3 Weeks Into Fishless Cycle

[katenacci]

I started fishless cycle on 10 December, water temp 29/84. I brought ammonia reading up to 4-5, left tank alone, then on 15 December my ammonia dropped to 2.

Every day since then I have adding 4 drops ammonia to give a reading of 4 ppm. On 21 December my readings were

Ammonia 3 ppm
Nitrite 2.0 ppm
Nitrate 10 ppm

I have been testing every day, but my readings have been at a stand still at

Ammonia 4.0 ppm
Nitrite 1.0 ppm
Nitrate 10.0 ppm

These havent changed for 9 days. My nitrites and ammonia have never gone off the chart, which I was thinking they would have done by now. Please could someone shed some light, do I need to do anything differently? Have I done something wrong, or is this normal?
Thank you - all help appreciated!

 

[doresy]

Hi...as you are showing both nitrites and nitrates your cycle seems to have started well. As your ammonia level dropped by 2-3 points in only 5 days leads me to think that you started with some matured media?

If it has stalled then there can be a number of reasons.

The most common being adding too much ammonia which can stop it dead. Best way to start it going again is to do massive water change, bring ammonia back up tp 4-5ppm and wait a while.

The second reason could be your pH level. The cycle can make your pH lean toward the acidic which again can stall a cycle. Same course of action needed.

 

[katenacci]

Hi...as you are showing both nitrites and nitrates your cycle seems to have started well. As your ammonia level dropped by 2-3 points in only 5 days leads me to think that you started with some matured media?

If it has stalled then there can be a number of reasons.

The most common being adding too much ammonia which can stop it dead. Best way to start it going again is to do massive water change, bring ammonia back up tp 4-5ppm and wait a while.

The second reason could be your pH level. The cycle can make your pH lean toward the acidic which again can stall a cycle. Same course of action needed.

Thanks for reply. Didnt have access to matured media, used bottle of 'cycle' as it was supplied with tank, maybe that worked. PH level has stayed at 7.6 throughout.
How much water do you suggest I change? Kids have been staring at empty fish tank for nearly a month, anything else I can do to speed it up?!

 

[Truck]

Kids have been staring at empty fish tank for nearly a month, anything else I can do to speed it up?!

just like me, you cant really speed it up, but IME the longer a cycle takes, the better the end results are and the better the tank runs at the end of the cycle

 

[doresy]

Hi, as Truck said a cycle does take time. Yours started well and maybe you should leave it for a while longer. Doing a water change at your stage if you haven't done any of the things I mentioned will not be a miricle maker.

A cycle can take 6-8 weeks so batten down the hatches and prepare for the long haul!

 

[Paavn]

if you could get your hands on some safe start by tetra or biospira then you could get a faster cycle start or boost. i had an ammonia overdose for 2 weeks did 2 50% water changes waited a day and then added safe start and i started to see an increase in nitrites within a couple of days. i have my log on the forum in the "new to hobby" section, you can take a look at the results so far and see if you think it works

 

[Truck]

if you could get your hands on some safe start by tetra or biospira then you could get a faster cycle start or boost. i had an ammonia overdose for 2 weeks did 2 50% water changes waited a day and then added safe start and i started to see an increase in nitrites within a couple of days. i have my log on the forum in the "new to hobby" section, you can take a look at the results so far and see if you think it works

sorry to reign on your parade, but that stuff IMO does nothing benificial to a tank, it doesnt speed up a cycle, the bacteria grow at there own specific rates depending on enviroment. Ie light, heat etc

 

[mic8310]

wont a few plants take out part of the ammonia? i mightve gone over the top last night and used a bit much, im hoping its getting clearer now!

 

[katenacci]

Kids have been staring at empty fish tank for nearly a month, anything else I can do to speed it up?!

just like me, you cant really speed it up, but IME the longer a cycle takes, the better the end results are and the better the tank runs at the end of the cycle

Thanks for words of encouragement. Just thought too that I havent been putting light on for the last few days, I must remember to switch it on as you mentioned this might help. Am going to leave it for a while as suggested, keeping ammonia topped up. One day it will have fish swimming about!

 

[Paavn]

sorry to reign on your parade, but that stuff IMO does nothing benificial to a tank, it doesnt speed up a cycle, the bacteria grow at there own specific rates depending on enviroment. Ie light, heat etc

i agree with you, but what it can do is add more bacteria to the tank itself the larger the population the more you get out of the multiplication. i understand people say the bacteria is dead (read it in another thread just a few minutes ago) but Safe Start claims to have live bacteria and with tetra being a large company they wouldnt take the risk of selling "fake products"

 

[OldMan47]

Are you talking about the same people who sell aquarium salt for freshwater and advise people to throw away their filter cartridges after a month of use? You might be surprised what they will try. They may well have put live bacteria into the bottle but what makes you think it is still alive?

 

[Paavn]

the threat of a huge class action lawsuit lol