Almost There?

[buffalogal]

Hi all! This is my first time doing a fishless cycle and I was wondering how far along I was. My friend who is also doing her first fishless cycle thinks I'm done, but I want advice from someone who's done it this way before.

I started on Aug 25th with a 29/30gal tank with eco complete. It is very heavily planted with 4 pieces of bogwod and blackwater extract and has a filter with a biowheel. The temperature is currently 80. I had it higher but the plants didn't seem to like it. I also seeded the tank with a mature filter cartridge and filter floss and water from the goldfish tank. I started out doing the add daily for the first week, but then waited for it to drop back to zero (about 3 or 4 days) I was fearing for the plants. Then I started doing the add and wait method. To make things more confusing, I was using an ammonia drops kit and a dip strip for everything else. I experienced a Nitrite spike and then a Nitrate spike with the strip test. Then I got a Nitrite and a nitrate drops kit so I could get more accurate readings and had this result on 9/15:

with drops / with strip

Ni 0 / too high to read

NA 5 / 80

It's like 2 completely different tanks! Anyway, I am testing am and pm. I seem to be processing 4ppm of ammonia in a twelve hour period and the Ni and Na have been pretty much the same. It does seem that the NI always turns blue by 5 1/2 minutes. Also, the ph in the tank is 6.8 according to the strip.

I also did a test strip of a glass of drinking water (tap water through a Brita) because I was going insane and got this:

Ni 0
Na0
H75
Alk 80
ph7.2

I don't mind waiting if that's what's right. Please let me know what you think. I'm not brand new to this, I did work at lps for 2 years. We used the strips in the store for tests, but I do know they aren't always accurate. (Well obviously!) Sorry for such a long post!

 

[Underwurlde]

First off, ignore the test strips, rely on the dropper tests.

Your tank is heavily planted, hence the plants too will be gobbling up ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you're seeing Ammonia levels drop that quicly in 12hrs, 0 nitrites and levels of nitrates, and based on the fact that your tank is heavily planted (a natural filter if you like) then I'd say go ahead and add fish.

That, of course is just my opinion, wait for other opinions too....

Andy

 

[littlest]

well it's probably best to ignore the strip tests and just do drop tests. strip tests can be very innacurate. Because you have been using them up until now it is a bit confusing as you don't know exactly what has happened, but if ammonia is going to zero in 12 hours and nitrite is zero and you have nitrates, that means you are cycled. If you are unsure, do the tests with the drop tests for a few days (adding ammonia every 12 hours) and it should become clear where you are.

From the results you gave it sounds like it may be cycled but it is best to carry on for a few days just to make sure.

 

[buffalogal]

First off, ignore the test strips, rely on the dropper tests.

Your tank is heavily planted, hence the plants too will be gobbling up ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you're seeing Ammonia levels drop that quicly in 12hrs, 0 nitrites and levels of nitrates, and based on the fact that your tank is heavily planted (a natural filter if you like) then I'd say go ahead and add fish.

That, of course is just my opinion, wait for other opinions too....

Andy

I knew that the plants would take care of ammonia to some degree, but I didn't know about the nitrites and nitrates! That was actually my main concern because I thought in the sticky that it said the nitrates would be crazy high and I would need to do an 80 percent water change before I got the fish. So far, one day later the results are the same. I do wonder about the nitrite test though. It's still purplish at 5 minutes, but like 1/2 minute later it's blue. I just want to make sure it's right.

I had thought of waiting until Oct 1st, but might go this Thursday instead. Is that jumping the gun? I would be getting most of my stock. I'm going to wait 2 weeks, I think, before getting the angels so the dithers are at home already and because the angels are delicate. Sound plausible?

 

[Underwurlde]

Nitrite can be as dangerous to fish as (toxic) ammonia, so it is imperitive the water is free of this before adding fish.

It is clear that the strips are just not working for whatever reason, ditch them and purchase a dropper test kit and redo the test. Base your actions then on the result of your new dropper test.

Andy

 

[littlest]

What drop test kit are you using. Often if the nitrite is purple to start with and then goes another colour it means nitrites are off the scale, so be careful with that one. If your test kit has blue for zero nitrites (as mine does) it shouldn't turn purple at any stage of the test, it should stay blue, if nitrite is zero.

 

[pandacichlid]

First off, ignore the test strips, rely on the dropper tests.

Your tank is heavily planted, hence the plants too will be gobbling up ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you're seeing Ammonia levels drop that quicly in 12hrs, 0 nitrites and levels of nitrates, and based on the fact that your tank is heavily planted (a natural filter if you like) then I'd say go ahead and add fish.

That, of course is just my opinion, wait for other opinions too....

Andy

yeah I agree. The plants will take in all the ammonia and other bacteira. Plus, the strip testers aren't as accurate as the drops so stick to them
I was well happy when my tank was fully cycled

 

[buffalogal]

What drop test kit are you using. Often if the nitrite is purple to start with and then goes another colour it means nitrites are off the scale, so be careful with that one. If your test kit has blue for zero nitrites (as mine does) it shouldn't turn purple at any stage of the test, it should stay blue, if nitrite is zero.

It is the API kit. I've used it insteead of the strips for the last 5 days. The nitrite test drops are blue and turn purple when they hit the bottom of the tube. It's purple as you shake it and it turns pale at the end of 5 minutes. It is usually a clear blue like the zero marker of the test by 5 1/2 min.

Oh well figured it was too good to be true! I can hold out however long it takes. If I wasn't trying to be careful about it, I wouldn't have posted for advice. I'm not a total newbie to fish, just the fishless cycle. I figured something was up as the nitrates were so low. But I'm at least 1/2 way there, right? Thanks guys!

 

[littlest]

yep your nitrites are off the scale. I use API too and same thing happens.
but yeah, halfway there, and you are getting some nitrates so at least some of the nitrites are being processed.

 

[buffalogal]

Well you were dead on about the drops. I tested the goldfish's water and the nitrite test drops were blue from start to finish. I don't know why I didn't think to do that before Anyway, thanks so much for picking up on that. I would have hated myself if I'd hurt them by getting fish too soon.