Nitrites???

[Crawdaddy]

Is it normal, that during the initial cycling process for your nitrites to spike? Ammonia is .25, and nitrates are nothing of course. I was just surprised about the nitrites.

 

[phoenixkiller]

Is it normal, that during the initial cycling process for your nitrites to spike? Ammonia is .25, and nitrates are nothing of course. I was just surprised about the nitrites.

Yes, that is actually a good sign, it means your tank is in the second stage of cycling. Congratulations!

 

[Crawdaddy]

Cool, thanks. How many stages are there?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Ammonia rises and as the bacteria grows it then falls and nitrite rises. More bacteria grow and consume the nitrite then nitrate rises. Once ammonia and nitrite are 0 and nitrate is rising the tank is cycled.

 

[CaliO]

Ammonia rises and as the bacteria grows it then falls and nitrite rises. More bacteria grow and consume the nitrite then nitrate rises. Once ammonia and nitrite are 0 and nitrate is rising the tank is cycled.

Ammonia -> Nitrite--> Nitrate

But I thought you want to continue WC until nitrates are 0 as well.? Then start adding livestock slowly.

But I could be wrong.. I do have trouble keeping coral... Grrrrrrr sorry just it's frustrating. If anyone knew what was wrong I'd fix it[buy it now]..


But looks like your doing great. But what if he did a water change now to reduce the ammo. would "in theory" he be able to always be able to keep a stable tank if it never is allowed to get to nitrite or nitrate??

Saw a hang on the tank ammo tester that changes colors to let you know a dead fish ect is there... And thought to my self if I got my nitrates to zero and then installed that could I keep it and would it be stable for sps's?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Ammonia -> Nitrite--> Nitrate

But I thought you want to continue WC until nitrates are 0 as well.? Then start adding livestock slowly.

But I could be wrong.. I do have trouble keeping coral... Grrrrrrr sorry just it's frustrating. If anyone knew what was wrong I'd fix it[buy it now]..

But looks like your doing great. But what if he did a water change now to reduce the ammo. would "in theory" he be able to always be able to keep a stable tank if it never is allowed to get to nitrite or nitrate??

Saw a hang on the tank ammo tester that changes colors to let you know a dead fish ect is there... And thought to my self if I got my nitrates to zero and then installed that could I keep it and would it be stable for sps's?

SW tanks are probably different but in FW nitrates under 20ppm is fine. In planted tanks you actually wants some nitrates or the plants can start getting deficiencies. If there are fish in the tank (fish in cycle) you want to do water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite at or under .25ppm. It doesn't still the cycle or prevent it from happening but it does protect the fish from poisoning and burns.

 

[Crawdaddy]

Thanks all. Just to let you know, I am doing a fish less cycle. I hate the idea of torturing anybody/animal to the kind of pain that can happen when doing a fish in cycle. But I am also not the most patient person in the world. Once I set my mind to do it, I want to do it yesterday. I had the tank for almost 4 months before I put everything together that I wanted, i.e. tank, filter, stand, and decorations. But once I had it all, it only took a couple of hours to set it up, and now I want to stock it. I even went looking at what I'm going to put in it today for a couple of hours. I decided on going with some barbs. It's a 37 gallon with a Fluval 306. I have a thread with pictures.

 

[phoenixkiller]

Thanks all. Just to let you know, I am doing a fish less cycle. I hate the idea of torturing anybody/animal to the kind of pain that can happen when doing a fish in cycle. But I am also not the most patient person in the world. Once I set my mind to do it, I want to do it yesterday. I had the tank for almost 4 months before I put everything together that I wanted, i.e. tank, filter, stand, and decorations. But once I had it all, it only took a couple of hours to set it up, and now I want to stock it. I even went looking at what I'm going to put in it today for a couple of hours. I decided on going with some barbs. It's a 37 gallon with a Fluval 306. I have a thread with pictures.

Hope it works out pretty good. Good luck with your new tank!

 

[Crawdaddy]

Tested tonight - ammonia .25, nitrites 5.0, nitrates 10ppm. Things are looking good. I might be able to start stocking next weekend, yea!!!

 

[phoenixkiller]

Tested tonight - ammonia .25, nitrites 5.0, nitrates 10ppm. Things are looking good. I might be able to start stocking next weekend, yea!!!

I sure hope so! And I wish luck to you and your future fish!

 

[Crawdaddy]

Now to finally come up with a stocking list.

 

[phoenixkiller]

Now to finally come up with a stocking list.

I'll love to help you, but I think you should make another thread about stocking, the moderators would appreciate you not talking about two different subjects in the same thread.

 

[Crawdaddy]

I have one, titled new tank build.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I have one, titled new tank build.

K, I'll check it out. Good luck with your tank!

 

[Crawdaddy]

Thank you

 

[Crawdaddy]

I know patience is a virtue, and it's only been cycling for a couple of weeks, but the waiting is killing me. My ammonia is at 0, but nitrites are at 5.0+, nitrates are around 10-20. The color gradient is to close for me to tell he difference. Other posts say to add pure ammonia up to 4ppm, but I haven't been out to pick any up yet. The only ammonia I currently have isn't pure, so I have not used it. Maybe tomorrow I might be able to pick some up. Not asking any advice right now, been reading all the posts, it just wanted to vent my patience issues.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I know patience is a virtue, and it's only been cycling for a couple of weeks, but the waiting is killing me. My ammonia is at 0, but nitrites are at 5.0+, nitrates are around 10-20. The color gradient is to close for me to tell he difference. Other posts say to add pure ammonia up to 4ppm, but I haven't been out to pick any up yet. The only ammonia I currently have isn't pure, so I have not used it. Maybe tomorrow I might be able to pick some up. Not asking any advice right now, been reading all the posts, it just wanted to vent my patience issues.

That's my biggest weak point in this hobby. I'm 13 and I can't STAND waiting. Wait to cycle, wait to get fish, wait to buy supplies, wait to get any more fish, wait wait wait wait WAIT!!

 

[Crawdaddy]

WooHoo, ammonia-0, nitrites-0, nitrates-20-40 (the color is to close for me to tell). Tomorrow we get to start stocking, yea!!!!
Now to decide what to put in it.