Can I Have Some Reassurance On My Fishless Cycle Please

[sneezy]

Hello

I started a fishless cycle of my 20 gallon Fluval tank 7 days ago. I have a fluval 3+ filter and the heater is set to 82. I am using pure ammonia and am using the add and wait method.

I have been testing the water everyday and now on the 7th day my Nitrites are sitting at between 1.0 and 2.0 which i assume is good but my ammonia does not seem to have dropped at all and is still sitting at around 4.0.

Is this ok? At what point should I expect my ammonia levels to drop?

FYI I am uusing an API liquid test kit.


Sorry if my questioning is very basic. This is my first attempt at tropical and am quite nervous after messing up a coldwater tank with new tank syndrome because I didn't cycle.

I don't currently have any live plants or airstones. I was going to invest post cycle. would you recommend getting them earlier.

Thanks
x Sneezy

 

[Colin_T]

Your filtration cycle is progressing normally. It takes about 2 weeks before the ammonia levels drop and another 2 weeks after that for the nitrite to drop. The fact you have some nitrite now indicates that there is some bacteria eating the ammonia and converting it to nitrite. Just keep doing what your doing and everything will be fine

 

[OldMan47]

Hey its doing fine sneezy. The ammonia converts to much more than 1 ppm of nitrite for each 1 ppm of ammonia that is consumed. I don't remember the ratio exactly but it is 2 or 3 ppm nitrite that comes from each ppm of ammonia. From a practical point of view, you can often see nitrites moving without a noticable change in ammonia. What it tells me is the same thing it meant to Colin, You have started, but just stareted, to process some ammonia so you are on your way.

 

[sneezy]

Hello again. I'm now on day 14. My nitrate has spiked but my ammonia has still not dropped. My tank also smells pretty bad. Is this still ok?

Many Thanks, Sneezy



*EEK SORRY TYPED IT WRONG. IT is MY NITRITES THAT HAVE SPIKED NOT MY NITRATES. HAVEN'T TESTED NITRATES YET.

I ALSO PUT LIVE PLANTS AND AIRSTONES IN THE TANK ON CD 9. COULD THIS BE THE PROBLEM.

 

[OldMan47]

Nitrates don't spike, they just climb forever. Nitrites can spike until you start processing them. If you have added no ammonia from the start and are seeing nitrates climbing, you need to look for the source of the ammonia. Something is adding to your ammonia and if it’s not you then you need to find it. Some things that will add ammonia to the system are fish waste, you're doing fishless so not that, dead or dieing plants possible, decaying fish food, no fish so I hope no fish food, dead snails, entirely possible if you have live plants. Basically anything that is organic in origin will produce ammonia when it decays and will also produce an unpleasant odor. Sounds like its time for some detective work.

 

[rdd1952]

Your ammonia should drop from 4 ppm back to zero in the first week and you should start to see the nitrite rise (1 ppm ammonia yields about 2.7 ppm of nitrite). If your ammonia hasn't dropped at all, then either you have a faulty test kit or as OldMan mentioned, there is another ammonia source in your tank. The fact that the tank smells bad would lead me to believe that something is decaying in the tank. It definitely shouldn't smell.

Also, you mentioned that you didn't have an airstone. Because of the higher temperature during cycling, you really need extra oxygen and airstones are the best way to do that. You can lower the water level so that you get surface agitation but I don't know if that will be enough or not. And once you are cycled, you really don't need to add airstones, especially if you have live plants. I don't run airstones in any of my tanks.

 

[sneezy]

Sorry wrote nitrate instead of nitrite. Have edited yesterdays post.


Ok have just checked my levels again and on day 15 they are

Ammonia 3.0
Nitrite 5.0 +
Nitrate 40
PH 8.4

 

[rabbut]

Looks like you have definately started to cycle now

Can you get hold of any mature media? This will speed the cycle considerably, and reduce the time you have to wait before it's safe to add fish.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[OldMan47]

Sneezy, your new numbers look like you have made a start on your cycle. Is the 40 ppm what you have in the tap or can we conclude that it is from nitrite conversion?

 

[sneezy]

have tested the nitrates in my tap water and they are 5.0 so my tank is definitely processing something. Today my readings are pretty much the same: Ammonia 2.0 Nitrite 5.0+.

Getting a tad frustrated. Should I start adding more ammonia daily to try and get the cycle moving. I thought my ammonia would have dropped by now

 

[rdd1952]

The ammonia definitely should have dropped by now, especially if you have nitrites. As mentioned, it sounds as if there is something in the tank that is creating it's own ammonia. My suggestion is to do a 100% water change and start over. Make sure you check the tank very carefully and remove anything that could be deteriorating and rotting. I know you said you didn't have any plants but there has to be something in the tank that is creating ammonia.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

could be something in the substrate, what are you using? do a large water change and give the substrate a v good vac while you do it

 

[sneezy]

Day 18

I put some plants in there on CD9 so I took them out last night and waited to test this morning and my Ammonnia levels have dropped slightly as has my nitrites.

Readings are now
Ammonnia is between 0.5 and 1
Nitrite is 2.0
PH 8.2
Nitrates between 40 and 80. Nearer 40



Do you still recommend I do a water change/gravel clean or should I wait and see what happens over the next few days. Sorry for all the questions.

Many Thanks
Sneezy


PS The gravel i am using is the big florescent pebbles. They were in my previous ammonia ridden coldtank but have been pressure washed since.

 

[rabbut]

Possibly just a little dirt has come in in the old peppels. It doesn't take a lot of waste to produce ammonia. I'd sit back and watch for a few days if ammonia is dropping, as I don't think it is too serious if the filter is processing it. If the ammonia rises again without you adding more, then do a waterchange and substarate clean. Could also be a good idea to take a peek at the filter media. Any waste in that will also break down into ammonia. I wouldn't advise cleaning the filter yet, though, unless it is realy horribley clogged to a point where your flow is dropping.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[sneezy]

Woohoo!!! Ammonnia today is 0.25. Will do readings again tomorrow morning and if it is down to zero I will start adding ammonia.

Yay my tank is finally doing what it should. *blushes* sorry, quite excited!

Sneezy