Cycling Questions

[jrussuk]

Hi i have a silly question on my cycling. I have been cycling my 40 ltr tank for 2 weeks and now the tank is eating up the ammonia from 4pmm to 0 in about 12 hours. the question i have is i have now tested for nitrites and nitrates and they are both through the roof i know the nitrites spike until nitrates appear but both are of the scale. is this ok???
many thanks

 

[MHunt]

I would do a big water change, i mean 80 or 90% if there's no fish in there it won't matter. Then test again for a couple of days. My first thought is you are dosing with too much ammonia. I don't know enough about fishless cycling to be really helpful, but i would do the water change then continue, but reduce the amount of ammonia you are adding to the tank every day. You are probably about there if the nitrates are high, but test for a couple of days after a big water change to be sure.

 

[caino]

the ammonia is broken down by nitrifying bacteria (spelling issues ), which change it into nitrItes, another type of bacteria will then grow to change the nitrItes into nitrAtes, the latter or which is less harmfull to fish. You should see an ammonia spike, which by the sound of it you have had and then a nitrite spike, wich you are in the middle of, it will decrease down to 0 whilsed the nitrAtes are still through the roof. The only way to get rid of nitrAtes is by waterchanges. NitrItes are harmfull to fish.

hope that helped and sorry about the spelling, my mind is dead

edit: i found that the nitrIte went down a lot faster than the ammonia.

 

[jrussuk]

thanks for your replys do you think i should just carry on untill my nitrites are down to 0 then do a large water change as it says on the cycling sticky?

 

[mark.w.jones]

Do not do a water change during fishless cycling. Just keep raising your ammonia back up to 5ppm when it drops down to zero. Don't worry about nitrite and nitrate levels at the moment. Your nitrite will drop eventuallly, just takes much longer.

 

[caino]

Jonesy is the DON at fishless cycling, his guide helped me through mine. And i no it takes a while but it is worth it, not having to put any fish throught needless stress

 

[jrussuk]

Jonsey thanks for the advice. I will stay patiant then and wait for the nitrite level to go down.