Cycling Question

[commoncarp]

I’ve had my tank about 6 weeks now but only have had my API Test Kit for the last week, nearly everyday I am having to do water changes to keep the nitrites level at 0 (am never over 0.25), last night I done a 20% water change but didn’t test the water until this morning and nitrites were 0, I then fed the fish tested a few hours later and I have nitrites 0.25 (at most) but ammonia always stays at 0, do you think the reason for the increase is because I fed the fish? Also should I do a water change now or wait until tomorrow and test the water levels if there are still nitries than do a water change? I know the process of Ammonia = Nitrites = Nitrates but I don’t know if Nitrites take time to convert into Nitrates. Can someone please explain.

ThankYou

CommonCarp

 

[fatheadminnow]

It seems to me that you do not have enough bacteria to convert all the nitrites into nitrates yet; there will soon be enough bacteria, don't worry.

I would test again for nitrites, and if it is over .25 ppm, do a water change.

You are doing good, just keep up on the water changes and I would say in a weeks time your nitrites should be under control.

Yes, the food most likely caused the nitrites to go up, but to me it seems a bit sudden.

Just keep up what you are doing and all should be good in a week or so.

-FHM

 

[waterdrop]

I think the most likely explanation for the nitrite(NO2) level not yet holding zero is probably that the N-Bac population is still not large enough, as FHM has postulated. Since its only been 6 weeks, we'd not be surprised to find it at the stage you describe.

But another possibility we should keep in the back of our heads is that you could also get the same symptoms if the biofilter were too small for the bioload (ie. the filter is too small, the fish population too large for the filter... or both!... or perhaps if one thought about it that would all be the same thing, lol) Anyway, I'd not worry about this possibility until its had more than 2 months to cycle.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

I am going to agree with others here Commoncarp. The tank you have is still quite young, and although the ammonia is not building up, the nitrites are not being processed properly yet. It will take time for the nitrite processing bacteria to develop in your filter and in the meantime you will need to do water changes to remove the nitrites. In a mature tank, or even a newly cycled one, you will never be able to detect any ammonia nor any nitrites. Instead you will see any addition to the nitrogen in the tank by fish respiration, plants decaying, food additions or anything else as merely a rise in nitrates. If you are careful not to toss the bacterial colony with a filter media change, when you get to that stage your fish will be safe from any nitrogen problems at all.

 

[commoncarp]

Still having to do daily water changes and nitrites stay below 0.25. What has probably slowed the cycling down is I took the media out of the tank recently for five days and left to dry, after reading the forum it says that all the useful bacteria would be killed off , so I might have a few more weeks of daily water changes!

The best advice I could give anyone who is thinking of getting a tank or recently bought one, do a fishless cycle, is alot less hassle, fish would thankyou for it, and so would your wallet, I am forever buying water conditioner, I stocked my tank with fish after 1 week, huge mistake!!! I am lucky have only lost x1 platty and a couple of neons.

This site is great has so much useful information, just wished I would of found it before I stocked the tank.