Cycled Nitrite before Ammonia????

[nshockeyplaya]

Well im currently on day 35 or around there for my cycle. At first i added to much ammonia but now my ammonia has moved down to .25, however during this my nitrite has been at 3.0 for many days but today when i checked it my ammonia was .25 again but my nitrite was 0. My nitrates were 20 ppm. Do you think the bacteria could have turned the nitrites into nitrates suddenly. If so does that mean when my ammonia gets to 0 which should be soon that i am done cycling??

 

[canarsie11]

This happened to me recently while cycling my 10 gallon.

There was too much ammonia, and nitrite went to zero b4 ammonia.

What I did was I did major water change like 50 to 60 percent, then take your water test.

Should bring ammonia to zero or almost there, as long no ammonia in tap.

Let it sit for 24 hrs, do another test, should be at zero then, then I fed my tank one more time to make sure my bacteria would break it down, next day ammonia back to zero

 

[nshockeyplaya]

So i could be extremely close to being done???

I have a feeling that tommorow the ammonia will be at 0 and so will nitrite. Then i will feed it around a tablespoon of ammonia and if it stays at 0 i will add fish. Do the nitrates always spike? My nitrates are at 20 so i dont think a water change is really nessecary??

 

[nshockeyplaya]

Does anyone know if this means my tank is done???

 

[canarsie11]

Yes tank will be done.

Once amm, and nitrite are at Zero.

However, Id say 2 tablespoons you have 125 gallon.

If it brings amm, back to zero within 24 hrs.....................

 

[nshockeyplaya]

You think i should wait till the ammonia gets down to 0 before feeding any ammonia to the bacteria?

 

[nshockeyplaya]

Or should i just keep feeding it daily and it will begin to take it in quicker and in larger masses???

 

[canarsie11]

What was water test results after water changes?

 

[Fishy411]

well if u have ammonia and no nitrite it means yur nitrite will spike again. Stop feeding ammonia

 

[nshockeyplaya]

No im not going to do water change because the ammonia has been going down by itself for the last few days so ill let it do that naturally the only time il need to do a water change is when its done since im doing a fishless cycle

 

[canarsie11]

What is ammonia?

 

[nshockeyplaya]

somewhere between .25-and .5

Canarsie i did a 75% water change about a week or so ago and it brought the ammonia down to 4.0ppm and since then it has gone down to .25 about so when it finnally reaches 0 im hopin im done since i beleive my nitries already spiked and went down./

 

[nshockeyplaya]

well if u have ammonia and no nitrite it means yur nitrite will spike again. Stop feeding ammonia

I think your incorrect because i think the bacteria for converting nitrites into nitrates has already been established, so i beleieve there shouldnt be a nitrite spike again

 

[canarsie11]

Do another water change. should bring down to zero. then feed, next day should drop back to zero

 

[isu_guy]

During a fishless cycle you shouldn't need to do a water change unless
1) you realize that you put too much ammonia in
2) you are done with the cycle and are going to put in some fish (so that the nitrates get lowered)

One note, don't take readings right after you add ammonia, it will throw off your results.

If you can get your readins (ammonia and nitrite) down to 0, then add ammonia, and a day later they are at 0 again, you are done cycling. I would continue to add ammonia until the day I added fish, and before adding fish do a large water change.

-goodluck