How Long To Clear 2ppm Ammonia Through To 0ppm Nitrites?

[Jeynesey]

Hi guys. So I have nitrites down to 0ppm and wanted to check that I can cycle from ammonia through nitrites to nitrates quick enough. Last night at 2am nitrites and ammonia were 0 so I added two drops of ammonia. 11am (just now, I have 0ppm ammonia and 2-5ppm nitrites - they're basically the same colour on API test).

SO I was just wondering how long a properly cycled tank would take to clear all the way through from adding the ammonia to 0ppm nitrites please? Thanks.

 

[snazy]

A really properly cycled tank would clear ammonia and nitrItes for 12 hours, providing you test for at least few days to make sure. From personal experience, 24 hours will do too.
To test exactly how much nitrites there is, you can do 50% tap water and 50% tank water solution in the tube if you have a syringe to measure it but it's not of importance really right now.

 

[Jeynesey]

It cleared in 24 hours from Thursday night to Friday night. I'll see how it goes today. I don't want to cause any problems so do I just keep dosing until I can clear it in 12 hours? It's all going to be planted so would the plants just eat some of that nitrite up anyway and help things along? Thanks.

 

[snazy]

You can keep dosing if you wish, no rush . The plants eat ammonia,nitrite and when the first two are not there they would eat nitrAte but they would have to be growing and healthy to do that.

 

[Jeynesey]

I'm kind of in a rush cos I've been going for like 6 weeks with this cycle

I think I'll plant it today and keep measuring readings etc and dose up one last time tonight. Test again tomorrow, then do a water change and get some fish, if it's all OK... or something like that