and ammonia eventually go to zero, everything will be fine.

However, as noted in the fishless cycling guide you linked to:

If your nitrItes and/or nitrAtes get so high that they are unreadable, do a 50% water change. This will bring the levels down to readable levels to save your sanity and also to be able to monitor your cycle more efficiently. Those super high levels can also stall your cycle, so by doing the pwc you can prevent this and also restore nutrients and buffers into your water.

should I wait till my ammonia level gets back down to 1 ppm or should i just dose it back to 4 PPM now.

I will offer my non-expert opinion as someone who has done a few fishless cycles:

Since you are adding ammonia to keep your ammonia-consuming bacteria fed, I'd argue that you should keep dosing it back to 4 ppm once every day or two to maintain their population.

Good luck!