Fishless Cycle Progress

[jeej]

So today I tested my water and the Ammonia hasn't gone down and the Nitrites have disappeared. Is that meant to happen or has something gone badly wrong?

All advice gratefully accepted - thanks!

 

[Spooky76]

It would seem your filter has started a mini cycle.
Have you cleaned the filter to anything like that to start the cycle again ?

 

[jeej]

Nothing has changed.

If it helps, these are the facts with ref to my tank...

255l/65US Gal - 36x18x24 - 1 x 30w T8 bulb in reflector - 4 Anubias plants on small driftwood, small volcanic rock, small terra-cotta urn. Temp is a constant 32 degrees C.

I haven't touched the water or the filter.

 

[rabbut]

Very strange.....Something has stalled the cycle. Do you have a pH reading? Also are you using liquid drop tests or dip strips. It is possible that nitrite has continued to be processed, but something happened to the ammonia "eating" bactiria. Nitrate should not drop to undetectable, with so few plants at least. Mebe the tank has gone stagnent? Do you have a reading for oxygen? Is there plenty of surface movement? Thats my ideas exhorsted for now, so I'll stop questioning

All the best
Rabbut

 

[jeej]

Thanks for your help.

There is A LOT of surface movement in my tank.

I'll do the tests (API liquid tests) this evening and also do a ph test at the same time and get back to you.

Thanks guys.

 

[jeej]

I got the same readings again today; Ammonia = 4, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 0 and my ph was 6. Which is lower than my tap water, which is 7. But it might have something to do with tannins and plants.

 

[Spooky76]

Crap...something has gone wrong...keep adding the ammonia again and hope your nitrite starts to rise again. I dont know what else to suggest sorry mate.

 

[jeej]

But if my Ammonia is still at 4ppm, how will adding EVEN MORE help? Sorry if there is a rational explanation, I'm just trying to understand.

 

[Spooky76]

Only that unless something really really weird is going on, your filter will start processing the ammonia soon I would have thought...and if it does, you want more in to replace the ammonia thats being processed into Nitrite...does that make sense ?

 

[rdd1952]

Your problem is your pH. As pH goes lower, bacteria reproduction slows and can go dormant at levels below 6 (probably the lowest level your your kit). I would do a 75% water change to get the pH back up and the cycle should start again. One thing that does seem strange is that you had 80ppm of nitrate early in the process and that it disappeared. You should not have seen a nitrate level that high that early in the process.

 

[rabbut]

ditto above the only thing that can realy be caursing the ammonia to not get processed would be that low pH. I can't think what has happened with the nitrate.......anairobic conditions would be the only thing to to that I woruld have thought, but plenty of surface movement will limit that to the substrate only.....unless its a realy deep substrate, it woun't host enough bactiria to drop the nitrate that quickly I'm at a loss on that one.......

All the best
Rabbut

 

[jeej]

Ok, thanks for the advice guys, I'll do a big water change today.

 

[jeej]

Right, this is where I am now...

So looks like I am back to square one, right?

Seems like my very low pH had a lot to do with this, but I wonder if using Cloudy Ammonia had something to do with it too? It is Long Life Cloudy Ammonia made by Pascoe's. It says Active Constituent: 2% Ammonia. My tank is 65 US Gal and I had been adding 13 x 5ml spoonfulls to bring it up to 5ppm each time - it would turn my water cloudy, but that would disappear after bout 10 minutes. I just haven't found any pure ammonia anywhere round here.

 

[jeej]

This is the spec of the cloudy ammonia... http/www.pascoes.com.au/common/pdf.php?w...mp;field=FILE_1

 

[purplekaz]

I wouldn't advise using that due to it containing surfactants:

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfactant

I'm in the process of fishless cycling and have been using pure ammonia, from a bottle labelled "Household Ammonia, Multi-purpose Cleaner and Laundry Aid".
If possible get down to your local hardware store and see if you can find something similar.
It's not always obvious from the labelling, but make sure the ingredients list contains nothing more than ammonia and water.

Best of luck