Im Finding This Confusing

[Boromir]

Im finding this cycle a bit confusing.

Ive been feeding the right amount of ammonia to my tank once every 24 hours and its getting down to 0.25ppm. Nitrites are at zero and nitrates also, Shouldnt the bacteria breaking down the Ammonia turn it into Nitrites? if so how comes there is no reading for Nitrites?

Also just raised my PH to 8.2 and it was dead on 7.0. before.

Thanks

 

[snazy]

What tests are you using? If it's Api liquid test, then you should shake the hell out of bottle two of the nitrAte test to get a reading.
If it's strips, they are not accurate.
If you are just starting the cycle and you are not using a mature filter media from another tank, then it's highly unlikely the ammonia to get down to 0.25 in 24 hours in the first few days, especialy not without a nitrIte or nitrAte reading(whats the reading after you dose ammonia?)

 

[Boromir]

Im about 3 weeks into the cycle and using the API master test kit. Temp is at 29c Ive just tested for ammonia again and its reading at 4ppm after 2 hours of dosing ammonia and Ive just shaken up bottle two for the nitrate and its now reading at
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wait for it
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80ppm

Do you no where abouts in the cycle Im at? Ive heard about this Nitrite spike and im waiting for it a couple of past readings for nitrites have reached 0.25ppm.

Thankyou for your input its appreciated.

 

[snazy]

Your tank seems to be cycled. Sometimes you may not get a nitrite spike. If you are dosing 4ppm of ammonia which gets down to 0.25 in 24 hours without a nitrite reading and 80ppm nitrAtes, then you are ready to go. Good luck

 

[Boromir]

Really? thats unexpected.

So all I need to do now is a water change and lower the temp? All that work and thinking am I getting it right has paid off
and the thing is I cant get any fish for another two weeks as im working

Also Im not planning to get all the fish at once do I still need to add a little bit of ammonia in if I have only got like 20 small fish in the tank? bearing in mind its a 550litre tank.

 

[snazy]

If you can't get fish for a while, then keep dosing ammonia for the two weeks but do a large water change now to bring the nitrAtes back down to 0 and then keep dosing ammonia till you decide on the fish, then another huge water change and fish in. You don't wan't a Ph crash dosing so much ammonia for so long, that's why I suggested a water change during cycle.

Honestly, 4ppm ammonia down in 24 hours is a big ammount and you should be able to stock your tank fully at once. But if you are stocking in stages, then you don't need 4ppm ammonia a day. I only dosed my tank to 2ppm ammonia during fishless cycle, didn't even wait for the nitrites to go down to 0 in 24 hours(It processed the ammonia quicky but the nitrItes were taking about 48 hours to go to 0) I moved my 6 corys and a common pleco for a start and the ammonia/nitrites were 0 at all times. So 6 grown corys and and an average common pleco must be producing way less than 2ppm ammonia a day.
So I am guessing 20 small fish should be no problem for the filter even if you go down to 2-3ppm dosing instead.

 

[Boromir]

When you mention a huge water change do your mean most of the water? I did a 60% water change and its still reading 80.

Also when I do have fish in the tank and I do my water change do I use warm water? as the water temperature went down to something like 14c.

 

[fluttermoth]

By 'huge water change' we mean draining the tank down until it's almost empty.

If you had fish in, you'd need to leave enough water for them to swim upright, but you're fishless so you can go right down to the substrate. Don't forget to switch your heater and filter off first!

Once you have fish you need to use (roughly) temperature matched water. You can use water from the hot tap, or from the kettle.

You can do water changes with cold water (I do, as I use a hose and don't have a mixer tap), but you need to add the new water very slowly; I might take an hour or more to refill a 240l tank after a 50-60% water change.

 

[Boromir]

K thankyou for your help. I bought another 300w heater as a spare incase the one I got in there already broke would it be a good idea to use that as well?

Ill do a big water change 3 days before I get any fish.

 

[fluttermoth]

If you mean an extra heater for water changes then no, you don't need to bother. Just hot water added to get it to roughly the right temp (just feeling with your hand is fine, but err on the side of cooler rather than hotter) is fine