My Fishless Cycle

[kvnkne]

Have been cycling a 75 gallon tank with wad dry filter. Heater set at 82 degrees. Adding ammonia to 5 ppm on a 24 hour basis. Seeded with media from established tank. Initially the testing was Fine, ph at 6.4 and ammonia was at 5 ppm 0 nitrites and 5.0 nitrates. Then I had the nitrite spike on day 3, ph 7.0 ammon 4.0 Nitrite 2.0, Nitrate 20ppm. Continued the dosing of ammonia to 5.0. Next day ph 7.6 ammon 4.0, nitrite 5.0, nitrate 80ppm. Next day, have not added ammonia, i was waiting to see if levels dropped with nitrite production ph 6.4 Ammon 4.0, Nitrite 5.0, nitrate 80 ppm. Next day still not ammonia added, PH 6.2 Ammon 2.0, nitrite 5.0, nitrate 80ppm, Added ammonnia to 4.0 ppm, Levels ph 6.2 amon 4.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 40 ppm, No ammonia added afeter 12 hour test. Next day ph 6.4 Ammon 4.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20ppm, No ammonia added, Next day ph 6.4, Ammon 4.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20ppm. Im not sure what is happening, shoud I do water change to lower ammonia and why hasnt the nitrite level been readable. Or is the nitrate converting the nitrite faster than it can be produced to see results. If that is so why hasnt the ammonia levels dropped when I havent been topping off. Please help

 

[waterdrop]

Sounds like you successfully transferred more N-Bacs than A-Bacs and that you are going to need to allow the A-Bacs to develop to a larger colony size. You don't sound like you're quite following either an Add&Wait method or an AddDaily method. I recommend the Add&Wait method and that you re-read our good article by rdd1952 in the Beginners Resource Center.

~~waterdrop~~