Help Please

[cutie mcwhiskers]

Hi,
 
I'm currently 44 days into my first cycle and need some advice.
 
By day 26 I started the dosing and testing within 24hr stage of the cycle
 
Initially it took 3 days for the NH3 to drop to 0ppm
 
After 37 days NH3 was dropping to 0ppm within 24hrs
 
But even after 44 days NO2 is still taking 2-3 days to drop to 0ppm 
 
I last added NH3 on day 41, after 24hrs NH3 was 0ppm and NO2 2ppm
 
after 40hrs NO2 1ppm
after 48hrs NO2 0.5ppm
after 60hrs NO2 0ppm
 
Is it normal for the nitrite bacteria to take this long to grow?
 
Other info,
 
pH initially 7.0 but dropped to 6.2 (day 24) so added bicarb, pH rose to 8.0
NO3 currently at 80ppm
Temp 25degC
 
 

 

[attibones]

Nitrite typically takes twice as long as ammonia because you are still feeding ammonia, so there is more bacteria which needs to grow in order to process everything. Sometimes pH drops during the cycle, but a water change sorts everything out. I'd just do this instead of using a product. Your pH will bounce back and stabilize after the cycle ends. 

Also, bump up your heater to about 29 C. This should help speed up the process.

 

[cutie mcwhiskers]

Thanks, I'll crank the temp up

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Are you using the cycling directions here? It sure looks to me, from what you describe, that more ammonia has been going in than should have been, Can you please provide a history for which days you dosed ammonia how much you added and what the reading where for ammonia and nitrite before each addition. Also what test kits are you using and when did your nitrite first go off the charts? Also provide information on what brand of dechlor you use, how much you add as well as anything else you may have added to the tank.
 
Testing for nitrate is almost useless.
 
Drops in pH slow the cycle. If you missed the onset, that will slow things down.

 

[cutie mcwhiskers]

Hi,

I am using the method from here and I am using api test kit.

On day 16 NH3 was 0ppm and NO2 was 2-5ppm (exact colour was hard to determine it looked over 2 but not quite 5) so added 2nd NH3 dose.

By day 20 I had two consecutive readings of 0ppm NH3 and NO2 was again 2-5ppm so added maintenance feed

Day 26 NH3 0ppm NO2 0.25ppm added next NH3 dose

Day 29 NH3 0ppm NO2 0ppm added next NH3 dose

Day 32 NH3 0ppm NO2 0.25ppm NH3 dose added

Day 34 NH3 0ppm NO2 0.5ppm

Day 35 both 0ppm NH3 dose added

Day 36 NH3 0ppm NO2 1ppm

Day 37 both 0ppm NH3 dose added

Day 38 NH3 0ppm NO2 1ppm

Day 39 both 0ppm NH3 dose added

Day 40 NH3 0ppm NO2 1ppm

Day 41 both 0ppm NH3 dose added (see first post)

Re tested today and NH3 0ppm and NO2 0ppm

 

[TwoTankAmin]

As far as i can tell you tank has actually been cycled and ready to go for a while and you have likely been seeing false readings for .25 ppm of nitrite. But for sure you are cycled today having added 3 ppm and gotten 0/0 the next day. Do a big water change, be sure to dechlor it, and then bring the tank up to temp and stock it.
 
If you can not stock it in the next day or two, until you can add, 2 ppm of ammonia every 2 to 3 days to keep the bacteria going strong.