So Can We Add Fish Yet? Heh

[Amunet]

Alrighty... since this is officially my first time fishless cycling, might as well ask it in the newbie section! heh

So I reread the info about fishless cycling in the sticky thread, trying to get info on if our tank is done cycling.

In the thread, for the Add & Wait method, it says that once ammonia starts dropping to 0 in 12hrs or less, your tank is cycled.
I was told by someone that your tank is cycled when ammonia AND nitrite both drop to 0 in 12hrs or less.
So which info is correct?

I've been fishless cycling our 28gallon, and for a few days now, ammonia will reach 0 in 12hrs while nitrite is still almost max.
Sooo... does this mean the tank is done cycling and we could add fish (of course after a water change)?
Nitrite has dropped to 0 a couple of times when I didn't add in more ammonia to the tank. Only didn't add any b/c was getting a fairly high reading(2-3ppm). Then the next morning I would test the water and both would be at 0 or ammonia would be at 0 and nitrite would be very low.

If our tank is ready for fish now, when should we add them?
I know that I need to keep adding ammonia to keep the bacteria alive, but since nitrite doesn't go as quickly as ammonia does, then I'd hate to be adding in fish to a tank that is spiking nitrite... you know? Or would the large water change you need to do before the fish are added take care of that?

 

[rabbut]

I belive that both ammonia and nitrite must spike, and return to 0 in under 12 hours, for the cycle to be complete. as regards to adding fish, you should add them within a few hours of you large waterchange, after completing the cycle.

HTH
rabbut

 

[Tiger Barb]

Your filter is cycled when it can process an ammonia source (i.e. turn the ammonia into nitrAte via nitrIte) in 12 hours or less. Then you do as big a water change as you can cope with, to get the nitrates down. You must then ensure that you continue to provide the filter with an ammonia source... i.e. add your fish! If you have cycled a filter to cope with quite a large amount of ammonia, then you can add quite a large amount of fish. If you don't feed your filter bacteria with ammonia fairly quickly, they will start to die, and all your work will be in vain!

At the end of my fishless cycle, I could add 5ml of 9% ammonia twice a day (to a 300 litre tank) and it was all being processed within about 8 hours.

 

[Amunet]

Lol, I know I'm gonna have to keep adding ammonia until I get fish, I was just wondering if it was ammonia AND nitrites have to be 0 within 12hrs or less that indicates that the tank is cycled, OR if it's just ammonia at 0 in 12hrs or less that indicates a cycled tank.

B/c at the end of 12hrs in this tank, there is no ammonia left, however, there is still a high nitrite reading.

 

[doresy]

Hi, nitrite is equally as harmful to fish as ammonia therefore they both have to be down to zero before fish can be added.

When cycling, ammonia starts to be processed quite soon ie 7-10 days in. As the ammonia is processed, nitrite is formed. Because you are topping up the ammonia as it is nutrified your nitrites will rise. Eventually nitrIte levels will go off the scale (spike). Nitrite nutrifying bacteria takes much longer to develop than the bacteria that nutrifies ammonia so be prepared for a wait. (mine took 7 weeks after ammonia was going down to zero )

As long as you keep topping up the ammonia to no more than 5ppm your nitrite level WILL drop eventually but it will go off the scale first. Your nitrAtes will be going up all this time too but that is not a problem till later. You can do a partial, dechlorinated water change during cycle if the nitAtes go biserk but do NOT clean the filter (no fish means no poo so don't disturb the bacterias)

When ammonia AND nitrite levels drop down to zero 8-10 after adding ammonia then you are cycled If you are ready to add a full stock of fish then do a complete, or as much as you can, water change to get rid of most of the nitrAte then add fish asap. If you cant then you MUST continue to add ammonia to feed your (like golddust) bacterias

The word for today is PATIENCE

 

[rdd1952]

It is indeed both ammonia and nitrite. When I said process ammonia in the original thread, I meant back to zero readings on both. I have edited it to make it more clear.

 

[Lord Spooky]

wait for both to drop to zero anything higher may be deadly to fish. BTW this cycle takes longer i hear. I've only done fishless cycles so i wouldn't know.

 

[Amunet]

It is indeed both ammonia and nitrite. When I said process ammonia in the original thread, I meant back to zero readings on both. I have edited it to make it more clear.

Thanks so much rdd.. that's all I wanted to know.... and thank you everyone else as well