I Am Doing The Right Thing Here, Aren't I?

[CezzaXV]

Hello all, just a quick question.

I'm fishless cycling my tank, and I just got my first 0 for nitrite yesterday. I was thrilled. After I got my first 0 for ammonia until yesterday, I reduced my ammonia dosage from 4ppm to 2ppm on advice from this forum. However, since I got my 0, I put the dosage back up to 4ppm.

I did a test this morning and another one now, and the result is currently sitting at 5ppm+ of nitrite.

Just wanted to check I was doing the right thing with my dosing. After I got my first 0 for ammonia, I got a 0 for ammonia consistently every day (which I really wasn't expecting) and redosed accordingly. As such, I was kind of hoping for 0 nitrite tonight, or at least pretty low nitrite. Is it simply not 0 because I've upped my dosage of ammonia?

I am doing the right thing by putting my dosage back up to 4ppm, right? I'm not overloading the bacteria or anything?

 

[HayzH]

Hello all, just a quick question.

I'm fishless cycling my tank, and I just got my first 0 for nitrite yesterday. I was thrilled. After I got my first 0 for ammonia until yesterday, I reduced my ammonia dosage from 4ppm to 2ppm on advice from this forum. However, since I got my 0, I put the dosage back up to 4ppm.

I did a test this morning and another one now, and the result is currently sitting at 5ppm+ of nitrite.

Just wanted to check I was doing the right thing with my dosing. After I got my first 0 for ammonia, I got a 0 for ammonia consistently every day (which I really wasn't expecting) and redosed accordingly. As such, I was kind of hoping for 0 nitrite tonight, or at least pretty low nitrite. Is it simply not 0 because I've upped my dosage of ammonia?

I am doing the right thing by putting my dosage back up to 4ppm, right? I'm not overloading the bacteria or anything?

yes this is confusing me atm....as far as im aware...as soon as you get double 0's in 24hrs up the ammonia dose to 5ppm..then it should gradually clear quicker and quicker till it clears in 12 hrs...

and mine are both spiking again..i think its because we upped the ammonia again...mine clears in 24 hrs now...but not 12 yet!

 

[lucasluke]

Keep at it. My cycle did that for a few days. This is what happened to mine, everyone of those days I added ammonia. You will find tomorrow nitrites will be 0 and it will hop backwards and forwards for a few days then clear.

0.50ppm 5ppm +
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 5ppm +
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 5ppm +
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm
0.00ppm 0ppm

 

[CezzaXV]

Fabulous, looking forward to good things then. I was worried I was adding ammonia faster than it could process the nitrite, but I guess the whole idea is to make it so that it does.

I can't wait to test my water now. My bacteria are so exciting, sometimes I think I don't want fish any more

 

[lucasluke]

Hah! Your not far off now, once your ammonia and nitrite clear within 24 hours it is a week or so then it does it within 12! When they are clearing within 24 hours start deciding on your fish - will take your mind of it more as you will be itching to get fish in there!

 

[CezzaXV]

I decided on my fish quite a while ago. Deciding on plants is my thing now! Itching to order some even if I have to keep them in a bucket, but I know being in a bucket won't do them much good so I'm trying to find a reasonable time to order so that they're not spending too long in a bucket, but I'm also not spending days waiting for plants to arrive when I could be putting fish in my tank.