Antibiotics and cycle

[flitabout]

Did I kill my cycle? so as a few of you may know I have been fighting a columnaris outbreak. I have treated with kanaplex and more recently with nitrofurazone prophylactically. Doing bi weekly water changes of 50% to keep the water as clean as possible
I have been trying to get my co2 right for my plants, so I was testing the ph and I just can't get it down far enough for my tastes. I also decided to test nitrates. We have crazy high nitrates in water straight out of the tap, which was a big reason I started messing with the plants in the first place. I dose pps-pro and I have never added the potassium nitrate because mine have always been such an issue like such an issue that I am happy if I can get them down to 20-40ppm. One of the joys of living in farm country. Well since the first time since I used RO (I stopped because it just got to expensive to cart 15gs in every week) water I have Nitrates down to 5ppm. That sent red flags up for me. So I tested everything else mid week I just did a 50% water change on Saturday. I came up with:
.50ppm Nitrate
0 nitrite
5-10 nitrate, remember I always have high lvls of nitrate right out of the tap. So what do you guys think did I kill my cycle? And yes I will be changing my water.

 

[coralbandit]

Are you reading ammonia?
I'll guess you are .5 nitrite and 0 ammonia..
I don't think you killed the bacteria but you may have damaged some..
It should re generate [multiply ] back to normal levels pretty quick IMO..
Just feed light and keep your eye on it.

 

[flitabout]

No it's .5 ammo and nitrite was 0

 

[flitabout]

Just retested. lights have been on for 2 hours now so not sure if the plants have helped the situation. Parameters are
pH 7.2
Ammo .25
Nitrite 0
nitrate 5
Should I do the water change or wait and retest this evening?

 

[coralbandit]

How long ago did you use meds and how much water changed since?
If you hit it with a couple 50% wc then the antibiotic is low if not void by now.
I would wait and see if ammonia goes up or not.

 

[flitabout]

I have done 3 50% since the last of the Kanaplex (I did all 3 doses as per the instructions). I did add a double dose of prime after the second testing. I figure the last thing these guys needed is the stress of ammo after coming out of columnaris

 

[Matt68005]

I guess you may have knocked back your cycle.
They make antibiotic food for fish
Keep using the prime and monitor the water, prime makes ammo/nitrite safe for fish, i guess just keep it up until it grows back.
I'm having a nitrite problem myself, but that's just because i change my mind too much and took down and started up all my tanks again with just UG filters.
Have had Ammonia and Nitrite problems, up to 2ppm, the prime makes it safe for them so no worries.