Nitrites, nitrates but no ammonia

[ndw]

I used a bio enhancer to start my new tanks fishless cycle as it worked in my last tank fine. However it's been cycling for a week, I've not seen any ammonia on my tests only high nitrites and nitrates. Have I just missed the ammonia (not seen it as I didn't test water first 2 days) or do nitrite and nitrates appear without being started off by the ammonia part of the cycle?

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi. I don't think nitrites can be high if you didn't have an ammonia source to start with. I am presuming that you are doing a fish less cycle. I would add some ammonia to bring the tank up to 4 ppm and see how the filter processes it in 24 hrs. A cycled tank should have zero ammonia and zero nitrites. Nitrates will be very high. I tend to keep nitrite and nitrate reading mid scale with water changes and then raise the ammonia to 4. Keep repeating this daily until 4 ppm ammonia is reduced to zero with zero nitrites. The tank is cycled and a huge water change will reduce nitrates to below 20 ppm before adding fish.


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[ndw]

Hi. I don't think nitrites can be high if you didn't have an ammonia source to start with. I am presuming that you are doing a fish less cycle. I would add some ammonia to bring the tank up to 4 ppm and see how the filter processes it in 24 hrs. A cycled tank should have zero ammonia and zero nitrites. Nitrates will be very high. I tend to keep nitrite and nitrate reading mid scale with water changes and then raise the ammonia to 4. Keep repeating this daily until 4 ppm ammonia is reduced to zero with zero nitrites. The tank is cycled and a huge water change will reduce nitrates to below 20 ppm before adding fish.


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I've done 3 50% water changes in the last 4 days and my nitrites and nitrate are still nearly off the chart. I'm only 9 days into the cycle so I'm hoping if I continue to do water changes it should slowly start to drop.

 

[ScotJudd]

At this stage,with so much water changed ,I would test your source water (tap?) to ensure you're not adding nitrates.


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[ndw]

At this stage,with so much water changed ,I would test your source water (tap?) to ensure you're not adding nitrates.


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I done that and there's none in my water source. Frustration !

 

[Caliban07]

So you haven't added any ammonia at all yet?


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[ndw]

No. The last tank I done (first ever tank) I got told by the lfs to use this bio enhancer instead of pure ammonia as the enhancer contained ammonia and would work just as well. That worked fine for my first tank however I'm starting to think maybe that was just luck and the lfs didn't have a clue what he was doing, I think I will have to start again with pure ammonia

 

[Caliban07]

No. The last tank I done (first ever tank) I got told by the lfs to use this bio enhancer instead of pure ammonia as the enhancer contained ammonia and would work just as well. That worked fine for my first tank however I'm starting to think maybe that was just luck and the lfs didn't have a clue what he was doing, I think I will have to start again with pure ammonia

I think he was trying to make a sale. Go ahead with the ammonia.


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