Fishless Cycling Isnt Fun

[rdd1952]

My nitrates are 10. Always have been.

The fact that your nitrates aren't rising is even more disturbing when it comes to adding fish. That means that NO nitrite is being processed yet. Are you absolutely certain you don't have some type media in your filter that is removing the nitrite?

One question - does anyone know approx how much PPM ammonia would a 50% - 75% stocked tank create in a 24 hour period?

It would depend on the fish. The bigger the fish, the more waste they will produce as a fairly good portion of the ammonia released by fish is through their gills and not just from waste.

 

[Leitch]

Sorry i wasnt completly clear.

My nitrates wen from 5 to 10/12 in about a 2month period, then after the water change they were at 7. So some, very little, but some nitrite processing bacteria must be present.

 

[rdd1952]

But he number must be very minimal and not growing. I really don't understand why none is being processed.

 

[Leitch]

Hence why i am frustrated at the whole thing

 

[Jonno]

FYI - i did a 90% waterchange at the weekend as my PH his rock bottom again. Still processing ammonia but it is VERY slow at processing nitrite - i'd say approx 30 hours to go from 4ppm -> 0ppm. This is annoying, as a week ago it was doing this in about 18 hours!

Any idea RDD why the nitrite behaves in this way and just doesn't speed up? Temp is 33 degrees (highest) covered in a towell to keep the heat in. Have an extra airstone pumping air out in front of filter inlet.

It's strange as the ammonia processing seems to be totally uneffected.

 

[rdd1952]

No real idea unless the low pH was causing the problems. Hopefully, it will speed back up now that you have done the water change. Nitrite processing bacteria are slower to develop and multiply so the low pH may have a larger effect on them than it does the ammonia bacteria.