Just another fishless cycle question.

[StuG]

so.......I'm well into my cycle, and everything is going along swimmingly (hehehe), but I'm a little confused about my recent readings.
I tested tonight and got:
Nitirites: 0
Nitrates: 80-90
Ammonia: 4

I dosed the ammonia last night, and I would have thought with the nitirite and 'trate readings I'm getting I should be getting big drops on my ammonia.
Are things going weird in the cycle, or am I just needing to give the ammo a little while longer to drop.
Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

[eco23]

Have you checked your pH recently?

 

[StuG]

hmmmm, no, haven't to be honest.
You think the pH could be crashing?

 

[librarygirl]

It's possible. I'd test it and find out. Has ammonia been dropping and then stopped, or has it never dropped?

 

[StuG]

Oh, yes, the Ammo has been dropping. I'll usually let it get to about 1ppm before I dose it up again.
I just find it strange that it's not dropping dramatically with the other readings I'm getting.
I'll test it again in the AM, and I'll also test my pH.

 

[librarygirl]

Have you had nitrites yet? Are you using any seeded media?

Sorry, just want to cover the bases before I give advice lol. Let us know what the tests say in the morning.

 

[StuG]

Nope, didn't use seeded media. My other tank has pond snails and I'm trying my hardest to keep them out of this one, so didn't want to take anything over from it.
Yes, I've had Nitirites. They were off the charts for quite a while, but are without a doubt now at 0.

 

[eco23]

I'd bet a dollar you're gonna test and see the pH in the 5's. It sounds like a classic pH crash to me. If so, just do a massive water change to restore the natural pH of your tap water and keep dosing it up. PH crashes can set things back a few days...but it's not a big deal. They also tend to signify your cycle completed

 

[StuG]

Dead on the money Eco.
Tested it this morning, and I think pH in the 5's may actually be being generous!
So, like a 75% water change, and then dose ammo back up?
Is it likely to crash again before completing the cycle? Worth buying crushed coral at this point?
Good thing is I'm in no rush to get the cycle finished. Haven't even decided on my stocking yet. Although my wife is getting a little bit frustrated at having a big box of water sitting in the living room for no reason!

 

[eco23]

Dead on the money Eco.
Tested it this morning, and I think pH in the 5's may actually be being generous!
So, like a 75% water change, and then dose ammo back up?
Is it likely to crash again before completing the cycle? Worth buying crushed coral at this point?
Good thing is I'm in no rush to get the cycle finished. Haven't even decided on my stocking yet. Although my wife is getting a little bit frustrated at having a big box of water sitting in the living room for no reason!

Glad we found the culprit

Yeah, just do as large of a water change as needed to get it back up near the tap water value. I think your cycle is done to be honest...but the crash probably reverted you back a couple days. I'd dose it back up and wait it out a bit longer to test the bio-filter. Don't be surprised if it seems frozen for a bit...but everything will be good. I wouldn't worry about the coral unless it happens again, just something worth keeping an eye on in the future.

 

[StuG]

Okeydoke, sounds like a plan man.
Thanks for the help to you both.