How To Know When My Tank Is Cycled

[boost]

Hey, iv been doing a fishless cycle using jays kleen off, how do you know when the tank is fully cycled, atm im adding 5ml of ammonia that takes to about 5ppm, after 12 hours ammonia and nitrites are 0, is my tank cycled? nitrate is high 80 guessing this will drop with the big water change?

Thanks

 

[arobinson1984]

Have you had nitrites in the past or have they always been zero?

If you have passed the nitrite spike stage and both nitrite and ammonia are dropping to zero within 12 hours, then continue for 1 week which is called the qualifying week just to ensure you dont experience any hiccups, if all is still ok at the end of the week then do a large 80/90% water change to lower the nitrates and away you go.

Andy

 

[boost]

yes iv had the nitrite spike, thanks.

 

[OldMan47]

It sounds like you are there except for qualifying to make sure that things are stable and safe for the fish.

 

[boost]

thanks for all you help, if it wasnt for this forum i would be just another noob with new tank syndrome

Thanks all.

Btw you say leave for another week, i take it still adding the 5ppm per day as i have been,

 

[andy.ahad]

thanks for all you help, if it wasnt for this forum i would be just another noob with new tank syndrome

Thanks all.

Btw you say leave for another week, i take it still adding the 5ppm per day as i have been,

Yes. Still add the ammonia to keep your bacteria going until you add the fish.

Good luck

 

[OldMan47]

The idea of the extra week is that sometimes you will get a jump in ammonia or nitrites for a day or two and you don't want that to happen with fish in the tank. You keep on dosing ammonia during that week just like you have been until now.