Another cycling question

[bosk1]

For those who have not been following my other thread, I am fishless cycling a 55 gallon. I seeded my tank with filter media from a friend's tank. My current levels are:
Ammonia: 2.0 (started cycle with 5.0 ppm pure ammonia)
Nitrites: 2.0
Nitrates: between 5 and 10.

The filter bag from my friend's tank does not fit in my filter, so I just popped it in the corner of my tank for now. My question is, when should I take it out? I don't want to take it out too soon before I know I have enough bacteria living in the filter media in my filter. But I don't want an old filter bag bobbing around in my tank forever, either. And I want to make sure I don't get huge spikes when I remove it. Any thoughts? I am thinking maybe I should remove it once it looks like my cycle is almost done, but keep on adding ammonia for a couple of days after and make sure I've got enough of a bio filter without that extra filter bag, but I don't know. Input welcome.

 

[rich311k]

I would think at least 4 weeks, maybe 6 to be on the safe side.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I would say when your tank looks like it's just about cycled, pull it out and let it complete the cycle process without it. I pulled mine out of the bottom of the tank when my ammonia started dropping, and have changed filter cartridges from my small tank to the big tank so both cartridges are now from a cycled tank. I had mine placed near the input of my filter, so anything coming from the filter media was drawn into the filter and biowheel.

 

[bosk1]

So I have a split in authority so far... Anyone else?

 

[rich311k]

Since you are going fishless it is not that important. I would wait untill you finish cycling. Take out the bag keep it wet. Put in moire ammonia wait 24 hours and test. If the ammonia and nitrites are gone in 24 hours then the cycle is done and you dont need the bag. If they are not gone you wll have to to live with bag for a while.

 

[bosk1]

Well, it looks like I'm almost home. Ammonia was at 2 yesterday. I added a capful of ammonia after testing. It is down to zero today.

Nitrites are at about 2.

Nitrates are 5+.

All this means my ammonia>nitrite bacteria are just tearing it up and ready to go. My nitrite>nitrate bacteria are present, and are doing okay, but aren't quite up to full speed yet. But it shouldn't be long now...