New aquarium advice

[Mrs.h2012]

Ok so it's been a few days since I posted my results. My ammonia has been continuing to drop withing 24 hours even when dosing ammonia to as high 5 ppm. This is great but my nitrites and nitrates have been off the charts. So high that the colors are not on the API test.

I just performed a 50% water change because I've read that levels this high could stall the cycle. Has anyone experienced what I'm going through? What can I do at this point or should I just just wait for the cycle to complete? How long will this last for?

All you can do is water changes, that's the only thing that will bring levels down, safely and effectively anyway; most chemicals you can buy do work BUT are only a temporary fix and usually end up doing more harm than good because of fluctuations.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Ok so it's been a few days since I posted my results. My ammonia has been continuing to drop withing 24 hours even when dosing ammonia to as high 5 ppm. This is great but my nitrites and nitrates have been off the charts. So high that the colors are not on the API test.

I just performed a 50% water change because I've read that levels this high could stall the cycle. Has anyone experienced what I'm going through? What can I do at this point or should I just just wait for the cycle to complete? How long will this last for?

Also Becareful of dosing ammonia to high, that can stall a cycle as well.

 

[jaydee1106]

Okay so I'm now on day 8 where my nitrites and nitrates are of the charts. I've done 4 major water changes in the past few days but the numbers have not changed. Should I be concerned or do I just wait it out at this point? Should I dose ammonia maybe every 3 days to lower the ammonia that is converting to nitrites? My nitrites are above the 5ppm color on the chart and my nitrates are unreadable. My ph is really high as well but I read this could be due to extremely high presence of nitrates in the water. The only thing I'm dosing is Flourish excel daily and my anubias and amazons are doing great other than green algae growing on the leaves.

 

[librarygirl]

Have you tested your tap water for nitrite and nitrate? What size water changes did you do? Odd that the levels haven't dropped at all with 4 water changes unless they were small ones or unless your tap water has some nitrite or nitrate in it.

 

[Hholly]

When I had that situation, I had to do a 90% water change. Within a day or so after the nitrites disappeared.

 

[jaydee1106]

Yes I tested my tap and the the only thing my tap is guilty of is 0.5 ppm ammonia. I did 4 50% water changes. So it sounds like I need to just clear out all of my water?

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Yes I tested my tap and the the only thing my tap is guilty of is 0.5 ppm ammonia. I did 4 50% water changes. So it sounds like I need to just clear out all of my water?

Until your cycle gets to where it can process ammonia, you need to be using prime so it neutralizes ammonia, that much ammonia is toxic
To fish.

 

[librarygirl]

Until your cycle gets to where it can process ammonia, you need to be using prime so it neutralizes ammonia, that much ammonia is toxic
To fish.

It's a fishless cycle so no worries there. By the time it finishes cycling the decholorinator will detoxify the ammonia until the bacteria consumes it when there are fish in the tank, as you mentioned.

If nitrites are still that high after 4 50% water changes I'd try a full change and see what happens. Keep doing them until nitrites are readable on the chart. Then skip dosing ammonia for that day, then you can dose to 2 instead of 4 for a few days to let the bacteria try to catch up.

 

[jaydee1106]

Got it. Thanks for all the advice. I just read another post where a guy had the same situation like mine and someone mentioned that he may be already cycled but that ammonia dosing was too high which caused the high nitrites and nitrates. This particular person did a 90% water change and was fully cycled in 48 hours. Thanks for the advice. I will try a 90% wc and will post results in 48 hours.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

It's a fishless cycle so no worries there. By the time it finishes cycling the decholorinator will detoxify the ammonia until the bacteria consumes it when there are fish in the tank, as you mentioned.

If nitrites are still that high after 4 50% water changes I'd try a full change and see what happens. Keep doing them until nitrites are readable on the chart. Then skip dosing ammonia for that day, then you can dose to 2 instead of 4 for a few days to let the bacteria try to catch up.

I missed that it was a fishless. My mistake.

 

[jaydee1106]

Ok so after performing a 90% water change, my nitrates are now ar readable level of 80 ppm but my nitrites are still unreadable. I even borrowed my neighbors nitrite test just to see and the results are the same. It's a magenta color that is definitely higher than 5 ppm but not as dark as it was yesterday.

What should I do at this point? Wait it out? Should I stop dosing ammonia for now until the nitrites drop?

 

[Hholly]

Maybe dose ammonia to 2ppm at most or give it a rest for 24 hours. You can add a pinch of fish food to keep things fed too. Sounds like you're just about there. Like magic, suddenly the nitrites will be 0.