70l Cycling Problem

[push110]

Hi

I've been doing a fishless cycle on my 70 litre tank using waterlife bio-mature.

i've followed the instructions which say to add the required amount untill a nitrite reading of 10 has been achieved, i got a nitrite reading of 10 over 6 weeks ago and it hasn't gone down any since. 3 days ago i did a 10% water change and when i tested the water later on that day, i got a nitrite reading of zero and a nitrate reading of around 40. Surely i should still be getting a nitrite reading.

Does any one have any idea whats gone wrong.

Thanks

 

[benniebru]

it is possible keep an eye on ur water but bacteria can bloom overnite there has been times when i have cycled and i went to bed and my nitrites were 5 and i woke up and checked the water to find that they were 0 just keep an eye on it, it sounds to me u are nearing the end of the cycle

 

[mark.w.jones]

Most of those cycling and bacteria in a bottle products have very little backing from the scientific world or from experienced members on this website. The main argument being, how can bacteria which require a constant food supply survive for weeks in a warm bottle on a shelf. The only product with any scientific backing is called Biospira and is next to impossible to get hold of in the UK. Even then it is only a worthwhile product if it has been kept contantly refrigerated in order to slow down their growth.

You will probably find that you have wasted your time with your Biomature and that as soon as you add any fish to your tank you will get a big spike of ammonia or nitrite which Biomature is supposed to avoid. A more scientific and accurate way to fishless cycle your tank before adding fish is to add ammonia solution. The "add & wait" method from the fishless cycling link in my sig. has been used very successfully by loads of members on this site. It is really the only way to go if you want a successful fishless cycle.

 

[push110]

Most of those cycling and bacteria in a bottle products have very little backing from the scientific world or from experienced members on this website. The main argument being, how can bacteria which require a constant food supply survive for weeks in a warm bottle on a shelf. The only product with any scientific backing is called Biospira and is next to impossible to get hold of in the UK. Even then it is only a worthwhile product if it has been kept contantly refrigerated in order to slow down their growth.

You will probably find that you have wasted your time with your Biomature and that as soon as you add any fish to your tank you will get a big spike of ammonia or nitrite which Biomature is supposed to avoid. A more scientific and accurate way to fishless cycle your tank before adding fish is to add ammonia solution. The "add & wait" method from the fishless cycling link in my sig. has been used very successfully by loads of members on this site. It is really the only way to go if you want a successful fishless cycle.

I'm guessing you have no idea what waterlife biomature is or that it contains an ammonia solution. I have already cycled a smaller tank using it

 

[rabbut]

Most of those cycling and bacteria in a bottle products have very little backing from the scientific world or from experienced members on this website. The main argument being, how can bacteria which require a constant food supply survive for weeks in a warm bottle on a shelf. The only product with any scientific backing is called Biospira and is next to impossible to get hold of in the UK. Even then it is only a worthwhile product if it has been kept contantly refrigerated in order to slow down their growth.

You will probably find that you have wasted your time with your Biomature and that as soon as you add any fish to your tank you will get a big spike of ammonia or nitrite which Biomature is supposed to avoid. A more scientific and accurate way to fishless cycle your tank before adding fish is to add ammonia solution. The "add & wait" method from the fishless cycling link in my sig. has been used very successfully by loads of members on this site. It is really the only way to go if you want a successful fishless cycle.

I'm guessing you have no idea what waterlife biomature is or that it contains an ammonia solution. I have already cycled a smaller tank using it

This may well be the case, however, what Jornsy is saying, is air on the side of caution just in case something happened to the product in shipping. If sufficient ammounts of bactiria remained in the bottle it owuld not have taken 6 weeks for the nitrite value to move. I would speculate that possibly the cycle is not yet fully completed, but that the product has helped it allong to a point where it is survivable to fish, hence your previous success. If it were me using the product, after the products instructions stated that the cycle was complete, I would add 5ppm of ammonia to the tank, and test the water 12hours later, to ensure that the product has indeed done its job correctly and fully.

Ragards
Rabbut

 

[push110]

Sorry if i sounded a bit off in the above post, your reply was much apreciated

The product i am using waterlife biomature is ammonia based so should be no different to using any other brand off ammonia. The instructions said that once a nitrite reading of 10 was achieved stop adding it and wait for the nitrite to go to zero. I added a small amount of biomature last night and did a water test earlier which gave me a nitrite reading.

 

[mark.w.jones]

I'm just telling you the experience of many members who have used those type of products that's all, 9 times out of 10 they don't work. Maybe your one is different. Just be sure to test daily for ammonia and nitrite that's all and do water changes if you find levels above 0.25ppm of either. Eventually enough bacteria will grow within your filter in order to deal with the waste from your first school of fish and you will have 0ppm readings for ammonia and nitrite. However, when you add your next school of fish you will be increasing the amount of waste produced in your tank. Your ammonia and nitrite levels will go up again for a while until enough bacteria grow within your filter to remove the larger amount of waste. This is the main disadvantage of cycling with fish, which you will be doing at this point because you can't add you biomature to a tank stocked with fish. Every time you add your next school all your fish will be exposed to a certain amount of ammonia and nitrite whilst you wait for the necessary bacteria to grow.

Any levels of ammonia or nitrite are very damaging to fish and should be avoided or reduced at all costs.

What I and many members advise on this site is a fishless cycle with pure ammonia solution. If done properly it doesn't expose any fish to high levels of ammonia or nitrite and means you can fully stock your tank as soon as you finish it. It is a more scientific process and onece finished leaves your filter containing a huge excess of beneficial bacteria, far more than are actually needed. Once you fully stock these bacteria then die back until there are enough which can survive on the waste from your current stock.

Follow the add & wait method from the link in my sig.



ps these articles support what I said earlier about bacteria in a bottle products.

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/21...h-Amonia-Level/

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/19...etra-Safestart/

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/18...at-Works-Good-/

 

[push110]

I don't have any fish in the tank as i'm doing a fishless cycle

The product i'm using is recommended on the practical fishkeeping website -

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=442

The process seems to be the same as the "add daily" method