Opinion On My Cycle

[NewToFish1989]

So I already have 2 established tanks that have been up and running for a year and a half and got a new tank last Saturday and started the cycle off on the Sunday and did a fish in cycle this time with 3 small hardy fish.

On that sunday, filled the tank up, moved some plastic plants from my cichlid and my angel fish and gourami tank and also squeezed some old filter media into the water and I even put the old sponges under the intake part of the filter and been trying out Seachem's Stability, friend had a spare bottle he didn't want so gave it me. But anyway here's the results I've been writing down, is it possible that since I used old media, its already cycled?

Monday: 2nd of June

Ammonia: 0.50ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

did a 50% water change straight away and dosed again with Stability.

Tuesday 3rd of June

Ammonia: 1ppm (fed a little too much)
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Did a 70% water change and dosed with Stability

Wednesday 4th of June

Ammonia: 0.50ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Did a 50% water change and dosed with stability

Thursday 5th of June

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 2-5ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Did a 80% water change and dosed with Prime (was still reading 1ppm of Nitrite) and Stability

Friday 6th of June

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 1ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Did a 50% water change and dosed with Prime (was still 0.25ppm Nitrite present) and Stability

From 7th to the 14th June

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

Dosed with stability

Today: 15th June

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate:0ppm

So since I used established media, has my tank cycled already? But is there no nitrate showing? Using salifert for the nitrate test. And I fed pretty heavily on the 14th expecting to see high nitrite but its been 0 and find it weird there is no Nitrate

Only thing I can think why nitrate is showing is because of all the water changes? Stability does say keep dosing until you see Nitrate but don't wanna use it for too long.

 

[jumperlizard7]

The problem with the water changes is that you remove the "food" (ammonia) that the bacteria feeds on, not giving it much time to establish and use the ammonia, to turn into nitrites, to then feed the bacteria to turn the nitrites to nitrates. ** I hadn't though of improper testing don't mind me **

 

[Mebbid]

I would guess your tank is cycled but you are doing the nitrate test improperly. Be sure to shake the bottle and test tube very vigorously for the directed amount of time. It has to be quite specific or else it will go e you a false reading of 0.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Newest Tank

Hello New...

You can instantly cycle the new tank by removing half of the filter media from the established tank and moving it to the filter in the new tank. Just rinse and replace what was taken from the established tank. The good bacteria will reproduce to its former level in a few hours.

B