Cycle issue

[Freddyguy2018]

Hey guys. I recently started cycling a tank because I plan on purchasing an axolotl. I’ve been cycling for 2 weeks now and I’ve noticed my ammonia slowly going down. I used Fritzzyme 7 to introduce the bacteria to my tank. Originally the ammonia was between 4-8ppm judging by the color with the freshwater master test kit. A few days ago I noticed it was finally producing nitrites (1ppm) and even making nitrates (5ppm). My ammonia dropped down to 3-4 ppm. This morning however when I tested it my nitrites and nitrates both have dropped to 0. My ammonia is still at 3-4ppm. I tested twice just to make sure I hadn’t messed up my test but it’s showing the same readings. I have live plants inside the aquarium 2 lucky bamboo plants and a small Java fern. Could the plants be the culprit? Should I introduce more bacteria to the tank?

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Live plants can affect the cycling process but they usually take up ammonia and stop the bacteria from having a food source. If your ammonia level stays around 3-4ppm, that is fine for cycling the filter.

Do not let the ammonia go above 5ppm, because it can cause the cycle to stall. If this happens, do a partial water change with dechlorinated water to reduce the ammonia level down to 3-4ppm.

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Don't bother testing for nitrate until the filter has finished cycling. Nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate, and give you a false reading.

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If you are adding a filter bacteria supplement (bacteria in a bottle), I recommend adding a double dose every day for a week, then pour the remaining contents into the tank. Try to add the bacteria near the filter intake so it gets drawn into the filter where we want it.

If you have filter pads/ cartridges in the filter, you can replace them with sponge for a different brand of filter. The sponges last longer and don't need replacing until they start to fall apart. you can buy sponges for numerous brands of filter and use a pair of scissors to cut the sponge to fit in your filter.

Filter pads/ cartridges can also be re-used until they start to fall apart. Just squeeze them out in a bucket of tank water and re-use the pad. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden. If the filter pad has black or white granules in, you can cut a slit in one end of the pad and tip the granules out into a bin. Then re-use the filter pad after squeezing it out in a bucket of tank water.

 

[Aiken Drum]

How are you dosing ammonia?

You are a couple of weeks into what is typically a couple of months cycling process. All sorts of things are going on in the tank that might give false test results, and your test kit isnt all that accurate to start with. Its a home test kit, not laboratory testing.

I certainly agree that testing for nitrate is kind of pointless until you are cycled as even for laboratory testing, accurate nitrate testing is very difficult. Any reading you get while you still have nitrite in the water is just going to confuse you because it wont be doing what you expect.

You havent mentioned what size tank you have, but i dont see the 3 plants you have pulling detectable amounts of ammonia or nitrate out of the water. You have slow growing plants that dont require much in the way of nutrients.

Things seem to be going in right direction. Your ammonia is dropping, you have detected some nitrite. When you can dose 2ppm of ammonia and see it cycle out to zero ammonia and nitrite in 24 hours you are cycled. You need to give it some time.