Cycling success!

[ice9]

Been lurking and reading all the posts here, gathering all the advice I could while I spin up my first tank ever, w/fishless cycle..... (total newbie, but did my research). A few hardy plants in there now, will add more once the cycle finishes.

16 days in, after sitting at 2-3ppm dosing with pure ammonia and boosting with TSS on day 7, yesterday came down to .5ppm, redosed to 2ppm, and this morning it was 0ppm!

Huge nitrite spike yesterday and today (off the API liquid test scale), and seeing nitrAtes now (about 40-80ppm)

Thanks to all the helpful people on this forum! Now to wait for the nitrite spike to finish so I can get some fish in there... my officemates are making fun of my very pretty, but empty, tank.

 

[Fresh2o]

Welcome to AA and congrats on the cycling so far. Though the nitrite-to-nitrate conversion can take a while, don't be discouraged. Sounds like you are well on your way.


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[Barliman]

..my officemates are making fun of my very pretty, but empty, tank.

You'll have the last laugh as they envy your very cool aquarium.

 

[ice9]

You'll have the last laugh as they envy your very cool aquarium.

Heh - one of them is already joining in on the fun. Every morning "what are the water numbers?".....

Question on nitrite levels... during cycling, is it possible to stall the cycle with "too high" nitrites?

The API test is off the scale, I tried a 25% tank/75% fresh water mix, and it's still reading 5ppm... it's gotta be in the 20-40ppm range right now. I might try a 10% tank mix next to get an accurate reading.

 

[Barliman]

Question on nitrite levels... during cycling, is it possible to stall the cycle with "too high" nitrites?

I'm sure it can stall, but remember that nitrite-eaters are a "slower" bacteria, reproducing at a slower rate than the ammonia eaters. (Technical talk -- yeah!) I'd say leave it alone for a few days and then see if the nitrite levels have come down and the nitrates gone up.