Fishless cycle status

[jalanmiller45]

My cycling is here for the last 2 days:
1. Ammonia is being depleted quite nicely- I'm having to dose daily to keep bacteria fed
2. Nitrites had gotten near the top of the range on the test kit, but have fallen back to mid range
3. Nitrates barely registering at any time.

Any ideas to push it over the hump?

 

[plantnoob]

Bit strange on the nitrates. For nitrites to go down, nitrates have to form. Make sure you follow proper instructions on the nitrate test. Bottle number 2 has to get a couple of good taps on the table and then you jump up and down with it for at least 30 seconds. Then if you can, you roll around for another 30 seconds. After that do the same with the test vial, this time for a minute. That seems to be the API recommended procedure to get the right nitrate reading. Other than that, I'd be patient for a couple more days, at this point not a whole lot you can do unless you have media from another tank.


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[jalanmiller45]

Bit strange on the nitrates. For nitrites to go down, nitrates have to form. Make sure you follow proper instructions on the nitrate test. Bottle number 2 has to get a couple of good taps on the table and then you jump up and down with it for at least 30 seconds. Then if you can, you roll around for another 30 seconds. After that do the same with the test vial, this time for a minute. That seems to be the API recommended procedure to get the right nitrate reading. Other than that, I'd be patient for a couple more days, at this point not a whole lot you can do unless you have media from another tank.


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Yep, that's what prompted the thread. I'll be sure & stretch before I test tonight... Might save my hamstring....

 

[ICoolGuy]

If you have live plants then they could be consuming your nitrates

 

[jalanmiller45]

If you have live plants then they could be consuming your nitrates

That could have been the issue. Should've thought of that.

 

[jalanmiller45]

http://i.imgur.com/j19z7FB.jpg
Here is this morning's status...
I dosed the ammonia last night. It's back at around 2-3 (though the pic looks darker). Nitrites .25, nitrates around 100. pH 7-7.2
Getting' there...
Only been going about 3-3.5 weeks, so maybe with the next week-10 days....

 

[Caliban07]

http://i.imgur.com/j19z7FB.jpg
Here is this morning's status...
I dosed the ammonia last night. It's back at around 2-3 (though the pic looks darker). Nitrites .25, nitrates around 100. pH 7-7.2
Getting' there...
Only been going about 3-3.5 weeks, so maybe with the next week-10 days....

I've just started a thread called 'post your cycling times please' could you please post how long it took to complete you cycle there afterwards please? Thanks


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[jalanmiller45]

I'd be happy to- thanks!

 

[jalanmiller45]

http://i.imgur.com/j19z7FB.jpg
Here is this morning's status...
I dosed the ammonia last night. It's back at around 2-3 (though the pic looks darker). Nitrites .25, nitrates around 100. pH 7-7.2
Getting' there...
Only been going about 3-3.5 weeks, so maybe with the next week-10 days....

well...

My ammonia has stopped nitrifying and my pH has bounced between 6.2 and 7 the last week and my nitrites/nitrates are still high. I've done a couple of pwcs. No permanent change. Any advice I'm at about 5.5 weeks.

 

[Dregaunis]

you need LOTs of KH to keep your Ph constant, i stalled my tank a couple weeks ago, i did a 50% water change and now i monitor my KH constantly because during this process the water turns acid and the bacteria gobble up all your KH, so now i slam in a few teaspoons of baking soda and keep testing regularly when i see it start to fall again i throw in some baking soda til the ph is back around 7 and test my KH. I literally destroyed my bacteria colony and it took another week for the ammonia to start disappearing again. but now i have plants (as of 2 days ago) so 4ppm ammonia lasts a few hours, 8ppm lasts around 12, i can't keep up with it. i've started dosing smaller amounts throughout the day, I hope you get it going again, but acid is very bad for bacteria so if you see it the ph starting to fall a little bit, throw in some baking soda til it rises and check your KH, my KH is around 10deg cuz if all the baking soda i'm adding. I wish you luck!

 

[TMaier]

Instead of adding baking soda and watching the bouncing ph I would suggest adding a bit of a mineral source like crushed coral to stabilize your tank ph.


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[jalanmiller45]

If I stabilize the pH, do you think the bacteria will begin to nitrify the ammonia again or am I looking at a major water change & restart? I'm having trouble finding crushed coral or aragonite locally.

 

[TMaier]

Everything I have read about the beneficial bacteria tells me it is amazing at bouncing back. And fairly quickly. You can order 10lbs on Amazon and it will last a lifetime.


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[Dregaunis]

Does aragonite stabilize/buffer ph? I have seen a lot use crushed coral. I can't find crushed coral but pet smart sells aragonite. Can I hang that in my tank in a stocking or something?

And as far as the cycle goes. It only took a week for my ammonia to start going bye bye again.

They do bounce back quite quickly.

But yeah just keep the ph as neutral as possible and you'll be sitting pretty as far as my short experience has shown

 

[Caliban07]

A big water change will bring ph back up. Then just add 2ppm ammonia and leave it.

Both baking soda and coral will work too.


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[Delapool]

Does aragonite stabilize/buffer ph? I have seen a lot use crushed coral. I can't find crushed coral but pet smart sells aragonite. Can I hang that in my tank in a stocking or something?

And as far as the cycle goes. It only took a week for my ammonia to start going bye bye again.

They do bounce back quite quickly.

But yeah just keep the ph as neutral as possible and you'll be sitting pretty as far as my short experience has shown

Here we go on a link. Aragonite is just a more reactive form of calcite (calcium carbonate).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragonite

 

[TMaier]

Here is what I use. Ph is stable with just a bit added to my canister.


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[jalanmiller45]

Thanks! I put some soda in to raise the pH quickly and will watch it until I can get some coral. Hopefully, the bacteria will start munching again and knock this cycle out. I'd like to start buying some fish rather than tank stuff, but I'd rather they stay well, so just being impatient, I guess.

 

[jalanmiller45]

Well.. I think I'm on track & almost done. The Baking soda took care of the pH and the bacteria started nitrifying the ammonia again.
here's where i am today:
pH 7.2
Ammonia .5 to 1.0
nitrites .25-.5
Nitrates-somewhere between 80-160 based on the color chart.

So, is it time for a 50% pwc to get rid of the nitrates??? Fish by the weekend? Maybe??

 

[jalanmiller45]

and.... we have fish! new thread coming.