F Cycling

[StarOrbs]

Okay my tank is just about done with its cycle. I increased my ammonia about 10 days ago(probally more) so I would get a reading of around ~5 ppm. Right now my tank turns ~5ppm to ~1.5 PPM in about 24 hours. My nitrite already spiked and has been 0 for about 5-6 days. Now I know that means it's cycled but for some reason my ammonia isn't going down fast enough to turn ~5ppm of ammonia to 0 in 24 hours. It's been going down from 5PPM to 1PPM for about a week now and I'm wondering why it's not getting to zero.

Could it be because of the green water due to a free floating algae bloom? Any ideas, or should I bring back the be patient rule?

 

[Tolak]

If the bacteria are converting 4ppm ammo with no nitrites, I would consider it cycled. That much ammo being produced by any amount of fish would be a really overstocked tank, regardless of the size.

If you want to be sure, wait 30 hours before testing. If it converts 4ppm in 24 hours, that is 1ppm every 6 hours. If it's cycled it should convert that last 1ppm in another 6 hours.

Tolak

 

[StarOrbs]

Good idea thanks.. Ill wait till right before I go to bed and it should be zero.

 

[rdd1952]

Once your ammonia drops to zero the first time you really only need to raise it to about 1 or 2 ppm until the nitrite spikes. I wouldn't add any more ammonia until it goes to zero again. Once it does, just to test it one more time, add to 1 ppm one more time. Both ammo and nitrite should go to zero in 12 to 24 hours.

 

[StarOrbs]

Sounds good, my nitrite has been zero for a while. I'm going to be testing in a minute to see how it's progressing.

 

[StarOrbs]

Either there is something wrong with my test kit or my tank because I waited till this morning and it reads the exactly same PPM for ammonia.