I have been fishless cycling a 55 gallon tank for the past 6 weeks.
As of early in week six, my tank showed the following:
Ammonia: processing 4 ppm of ammonia down to zero in 12 hours
Nitrite: holding at very high levels, not measurable by the API test kit
(The author of the cycling instructions that I am following notes that when the API Nitrite test is performed and the test water immediately turn purple when the Nitrite solution drops are added, that indicates the nitrites are "off the chart high" and the kit is unable to measure a level that high)
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Each time the ammonia was processed to zero, I would add approximately 21/4 teaspoons (11.16 ml) of pure ammonia with no soaps or perfumes
Now, at the end of week six I am getting:
Ammonia: holding at 4 ppm
Nitrite: very high "off the chart" levels
Nitrate 20 ppm
I've tested over the past 3 days and am now stalled with the readings shown immediately above. Ammonia is no longer being processed.
What could have happened that the bacteria that was processing the ammonia is no longer there, or is no longer processing the ammonia? What would be my next step?
Thanks in advance for any help on this.
As of early in week six, my tank showed the following:
Ammonia: processing 4 ppm of ammonia down to zero in 12 hours
Nitrite: holding at very high levels, not measurable by the API test kit
(The author of the cycling instructions that I am following notes that when the API Nitrite test is performed and the test water immediately turn purple when the Nitrite solution drops are added, that indicates the nitrites are "off the chart high" and the kit is unable to measure a level that high)
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Each time the ammonia was processed to zero, I would add approximately 21/4 teaspoons (11.16 ml) of pure ammonia with no soaps or perfumes
Now, at the end of week six I am getting:
Ammonia: holding at 4 ppm
Nitrite: very high "off the chart" levels
Nitrate 20 ppm
I've tested over the past 3 days and am now stalled with the readings shown immediately above. Ammonia is no longer being processed.
What could have happened that the bacteria that was processing the ammonia is no longer there, or is no longer processing the ammonia? What would be my next step?
Thanks in advance for any help on this.