3 Day Fishless Cycle?!

[Axyadbad]

This is my first fish tank experience but, here is a photo of my results after just 3 days of fishless cycling. I used the API Stress Zyme + as well on the day of starting the cycle. (I'd bought this before I got told how useless they were).

Heres the link to the photos, there also photos of my tank in the album.. http/tinyurl.com/8q9va5g


I started my cycle of the 25th of Aug, I raised the ammonia to 4 ppm, and from my recent test today I got a reading of around 1.5 ppm? I've heard a drop in ammonia shouldn't be seen for at least a week, but I tested the Nitrite just out of curiosity, and got a reading that was off the chart. And also got a small reading of nitrate.

I'm massively confused, either the stress zyme stuff is actually doing something, or I'm making howling errors during my tests. I was just wondering if i'm testing my water wrong, or if i'm not washing the tubes out correctly?

I haven't used any donated media either..

Any help would be great!

Confused, Axy!

 

[Noahs ark6]

Maybe the stress zyme actually worked. Add some more ammonia and test to see if it drops again

 

[BerryAttack]

well by the picture i see this

pH is 7.4 - 7.8

ammonia is 0.50 ppm to 1.0 ppm

the first nitrate looks like 2.0 ppm

the second nitrate looks to be 0 ppm to 5.0 ppm

that's what i get from that.. hope I'm right haha

 

[Axyadbad]

well by the picture i see this

pH is 7.4 - 7.8

ammonia is 0.50 ppm to 1.0 ppm

the first nitrate looks like 2.0 ppm

the second nitrate looks to be 0 ppm to 5.0 ppm

that's what i get from that.. hope I'm right haha

Sorry the purple one is the nitrite.. The tubes go with the respective scales from right to left, starting with the high range PH Test.


I will add a small amount of ammonia and see what happens. Just seems to good to be true haha

 

[BerryAttack]

well by the picture i see this

pH is 7.4 - 7.8

ammonia is 0.50 ppm to 1.0 ppm

the first nitrate looks like 2.0 ppm

the second nitrate looks to be 0 ppm to 5.0 ppm

that's what i get from that.. hope I'm right haha

Sorry the purple one is the nitrite.. The tubes go with the respective scales from right to left, starting with the high range PH Test.


I will add a small amount of ammonia and see what happens. Just seems to good to be true haha

oh i went from left to right.. haha with each tube to .. opps sorry about that xD

 

[Axyadbad]

Haha its ok, should having written that in the original post. I'll just have to wait and see if it has genuinly worked!

 

[garthhh]

I guess I've been lucky but all of my initial fishless cycles have been successful within 3 days, only using Zyme and dechlorinator/conditioner. Of course,. I've only set up two relatively small tanks with hardy fish.

 

[mark4785]

I'd advise you to ring up the manufacturer of stress zyme as it may contain chemicals that cause the ammonia/nitrite concentrations to display wrongly. I know, for instance, that dosing potassium nitrate in a planted aquarium can cause the API ammonia test to show a reading of 0.25 ppm. Every aquarium I have cycled has taken between 1-3 months to properly cycle at the optimum temperature and PH level.

If you have old filter media installed it may be that that media is already partially cycled allowing it to consume ammonia from the get go.

 

[Caz488]

Hi there - I have also (being a complete novice) started a new tank (current run working ok) and am attempting a fishless cycle - I started the amonia on Sunday evening so 3 days so far - amonia readings high and nitrite is only just starting to show so I am planning to add ammonia daily - my only worry is thst today my eel plants (curly grassy things) have completely died and I dont know why - I think it is OK to put plants in whilst doing the nitrite cycle - anyway - I rang the place where I got the plants for advice on the cycle and he said that I shouldn read the internet!! what I was doing was totally unnecessary and I could have just left the tank for a week and then added a few fish!! I have read that until the levels are OK it does poison the fish so Im just looking for some reassurances that im doing the right thing - but im not sure why my plants are dying - they have gone all brown and soggy - as if they have taken on too much water in the leaves - should I take the others out? I also dont fully understand why - when the cycle is complete that we have to do a large water change?

 

[Axyadbad]

I'd advise you to ring up the manufacturer of stress zyme as it may contain chemicals that cause the ammonia/nitrite concentrations to display wrongly. I know, for instance, that dosing potassium nitrate in a planted aquarium can cause the API ammonia test to show a reading of 0.25 ppm. Every aquarium I have cycled has taken between 1-3 months to properly cycle at the optimum temperature and PH level.

If you have old filter media installed it may be that that media is already partially cycled allowing it to consume ammonia from the get go.

I also thought it must be displaying incorrectly, but as both my liquid test kit, and 'live bacteria' stress zyme is made by API I doubt it would cause such an issue. Also I added ammonia last night raising it up to 4 ppm, and within 18 hours it has already dropped to around 0.75 ppm. I'm guessing the live bacteria has actually worked...

I haven't added any matura filter media so it certainly isn't that, although my tank is planted which may be speeding up the process slightly.