Fishless Cycle Test Results

[aclark]

I've been having great success with my cycle so far, but I'm not 100% sure what to do now. I can convert ~3ppm ammonia in about 24hrs but my nitrite is off the charts at over 5ppm and the nitrate is up around 40-80ppm. Should I do a 50% water change to get my NO3- and NO4- back to lower levels, dose ammonia back to 2ppm and see if I can convert it within the 24 hrs?

The tank is empty besides sand and a few rocks. I'll have some plants showing up Monday/Tuesday and I'm looking for driftwood and large rocks to add. Tank is a 75 gallon.

 

[coralbandit]

No water change IMO.
75 g is a lot to do50%+ changes on with no fish in it!
Just don't dose ammonia again for four(4) days.
The fishless cycle I learned said to cut ammonia dose in 1/2and only add every fourth day once nitrItes has been detected.
Once the nitrites and ammonia are zero then you dose 2-4 ppm ammonia for the 24 hour test before doing huge(80-90% for you IMO)waterchange to lower nitrAtes.
Caliban had the math to support something close to this I believe in another thread.

I believe he id 1 ppm ammonia is 2.7 ppm nitrite.
Example;
So if you added 2 ppm for like 5 days = 10 ppm ammonia which converted to 27ppm nitrites!!
A 90% waterchange could leave you with 3ppm nitrite still in my example above!!!

No more ammonia for 4 days starting today.
A water change may not hurt any, but is not necessary.

 

[MineShaker]

I've been having great success with my cycle so far, but I'm not 100% sure what to do now. I can convert ~3ppm ammonia in about 24hrs but my nitrite is off the charts at over 5ppm and the nitrate is up around 40-80ppm. Should I do a 50% water change to get my NO3- and NO4- back to lower levels, dose ammonia back to 2ppm and see if I can convert it within the 24 hrs?



The tank is empty besides sand and a few rocks. I'll have some plants showing up Monday/Tuesday and I'm looking for driftwood and large rocks to add. Tank is a 75 gallon.

What I would do would be a 55% water change since your plants will lower your ph and for the No3- and No4-, since no fish are in it yet.
Fish are normally really weak when you bring them home from the pet store so the heavy amounts of nitrate wouldn't help.
Also do you know what the tanks ph level is its very important, each fish needs a different PH.
Or if you are not getting fish for it and it's for plants only your tank should be fine


Sent from the crayfish lover Mine Shaker

 

[fish wrangler]

No water change just let the bacteria grow.

What I would do would be a 55% water change since your plants will lower your ph and for the No3- and No4-, since no fish are in it yet.
Fish are normally really weak when you bring them home from the pet store so the heavy amounts of nitrate wouldn't help.
Also do you know what the tanks ph level is its very important, each fish needs a different PH.
Or if you are not getting fish for it and it's for plants only your tank should be fine


Sent from the crayfish lover Mine Shaker

Plants don't lower pH...

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[ScotJudd]

The problem is that nitrite to nitrate bacteria form later and more slowly than the first stage bacteria, ammonia to nitrite. So nitrites can build up to a very high level and it's asking quite a lot from your filter to convert it to nitrate. My gut feeling would be to do as you said, water change to bring the nitrite down to a readable level (don't worry about the nitrates levels until you're ready for fish - the plants will enjoy the nitrates). If you have been dosing ammonia at 4ppm then drop it to 2ppm until the nitrites have cleared.
Then do a 4ppm ammonia dose and check that ammonia and nitrites are zero after 24 hrs. Then you're cycled and you need a huge water change to bring nitrates below 20ppm. Now you can start adding fish. The tank can withstand a healthy addition of fish but I wouldn't take it anywhere near full stocking levels, although fish are normally bought small, with the stocking levels based on their adult size, so they shouldn't overload your filter. Feed carefully and test water daily until you're confident the filter is doing its job.



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[MineShaker]

No water change just let the bacteria grow.



Plants don't lower pH...

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I ment they lower nitrate


Sent from the crayfish lover Mine Shaker

 

[fish wrangler]

I ment they lower nitrate


Sent from the crayfish lover Mine Shaker

??

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