Confused by readings

[FishGuest5123]

If you seeded your filter with used media that makes more sense. I would cut the ammonia out all together. Seeding the tank will give you an automatic cycle in most cases. Sounds like your working against yourself. That makes since as to why you already have nitrates ( from media)) but also have high ammonia because you keep feeding it. Do a 50% water change and let it cycle. You should be fine in a couple of days.

 

[steelo]

Enough to make it 2ppm. I also added mature media about 10 days ago

Especially since you already have media in in, I would just leave it be for a few days, don't add any more ammonia but monitor every 2 days. When nitrites are under 1 AND ammonia is clearly under .25, add a full 3 ppm dose of ammonia. If ammonia and nitrites drop to 0 within 24 hours, you are cycled. If not, add another full dose and re-check in 24 hours.

Please note, it took me almost 2 weeks before my nitrites dropped below 1 ppm. If you feel the nitrites are getting too high and it's taking too long, a 50-75% water change may jump start the cycle. I had to do 2 large water changes to finish the cycle. However, since you have used media in your tank, it may not take that long.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Please, if you added the media you don’t need to go through the cycling process. No more ammonia, at all. Let the nitrate eat it up and then water change will lower your nitrates and you will be ready to go. I promise.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Especially since you already have media in in, I would just leave it be for a few days, don't add any more ammonia but monitor every 2 days. When nitrites are under 1 AND ammonia is clearly under .25, add a full 3 ppm dose of ammonia. If ammonia and nitrites drop to 0 within 24 hours, you are cycled. If not, add another full dose and re-check in 24 hours.

Please note, it took me almost 2 weeks before my nitrites dropped below 1 ppm. If you feel the nitrites are getting too high and it's taking too long, a 50-75% water change may jump start the cycle. I had to do 2 large water changes to finish the cycle. However, since you have used media in your tank, it may not take that long.

Where are the nitrites you’re talking about? It looks like they already dropped. The media jump started the cycle and no need to wait for nitrites to climb. I think there’s some confusion in seeding the filter. Just let it go now.

 

[scotty]

There is no nitrite, just ammonia and nitrates. So should I just leave it until no ammonia? Do a water change and add fish?

 

[FishGuest5123]

Yes. Give it a day or so and test again. Hopefully, the nitrates will have eaten the ammonia by then and you’ll just find higher nitrates. Then do a large water change to get nitrates below 20 ppm. Then you’re set to stock but add a few fish at a time to give the cycle new bacteria time to handle the bio load. Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[scotty]

Will do,think it was having the ammonia and no nitrite that was confusing me

 

[FishGuest5123]

Me too until I learned you had seeded the tank with used media. I always start a new tank off of my existing tank media. I love automatic cycles.

 

[scotty]

The fish I am planning to buy,will not be in until next week at the earliest. So if the ammonia goes to 0 ,should I add a little ammonia to keep it ticking over?

 

[FishGuest5123]

Yes, definitely. You need to feed the bacteria. You can also use fish food. If you use ammonia, dose to 2 ppm and wait until it drops to feed again. Then, right before you get the fish, do a water change to get nitrates to 20ppm or below. Great question!

 

[Essjay]

Just a couple of points.

Nitrate does not eat ammonia; bacteria eat ammonia and turn it into nitrite then a second set of bacteria eat the nitrite and turn into nitrate.

You do not need to add ammonia every day, the bacteria are a lot more robust than we used to think.
Once the ammonia level drops to zero, and assuming nitrite is still zero, add 3 ppm ammonia and if both ammonia and nitrite are zero after 24 hours, the tank is cycled, so do the big water change and get fish. But if one (or both) is not zero, wait till they drop to zero and add another 3 ppm ammonia.

 

[Byron]

I agree not to add ammonia now, but I also do not recommend adding it at all later. Live plants were mentioned as being in this tank, and the bacteria are not going to just die off from no ammonia being added.

You should be feeding the plants a comprehensive supplement as there are no natural nutrients of any substance. Provided ammonia and nitrite read zero for consecutive days, you are OK to add fish. Depending upon the plants, they will grab the ammonia from the fish before the bacteria has the opportunity anyway. Adding ammonia now could harm the plants and other bacteria.

 

[steelo]

Where are the nitrites you’re talking about? It looks like they already dropped. The media jump started the cycle and no need to wait for nitrites to climb. I think there’s some confusion in seeding the filter. Just let it go now.

Second post, picture on the left shows nitrites around 1-2 ppm (it appears to be a darker purple). The picture on the right, I assume is tap water and nitrites appear to be 0 ppm.

I would double check that nitrites and ammonia are in fact at zero before adding fish. Don't assume because you have used media that it will cycle in the next few days and add fish when it may in fact not be ready.

If you do add ammonia to keep the bacteria going, you need to make sure it is consumed within a 24 hour period.

 

[FishGuest5123]

1. My bad...I shouldn’t have said the nitrates were eating the ammonia. You are correct that it is the bacteria. Bad me! Wasn’t focusing on technicalities. Should have been.
2. The pic on the right on the above mentioned photo is his latest test as he stated in post, not the one on the left. The left was the first test.
3. He will not be getting fish for a week so he will need to continue feeding the bacteria. I agree that it doesn’t die off immediately but in a week it would be dead. He has to feed it. He also needs to feed it enough to keep up with the bio load once he introduces the fish to the tank.
4. My info instructed him to continue testing the ammonia and feed when at 0 so he will still be testing.
5. I have never seeded a tank ( and have seeded well over a dozen) and not found it cycled in 24 hours. Perhaps I’m just really good at it but I seriously doubt it. . Maybe I just use enough media to make it cycle quickly too. I can’t answer that. I just know it works every time. I have set up QT tanks and used cycled media in emergencies and it always cycles for the sick fish to go immediately into it.
The goal is to get the tank cycled and I think he is well on his way. We’re all here to help.

 

[steelo]

1. My bad...I shouldn’t have said the nitrates were eating the ammonia. You are correct that it is the bacteria. Bad me! Wasn’t focusing on being technical.
2. The pic on the right on the above mentioned photo is his latest test as he stated in post, not the one on the left. The left was the first test.
3. He will not be getting fish for a week so he will need to continue feeding the bacteria. I agree that it doesn’t die off immediately but in a week it would be dead. He has to feed it. He also needs to feed it enough to keep up with the bio load once he introduces the fish to the tank.
4. My info instructed him to continue testing the ammonia and feed when at 0 so he will still be testing.
5. I have never seeded a tank ( and have seeded well over a dozen) and not found it cycled in 24 hours. Perhaps I’m just really good at it but I seriously doubt it. . Maybe I just use enough media to make it cycle quickly too. I can’t answer that. I just know it works every time. I have set up QT tanks and used cycled media in emergencies and it always cycles for the sick fish to go immediately into it.
The goal is to get the tank cycled and I think he is well on his way. We’re all here to help.

I think I misunderstood the OP, I believed the picture on the left to be his tank readings, while the picture on the right was straight from the tap. I agree, he should continue to feed the bacteria but ensure that nitrites and ammonia are at 0 right before he adds the fish. I seeded my tank with stability and it still took 2 months for the bacterial colonies to develop. If he has used media, I would imagine that it would be much quicker. I can't imagine it 'instantly cycling' though like other posters have stated.

I agree with everything you've said and I wasn't attempting to argue. However, if he adds ammonia and the nitrites and ammonia levels are NOT at 0 after 24 hours, he is NOT cycled. I was suggesting that he test this to make sure the tank is in fact ready for fish.