What's the average duration of the nitrite spike?

[fambrough]

I am on day 24 of the cycle, day 4 of the nitrite spike. I've fed with a few drops of ammonia daily since its spike ended. My nitrite reading is about 3 ppm. How long before should I expect to see the nitrites drop? This is a 10 gallon. I'm running the temp at 79.

 

[apotocki]

Hi - I'm also cycling a tank (70 gallon).....I'm into day 26 and have had 0 ammonia and 2-5ppm nitrite for 10 days now.......I'm hoping that I'm nearing the end! Not sure if the tank size matters, but from what 've read on this forum, there is no real clear cut timeline......it happens when it happens. But we're moving in the right direction.

Alan

 

[fambrough]

I found this at www.aqualink.com/columns/k-hands4.html
Numbers two and three are for us. I thought I was a patient person.

A few observations from years of cycling tanks this way:

1. The nitrite will probably reach levels that exceed the highest limit of your nitrite test. This isn't a problem, if course, because you have no fish to worry about. This will not damage your plants either.

2. The high-nitrite stage seems to last forever. It seems to me that Nitrobacter (the nitrite-consuming bacteria) grow more slowly than Nitrosomas (the ammonia-consuming bacteria).

3. After about one week of sky-high nitrite, I find it helps to stomp around and grumble that my new tank is a toxic waste dump and I'll will never be able to add fish to it. Yelling these same sentiments is perfectly appropriate after two weeks.

4. When the nitrite drops, it will drop rapidly. This is the pay-off for your patience.

 

[TygGer]

It's been almost two weeks for me since I got a nitrite reading. Ammonia is 0, nitrite is around 2-3ppm and trates have been steady at 10-20 for about 2 weeks now.

For me, ammonia to nitrites happened in about a week. Nitrites to trates is taking forever!

 

[malkore]

IME the nitrite phase takes longer than the ammonia phase. I'd say 2-4 weeks for the nitrites to spike, taper off, and nitrAtes to then spike.

 

[fambrough]

I'm a lucky one! It's coming down now, baby!

Will post with a new thread heading.

Big grin!

Ben