Forget this! I'm done

[Bettafanatic]

I have an update! Tank 2 has nitrites now. There's 2 ppm ammo and 2 ppm nitrites. In tank 2, the ammonia goes back to .25 each day along with 5 ppm nitrites.

 

[KaylNeko]

Yay! You're cycle's on its way. Have you started checking nitrates?

 

[Bettafanatic]

No not yet. Should I start now? I didn't think it was necessary because I thought I'd just check for them when both ammonia and nitrites were zero. Should I be checking them too?

 

[librarygirl]

No not yet. Should I start now? I didn't think it was necessary because I thought I'd just check for them when both ammonia and nitrites were zero. Should I be checking them too?

Yay, finally! I guess tank 2 was just a slow starter. You can check for nitrates if you want to, no real need. Ammonia and nitrite are what you want to monitor more closely (oh and PH too).

 

[KaylNeko]

No, you don't need to, but when you start getting nitrates it means you're bacteria is starting to convert the nitrites. Curiosity, mostly. For the cycle, you really don't need to test nitrates until the other two are at 0, and that just to know how much of a water change you need to do before adding fish.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm glad tank 2 has started up. I guess it just needed a little more time. Here are today's updates:

Tank 1: .50 ppm ammonia, 5 ppm nitrites

Tank 2: 2 ppm ammonia, 5 ppm nitrites

All is going well. So glad I didn't give up. WOOHOO!

 

[PBrods]

Oh my god I'm not doing a fish cycle! I'm not cycling at all. Now can you answer my question and tell me if removing the filter will stop ammonia growth or not?

Ammonia doesn't grow. It's the waste by product from fish waste, food waste etc,,,

 

[KaylNeko]

We're well past that PBrods.

 

[Reygan2]

What's your ph looking like? My numbers are exactly like tank #1 right now but my ph is barely hanging on at 6.6. I'm probably going to have to do another pwc to add some buffers.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Last time I checked, which was probably last week, it was 7.6. I'll check again tomorrow.

 

[boadams87]

Ok wait a second! The people on this site were the ones who told me that I need to do weekly water changes while cycling, and now you're all telling me the opposite. I'll just do a fishless cycle I love my fish too much to put them at risk. Oh and the people here were the ones who told me that doing a fish cycle would scar my fish for life and now I'm being told it's fine? Make up your minds!

I wouldn't do a fish in cycle, if ur doing a fish less cycle u don't need to change water unless the ph starts to drop. If u have fish u do need to do PWC

 

[Hobgob]

I wouldn't do a fish in cycle, if ur doing a fish less cycle u don't need to change water unless the ph starts to drop. If u have fish u do need to do PWC

We told him to do a fish in because he has his fish in bowls without without a filter so he's doing the water changes on the bowls anyways... It would be Bette living conditions for his fish...

 

[tarpon]

...it would be betta living conditions!
(Sorry, reading along and i had to)

Glad everything seems to finally be on track

 

[Bettafanatic]

Yup, I think the cycle in tank 1 is complete. I tested today and the results were 0 ammo and 0 nitrites.

But nitrates were zero also, so that got me a bit nervous. Is that normal?

 

[boadams87]

Yup, I think the cycle in tank 1 is complete. I tested today and the results were 0 ammo and 0 nitrites.

But nitrates were zero also, so that got me a bit nervous. Is that normal?

They should be thru the roof? Have u done a wc?

 

[Bettafanatic]

No, I was told not to do any water changes. I'm guessing my cycle crashed again.

 

[librarygirl]

No, I was told not to do any water changes. I'm guessing my cycle crashed again.

If ammonia and nitrite is 0 I'd say you're cycled. If the cycle crashed the ammo or nitrite wouldnt' have been processed. Could be a testing error with the nitrate; that test is finicky if you don't do it exactly as the directions state and bang/shake the heck out of both bottles. I wouldn't worry too much about it if nitrite and ammonia are at 0. Just test nitrate again before you add your fish just to make sure you don't need to do a water change to get them down first.

 

[boadams87]

No, I was told not to do any water changes. I'm guessing my cycle crashed again.

What's ur readings now?

 

[1 LARA]

your friend had the same problem. Is her water source from the same source az you.Do both of you get water from the same aquifier/well. The tap water.

 

[KlcoKN]

Are you using carbon filters?
Because if you are, and and if you changed your filter that would totally explain your zeros...