Hi everyone, great website and forum. I just started my 55 gallon tank and read a book on how to cycle. As a result I started with 5 zebra danios. I now know I should have perhaps gone the fishless cycle method, but here I am. The issue seems to be that my ammonia won't build up. It has stayed at .25ppm for about a week now. No trace signs of nitrite or nitrate. The fish seem very happy. Is this simply a matter of patentiently waitng for the biological filter to kick in and daily water monitoring or should I be doing something else?
ammonia won't build up for cycling
- Thread starter boco
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
TraceyB4602
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yes. Cycling a tank can take up to 8 weeks, maybe longer seeing you have chosen to cycle with fish. Just be patient you have a larger tank so that will slow it down too. With fish you should be keeping your ammonia levels at .25 or below. It will take some time but your nitrites will kick in and the ammonia will fall, but then you'll have to monitor your nitrite levels closely because the nitrite spike is horrible. Once you get nitrites your nitrates should be right around the corner and those usually kick in quickly and bring down those nitrites after about a week or so. Patient's is key 
OhNeil1969
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with Tracey. Sometimes the slowest part of the cycling process, however, is waiting for the nitrItes to go down. In a fishless cycle the ammonia will drop quickly but it can take twice as long if not more for nitrItes to come down. When the nitrItes do come down they will disappear almost overnight. Also remember that nitrItes are bad for your fish too. So you don't want it to climb above 0.25 ppm either. That's why, in my opinion, cycling with fish will take so much longer. I just cycled a 60 gallon tank without fish in about 3 weeks. You may have to wait 3 months for your tank to cycle. Again, as Tracey said, be patient. Good luck!
Rebel1970
Aquarium Advice Activist
You can go to a LSF and get bacteria to help you get this started, but I have never done this, just read about it.
Love_MyFish
Aquarium Advice Freak
Rebel1970 said:
Nutrafin cycle helped me out greatly. Make sure the bottle is fairly new check the date.
Sent from my iPod touch using Aquarium
Similar threads
