Fishless cycle with confusing parameters

[xander1234]

Hello,
I'm doing my first fishless cycle with a 10g future betta tank. (My now well established 30g tank was cycled with danios due to my own ignorance!)

Here's what I've done so far:
1. Added the substrate (black sand) and decorations
2. Filled the tank with tap water.
3. Added the proper amount of dechlorinator
4. The next day, I added Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride until I got 4-6ppm NH4/NH3 on my liquid API test kit. I also added some filter media and decorations from my established tank.
5. 3-4 weeks later, the ammonia had not budged and the nitrite was 0. I thought maybe the ammonia was too high, so I did an 75% water change and brought it down to about 2ppm. I added some gravel from my established tank.
6. About 2 weeks after that, the ammonia finally started to go down to 1ppm. But still no nitrite.
7. Now 1 week later (tonight), I bought a set of tetra test strips - just to compare with my API liquid kit. And surprise - there were nitrates!! So I ran my full test kit and here's what I found:
pH 7.5
moderately hard
ammonia 0.5ppm
nitrite 0 (on the test strip it read as 0.5 but the API kit is 0)
nitrate 5-10

What happened here? Did the nitrite never spike? Does the ammonia need to get to zero? Or is it cycled since I have nitrate? I'm perplexed.

Of course, being at the end of my rope after 6 weeks, I just bought a bottle of tetra safestart, but now it looks like i might not need it.

Please help - I'm not sure what the next step is. Can I get fish? Do I need to add more ammonia or wait until it gets to zero. Is it normal to never see nitrites?

Thanks so much!

[Fresh2o]

Yes it's normal to miss the nitrite spike. During my last fishless cycle I would get readings of zero nitrites (tested once a day). I then tested 3x one day (about 2-3 hours apart) and I was able to get a positive nitrite reading.
If you will be getting fish soon the do a big WC first and cease with the ammonia.


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[xander1234]

Thanks for your response.

I thought maybe that was the case, since I must have had nitrites if I now have nitrates, I think.
But is it okay that the ammonia did not go to 0?
We're getting fish this weekend - should I keep the ammonia elevated up until we get them?
How long before we get the fish should I do the water change? I don't want to starve my friendly bacteria.

Thanks again!

[Saekalive]

Water change about 80% 1 & 1/2 days before and then check your levels before getting fish. If it still shows ammonia do a 40% PWC

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[jarrod0987]

Originally Posted by xander1234

Hello,
I'm doing my first fishless cycle with a 10g future betta tank. (My now well established 30g tank was cycled with danios due to my own ignorance!)

Here's what I've done so far:
1. Added the substrate (black sand) and decorations
2. Filled the tank with tap water.
3. Added the proper amount of dechlorinator
4. The next day, I added Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride until I got 4-6ppm NH4/NH3 on my liquid API test kit. I also added some filter media and decorations from my established tank.
5. 3-4 weeks later, the ammonia had not budged and the nitrite was 0. I thought maybe the ammonia was too high, so I did an 75% water change and brought it down to about 2ppm. I added some gravel from my established tank.
6. About 2 weeks after that, the ammonia finally started to go down to 1ppm. But still no nitrite.
7. Now 1 week later (tonight), I bought a set of tetra test strips - just to compare with my API liquid kit. And surprise - there were nitrates!! So I ran my full test kit and here's what I found:
pH 7.5
moderately hard
ammonia 0.5ppm
nitrite 0 (on the test strip it read as 0.5 but the API kit is 0)
nitrate 5-10

What happened here? Did the nitrite never spike? Does the ammonia need to get to zero? Or is it cycled since I have nitrate? I'm perplexed.

Of course, being at the end of my rope after 6 weeks, I just bought a bottle of tetra safestart, but now it looks like i might not need it.

Please help - I'm not sure what the next step is. Can I get fish? Do I need to add more ammonia or wait until it gets to zero. Is it normal to never see nitrites?

Thanks so much!

Here is Dr. Tim himself to help answer that exact question.

[Saekalive]

Ditch the test strip btw. They are crap.

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