stalled cycle?

[scalesojustice]

it has been about five days since i filled my 40 gal tank and started a fishless cycle. i'm using pure ammonia. my ammonia reading is around .2-.3 and has been for five days. i see no trace of nitrites.

does it normally take this long, or should i be seeing nitrites?

unfortunately, i can't use established media from my other tank as i'm battling ich. i do have some live plants from a friend's tank that i threw in.

shouldn't i have seen some change?

a while back i had started to fishless cycle another 10 gal and saw nitrites within a day or two, but i also had put in some established substrate.

 

[rich311k]

No it could take a week or two. Everything is normal. I assume you meant 2 -3 ppm of ammonia.

 

[scalesojustice]

thanks for the info!

yeah, that's what i meant 2-3 ppm. i didn't have the results right in front of me when i posted.

i wish those bacteria would hurray up already, i'm looking at a perfectly scaped tank that is itching for some fish.

i'll see if i can gank some media from friends

 

[Zagz]

I have had great success dosing to 4 -5ppm ammonia. Usually 4 but not always precise with my measuring, LOL.

 

[scalesojustice]

thanks guys..


but if my tank is at 2-3 ammonia every day, do i keep dosing or do i wait for that to disipate?

 

[rich311k]

Just add enough to maintain the levels.

 

[scalesojustice]

i finally got nitrites! thanks guys!

 

[7Enigma]

Please note that you CAN use the media from your established tank. Ich requires a food source (your fish) to survive. In a fishless cycle the Ich has no host and will die in the free-swimming stage (essentially dehydrates and dies from lack of nutrients).

Note you can speed up your cycle by increasing the tank temp (below 90F), decreasing the water level slightly if using a HOB (more oxygen), and keeping the lights off. The last one won't help speed the cycle but will limit the chance of a GW outbreak which is ripe for occurring (low CO2 and ammonia are principle causes).

 

[scalesojustice]

thanks for the info. my temp is up to about 83. i thought about leaving the light off, but wouldn't the plants suffer? i'm not sure what kind they are as my friend gave them to me, but they are low light plants. in fact, his words were that you could grow them in a bucket of highway water in a closet. and the water level is low because of evaporation, as i keep my apartment at a toasty 60 degrees, while the fish live in 80 degrees, go figure.

that's interesting about the ich. though i have a friend coming over today with all sorts of media, so i think i'll just play it safe. thanks again

 

[7Enigma]

With plants in there keep the lights on (missed that ), but keep a close eye on your fert levels or begin EI dosing. With free ammonia present in the water if the plants are missing a single fert the algae will take over!

 

[scalesojustice]

well, i'm not ferting. i'm taking a devil-may-care approach to plant keeping. i only have hornwart, anacharis, rotalla floating about in the tank. i'm not a big fan of plants, but i'm trying my hand as they were free from a friend.

 

[scalesojustice]

alright, here's the latest,

my ammonia is around .2-.4 ppm. my nitrites have spiked to 5. have i o.d.'ed with ammonia considering that my nitrites are off the charts and ammonia is still present? or will the nitrite test actually turn to blood before the ammonia is gone?

 

[rich311k]

If you are maintaining a level of 3 ppm ammonia you are doing just fine. Those nitrites will start to drop soon. You have 2 -3 weeks to go. Just be patient the end is not that far away.

 

[scalesojustice]

this is rumor control, here are the facts.


my ammonia is returning to 0 after 24 hours (dosing .2-.4 ppm), my nitrites have come down to around 2. i don't know what my nitrates are yet, as i have an older test kit, but i'm borrowing a nitrate test from a friend on wednesday. i'm very excited. i'm hoping that my cycle will be complete and i can stock this weekend, but that might be a bit too hopeful.

i did get filter media/gravel and more plants from a friend, so the cycle really took off after i added that last week.

Thanks for all your help everyone.

 

[rich311k]

Good news. You are closing in fast. Remember to add 2ppm ammonia and watch ammonia and nitrite go to 0 zero in 24 hours. Then you can call it done.

 

[scalesojustice]

awesome! 'twas a long hard battle. but the pay off of being able to stock the fish i want makes it all the better.

too bad i have to go out of town later this week, but i'll have someone dosing the tank. can't wait to put the fish in!

thanks for all your help rich.

 

[scalesojustice]

the ammonia is still at 0 and the nitrites have dipped to between 1 and .25.

unfortuantely, i have to go out of town tomorrow for three days. but i hope to find some one to dose the tank. but, if i can't, if i dose 4-5 ppm thursday morning, would the bacteria be alright until saturday evening?

 

[rich311k]

With that much ammonia it should be fine. You could add a pinch or two of flakes for long term ammonia production if you wish. You may be cycled by the time you get home.

 

[scalesojustice]

man, rich, you're faster than a speeding bullet.

i'm looking forward to doing a big pwc right when i get home. although, i might be a bit crazy to want to instantly drop my bags and grab a python.

 

[rich311k]

although, i might be a bit crazy to want to instantly drop my bags and grab a python.

Sounds like perfectly normal behavior to me. Have a good trip.