29 gallon fishless cycle!!

[Tyler3533]

Thats good news! Ok, can you try a few dilution tests just to see how high your nitrites actually are? It will give a better a idea for what size wc to do. Start with 50% tank mixed with 50% tap (equivalent to a 50% wc) & see if you get a readable nitrite level. Then 25% tank-75% tap (75%wc). If you still cant get a readable number, 10%tank-90%tap (90%wc). If the nitrites are still unreadable at this point, then do as close to 100%wc as you can manage then redose ammonia to 1ppm. Hang in there!

What should I want my nitrites to be around?

 

[jlk]

Well, the lower they are, the easier it will be for you read when they jump tomorrow (because they will!). If you can get them down to 1ppm (or preferably lower), then they shouldnt jump off the charts again. We then can work on gradually increasing the amm dose over a few days once your nitrite>nitrate bacteria get up to speed. They are starting to convert which is good news! Just make sure you temp match & condition the new water.

 

[Tyler3533]

Well, the lower they are, the easier it will be for you read when they jump tomorrow (because they will!). If you can get them down to 1ppm (or preferably lower), then they shouldnt jump off the charts again. We then can work on gradually increasing the amm dose over a few days once your nitrite>nitrate bacteria get up to speed. They are starting to convert which is good news! Just make sure you temp match & condition the new water.

How can I temp match when I only have one 5 gallon bucket?

 

[shellieca]

How can I temp match when I only have one 5 gallon bucket?

Feel. I know what the aquarium water feels like so I run hot/cold water into the bucket until feels the same. It won't be exact but it's darn close. Or you can use a thermometer.

 

[Tyler3533]

Well, the lower they are, the easier it will be for you read when they jump tomorrow (because they will!). If you can get them down to 1ppm (or preferably lower), then they shouldnt jump off the charts again. We then can work on gradually increasing the amm dose over a few days once your nitrite>nitrate bacteria get up to speed. They are starting to convert which is good news! Just make sure you temp match & condition the new water.

Well did a 100% water change because I'm tired of these darn nitrites. Nitrites are .25 now!! Woop Woop gonna dose to 1ppm ammonia. And see where we are at tomorrow wen I do a full test on everything. That sound correct?

 

[Tyler3533]

Just check my water. Don't know what I should do from here. Added to little over 1ppm ammonia last night. Now readings are

Ammonia .25
Nitrites off chart (.25 yesterday)
Nitrates around 20 ppm

What should I do?!?!

 

[jlk]

Relax! Let things be for today. Are there 20ppm nitrate in your tap or is this an increase?

 

[Tyler3533]

Relax! Let things be for today. Are there 20ppm nitrate in your tap or is this an increase?

That is an increase from the 100% water change. Zero nitrates in tap

 

[jlk]

Thats a great increase! Lets see how things look tomorrow & we can go from there!

 

[Tyler3533]

So it's been 2 days since I last tested my water. My levels are:

Ammonia .25ppm (tap is .25)
P.h. Still 7.9
Nitrite still high(off chart) but looks to gone down alittle

Nitrate seems to be around 30ppm

What should I do from here. 4 more days tell its been a month..

 

[jlk]

Cycled media is the quickest way to jump start a cycle. Do you know anyone with cycled tank (friend, lfs, etc)? If your in the US, Angelsplus sells 'active' cycled filters. You can add small amount of ammonia to keep things happy. At month in, your cycle is pretty normal. Some people are just starting to see ammonia drops at this point.

 

[Tyler3533]

Cycled media is the quickest way to jump start a cycle. Do you know anyone with cycled tank (friend, lfs, etc)? If your in the US, Angelsplus sells 'active' cycled filters. You can add small amount of ammonia to keep things happy. At month in, your cycle is pretty normal. Some people are just starting to see ammonia drops at this point.

I will call my LFS today. To see if they can get me some. Of not what should the next step be. Re dose?

 

[Tyler3533]

Thats a great increase! Lets see how things look tomorrow & we can go from there!

Today my readings are:
Ammonia close to zero
NitrIte 3ppm
NitrAte 8ppm

What would you suggest I should do. Both nitrite and nitrate have dropped. Havent done anything to tank in about 4 days. Was seeing if nitrite would drop. Which it did

 

[librarygirl]

Redose ammonia. High nitrites are normal during cycling; the nitrite phase is the longest and can take 3 weeks on average of high nitrites before they drop to 0. You should be close.

 

[Tyler3533]

Redose ammonia. High nitrites are normal during cycling; the nitrite phase is the longest and can take 3 weeks on average of high nitrites before they drop to 0. You should be close.

Ok sounds good. Should I dose to 2ppm?

 

[jlk]

Thats great your nitrites are finally starting to drop! Yep, dose to 2 and lets see how things progress.

 

[Tyler3533]

Reading are now:
Ammonia close to zero
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

About to redose to 2ppm again. Does this seem alright?

 

[jlk]

A bit odd you have zero nitrate- make sure you are really shaking & banging the bottles on a hard surface before testing. Has your ph been holding steady? Otherwise, zero amm & nitrite is what you are striving for! Redose to 2ppm. If you have zeroes again tomorrow, you can increase the dose to 2.5ppm & you can work on increasing it by .5 over the next few days as long as you continue to get steady zeroes for amm& nitrite.

 

[Tyler3533]

A bit odd you have zero nitrate- make sure you are really shaking & banging the bottles on a hard surface before testing. Has your ph been holding steady? Otherwise, zero amm & nitrite is what you are striving for! Redose to 2ppm. If you have zeroes again tomorrow, you can increase the dose to 2.5ppm & you can work on increasing it by .5 over the next few days as long as you continue to get steady zeroes for amm& nitrite.

Just retested my nitrate. Still look like zero. And I dosed to 2ppm so I'll see where it is at tomorrow. Also PH has been stable around 7.8

 

[Tyler3533]

A bit odd you have zero nitrate- make sure you are really shaking & banging the bottles on a hard surface before testing. Has your ph been holding steady? Otherwise, zero amm & nitrite is what you are striving for! Redose to 2ppm. If you have zeroes again tomorrow, you can increase the dose to 2.5ppm & you can work on increasing it by .5 over the next few days as long as you continue to get steady zeroes for amm& nitrite.

Dosed to 2.5 last time an down to close to zero and zero nitrites. Still barley any nitrates.. What should I dose to now. Feel like I'm really close