Fishless Cycling: Is Something Weird Going On?

[Adri]

Hi,

I've started up a 100litre tank on Sunday last week, and have been doing a fishless cycle with it for the past 6 days. I seeded with gravel from an established tank as well as filter media, and used ammonia (8%) to get the cycle started on Monday. I've kept a log on the tests and how much ammonia I've added every day.
Here are the test results for this past week: (I'm using the Sera liquid tests) (the ppm is actually mg/l - don't know if it's the same, but can't be bothered to change it all now)
23 April 2012 (Monday):
Dosed ammonia up to 5ppm with 40drops ammonia
24 April 2012 (Tuesday):
Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrite: 2ppm
Nitrate: 25ppm
Added 10 drops ammonia – 5ppm Ammonia
25 April 2012 (Wednesday):
Ammonia: 5ppm
Nitrite: 5ppm
Nitrate: 50ppm
Dosed: Nothing
26 April 2012 (Thursday):
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 5ppm
Nitrate: 100ppm
Dosed: 20 drops ammonia – 3ppm Ammonia
27 April 2012 (Friday):
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: app.3ppm
Nitrate: 100ppm
Dosed: 20 drops ammonia – app.3ppm

Everything seemed to be going swiftly when tonight for some reason the Nitrites went to zero (which is great), but the Ammonia hasn't decreased like it has the whole week (sitting at 2ppm). This doesn't seem normal? Am I missing something? I realise I should not have let the ammonia get to zero throughout the week, but I was dosing so much ammonia, I thought it would be ok - the little bacteria buggers seemed to be working super fast!...But now it seems they've stopped all of a sudden?

Does anyone have any explanations/advice?

 

[Hoveringpie]

Can you check your pH your cycle may have stalled

 

[Adri]

Thanks, I was actually just thinking about that - the only problem is, I have a really crappy pH test using bromothymol blue and it never seems to be correct (I tested my 60l tank with it, then had the same water tested at my LFS with a digital pH reader and it was completely different)...I'm going to the LFS tomorrow to have it tested...and perhaps get my own proper pH test. I'll let you know what it says...I'll actually go and test it with the crappy one now... (so impatient!) - Wait, what should the pH be for cycling? I'm assuming above 7, right?

 

[Adri]

OK so it's showing a yellow colour on the bromothymol blue test (so under 6.5 I think?) Should I up the pH then?

 

[Hoveringpie]

I think the only time you have to up the pH is when it's around 4-5 if someone can confirm that, your tank should still cycle at 6.5 with no problems

 

[TheJ0kerrr]

The higher the better for a fishless cycle, so yes, if you can raise the PH, that might help!

 

[paulyoung666]

I think the only time you have to up the pH is when it's around 4-5 if someone can confirm that, your tank should still cycle at 6.5 with no problems

not sure it will , i have had exactly the same problem in my tank , did a water change today to get the pH up and have just doesd up the ammonia and will see what happens now ...

 

[Adri]

OK thanks. As I said, I can't be 100% sure exactly what the pH is, but I'll have a more exact reading by tomorrow. Will I have to restart the cycling if its stalled??

 

[paulyoung666]

OK thanks. As I said, I can't be 100% sure exactly what the pH is, but I'll have a more exact reading by tomorrow. Will I have to restart the cycling if its stalled??

only new to this myself but hopefully getting the pH right and dosing up with ammonia till that and the nitrite goes will be ok for both of us , fingers crossed !!!

 

[Adri]

OK thanks. As I said, I can't be 100% sure exactly what the pH is, but I'll have a more exact reading by tomorrow. Will I have to restart the cycling if its stalled??

only new to this myself but hopefully getting the pH right and dosing up with ammonia till that and the nitrite goes will be ok for both of us , fingers crossed !!!

Yeah crossing my fingers for both of us too!
I'll add some off this kH stuff I bought. That should help increase the pH and keep it from falling so drastically again. I'll do a water change in the morning too! Keep you posted

 

[kylealastairlove]

dont bother messing with your PH save yourself the trouble, i tried to do it, didnt work, and it can cause a lot of problems. its better to leave it as it is than to be trying to change it and make the water parameters un stable. i never did a fishless cycle. because i thought a cycle was just set up the tank and leave the filter running for a bit, then i learn where i went wrong and ended up doing a fish in cycle. check the begginers resource centre that has all the info you need for cycling your tank

good luck !

 

[paulyoung666]

dont bother messing with your PH save yourself the trouble

surely that is regarding messing about trying to keep it right for certain fish rather than cycling a filter .....

 

[kylealastairlove]

well that is what i meant yes, but i thought you was trying to change it for your fish in the future too! didnt know altering your ph had anything to do with cycling

 

[Flubberlump]

I had the same problem with mine when the pH dropped from 8 to 6 suddenly. Like you, my nitrite went down to zero but ammonia stuck at 1.25ppm. I used bicarbonate of soda to increase the KH which then raised the pH as you said. It took a few days for ammonia to start being processed again, but it was going down to zero within 12 hours after about a week. That was 3 weeks ago and things are finally getting going with the nitrite again after adding an airstone to increase the oxygen. I test the pH twice a day now to make sure it's stable.

Hope things get going for you! It's so frustrating when things are going quickly and then stop so suddenly.

 

[Adri]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your comments! So last night I added a pinch of pH up and some kH booster, hoping that'll get things moving by the morning, and happy days, it did! This morning NH4/NH3: 0, NO2: 0, NO3: 25 I've upped the ammonia to 5, and will test again tonight to see what the parameters are.

It seems my tank cycled SUPER fast! I gave myself 2 weeks (seeing as I had filter media etc and ammonia to speed up the cycling), but I have a feeling the tanks almost finished cycling...in 1 week!! Pretty excited!

paulyoung666: Any luck with your tank?