You will know soon enough. The correct bacteria prefers lower concentrations of ammonia (like trace levels when you have fish in tank). You should be fine, in the long run though. 
Phocoena's Cycle Log
- Thread starter phocoena
- Start date
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
Ok so Nitrites are processing and processing well, but it seems ammonia is starting to stall.
The pH is 7.4, and has been all along, and the temperature was 25C. Have turned the heater up.
The pH is 7.4, and has been all along, and the temperature was 25C. Have turned the heater up.
Yes, the preferred temp is about 29C.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
Did a water change last night to try and get the nitrate level down as it was starting to look like the cycle was stalling.
After 50% the Nitrate levels remained off the chart.
Should I do another 50%, leave it as is, or do another, but larger water change.
After 50% the Nitrate levels remained off the chart.
Should I do another 50%, leave it as is, or do another, but larger water change.
IMHO, if you are going to do a water change during a fishless cycle, there is no reason to do one less than 100%. If you are looking to clear nitrite, nitrate, increase the buffering capacity of your water again, whatever the reason, the more water you change the better the effect and the less water you really have to change in the long run. Yes another water change would be in order. Do 100% this time and nitrates will be at almost zero, so will the nitrites and your buffering capacity will be back to where it should be. As long as your filter media remains wet during this process (no reason it should dry out), your cycle will basically be unaffected. There might be a bit of a pause when you refill for a day or so, but ultimately, it will be better off in the end.
Go for it, The beauty of a fishless cycle is that you get to practice things like this (an emergency large volume water change) without any actual pressure or fish to get in the way. Pretend that this is a crisis management water change and see how your method works. Imagine how low you could go with fish still being able to swim upright. Then, try to refill the tank with temp matched water to not shock the "fish" in the tank, as you would in a real crisis. No sense in just doing a water change. Make it a drill and you will feel like this is an even greater benefit than just getting your cycle going better. Ultimately, you don't want your first crisis water change to be the first time you've add to do one. THat will be a little more stressful than it needs to be (or should be). Try one as a practice run and you will be better prepared for when a real one comes along.
Go for it, The beauty of a fishless cycle is that you get to practice things like this (an emergency large volume water change) without any actual pressure or fish to get in the way. Pretend that this is a crisis management water change and see how your method works. Imagine how low you could go with fish still being able to swim upright. Then, try to refill the tank with temp matched water to not shock the "fish" in the tank, as you would in a real crisis. No sense in just doing a water change. Make it a drill and you will feel like this is an even greater benefit than just getting your cycle going better. Ultimately, you don't want your first crisis water change to be the first time you've add to do one. THat will be a little more stressful than it needs to be (or should be). Try one as a practice run and you will be better prepared for when a real one comes along.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
Nitrite has almost always been clearing from the start.
It's ammonia that has been stalling, and obviously that will have stalled the nitrite as there will have been no ammonia processing to nitrite.
I assume that with the 100% water change you assume that there is no ammonia left and titrite it to 5ppm again.
It's ammonia that has been stalling, and obviously that will have stalled the nitrite as there will have been no ammonia processing to nitrite.
I assume that with the 100% water change you assume that there is no ammonia left and titrite it to 5ppm again.
Correct.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
Well I did a massive 90% or just under water change it only brought the water nitrate levels down to 80-160 so I can see myself doing another few in the next few weeks to stop the cycle stalling again.
And you want your nitrates as close to zero before you add fish as well.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
yeah but in the long run the more practice I get before then the better.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
I am now debating doing another couple of large water changes in quick succesion. There has been no noticable drop in ammonia levels in the last 24 hours and the nitrate is still at 160 or higher.
Just completely empty the tank. That should clear it pretty well.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
Yeah going to follow the last advice though and use it as another practice run.
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
I think something is going wrong OR I am not cleaning the tubes well enough, or it's using artifical light.
Dropping from a high level to a lower level it will do perfectly happily. But when you have that last .25 of ammonia it doesn't seem to go in 24 hrs
Dropping from a high level to a lower level it will do perfectly happily. But when you have that last .25 of ammonia it doesn't seem to go in 24 hrs
phocoena
Fish Fanatic
need to update the data on the opening post but the nitrite has slowed down so much.
book has been moved too and need to hope mum wrote in it..
book has been moved too and need to hope mum wrote in it..
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
423 -
207 -
177 -
154 -
149 -
138
-
128 -
125 -
110 -
97 -
96 -
91 -
87 -
74 -
A
66