Help: I Think My Cycle Might Be Done?

[rebrn]

Ok, so my tanks have been clearing the ammonia within 12 hours for about 3 weeks now. I decreased my ammonia dose to 2ppm during the nitrite spike, but am now back up to 4ppm dosing and all ammonia is cleared within 12 hours of adding to tank. The question is with the nitrites. Here is the pattern I have been seeing for the last 2 weeks.

Ammonia 0 (add dose of ammonia brining tank to 4ppm)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 80+
ph 7.4

12 hours after adding 4ppm ammonia

ammonia 0 (no dose)
nitrite 5
nitrate 80+
ph 7.4

24 hours after adding 4ppm ammonia

ammonia 0 (added dose of 4ppm ammonia)
nitrite 0
nitrate 80+
ph 7.4

and the patterns continues.

So my question: Do the nitrites need to be 0 ppm 12 hours after adding the ammonia or 12 hours after they appear? Currently the nitrites drop to 0ppm from 5ppm 24 hours after adding 4ppm of ammonia and 12 hours after nitrites appear. This has been the pattern for 2 weeks now, so am I cycled or do I need to wait for double 0s every 12 hours after adding ammonia?

Thanks

 

[waterdrop]

Very well stated! Your situation is totally clear. You are past the 2nd phase of fishless cycling, the "nitrite spike" phase. (Congratulations!) and you are now within the 3rd phase of fishless cycling where you are trying to grow enough N-Bacs to be able to drop 5ppm of ammonia to zero ppm within 12 hours after ammonia was added.

To repeat the answer to your question, its 12 hours after ammonia is added, not 12 hours after you see nitrite(NO2.)

The second phase is very boring because nitrite never seems to be anything other than 5! The third phase is very frustrating because it keeps getting closer and closer to being cleared in 12 hours but often "sticks" near the end, always having a little trace (0.25ppm or .5ppm) of nitrite at 12 hours.

In your case you are still getting a full 5ppm of nitrite at 12 hours, so you are still some days or weeks away from it "sticking" or finally dropping to zero ppm at 12 hours. Hang in there! What day of fishless cycling are you on? Many cases finally finish up between days 60 and 70 IME.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[rebrn]

Hello,
Thanks for the clarification on that. I am at day 54 with the 12 gallon, add 30 days to the 5 gallon so 84 days total(roughly a month of fish-in cycle first). One other question, I have only been dosing with ammonia every 24 hours since at the 12 hour mark the nitrite is still at 5, should I now switch to every 12 hour dosing or wait for the N-Bac to catch up with the ammonia and stay with every 24 hour dosing?

 

[OldMan47]

You stay with 24 hour dosing. There is no need to ramp up the ammonia dosing, and more importantly the resulting nitrates.

 

[rebrn]

Thanks OM, that is what I thought, just wanted to confirm now that I am so close to the end. Basically, I am dosing everytime I see double 0s, so untill I get double zeros every 12 hours I will stay with the 24 hour dosing. So close yet so far

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, one only ever does 24 hour dosing at any point during fishless cycling. Doing it more frequently just risks slowing down the overall cycling time.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[rebrn]

Thanks guys that is exactly what I have been doing. So I guess it is jut a matter of waiting out the third phase...patience patience patience

 

[drobbyb]

Yup You can't make the bacteria multiply any faster than they are going to.

Dang, I just thought of something, with all my tanks gone, I'm going to have to go through another fishless cycle. Drat!

 

[waterdrop]

Yup You can't make the bacteria multiply any faster than they are going to.

Dang, I just thought of something, with all my tanks gone, I'm going to have to go through another fishless cycle. Drat!

What? Whadayoumean with all your tanks gone?

 

[drobbyb]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/314312-sad-day/

In short, due to financial difficulties we are having to move and the new place doesn't allow any pets, even fish. I wish there was an affordable place that lets us keep fish, but that isn't a possibility right now.

 

[rebrn]

Well when you are ready let me know, hopefully by then I will be able to donate some media back to you.

 

[drobbyb]

Thanks rebrn. That would be great.

How's the 55 going?

Turns out, my internet connection isn't going to be live until tuesday so I'll be gone until then.

 

[rebrn]

Its going good, once I added the heaters the mini cycle speed up, but it hit a bit of a snag over thanksgiving, I was out of town for a couple of days, and the pH crashed while I was gone, it took about a day to get it back up but all is going good now, just waiting for the nitrites to drop at the 12 hour mark, currently it is droping to 0 around 20 hours so I don't think it will be much longer. It looks like all three of my tanks will be fish ready at exactly the same time, so that will be fun stocking them all

 

[Amberleaf]

Well, good luck with your cycle. ^^; Any news?

 

[rebrn]

Hello all, I just wanted to give a quick update and double check something. My 5 and 12 gallons are doing great; both tanks have been clearing 4ppm ammonia in 12 hours for a while now. The 12 gallon got its first double zero (after 12 hours) today, so I will keep an eye on that one. The 5 gallon, and this is where my question comes in, has been getting double 0s every 12 hours now for about 4 days, but today the nitrites were 0.5 after 12 hours, I am sure this is normal but just wanted to double check that I should not be concerned. pH on the 5 gallon is 7.4 so I am pretty sure I am still heading in the right direction, but again just wanted to be sure. Also just as an FYI I am still dosing the tanks once every 24 hours (4ppm) just wanted to double check that 24 hour dosing is correct even during the qualifying week.

Thanks again, and I apologize in advance for any frustration I am causing people with my constant clarification questions.