Tank Cycling Question

[lee420]

im currently in the nitrite off the charts phase of my cycle and i was told not to do any water changes until i get nitrates.

is this right?

 

[deftuch]

im currently in the nitrite off the charts phase of my cycle and i was told not to do any water changes until i get nitrates.

is this right?

yep. its a cycle for a reason. nitrate is last phase of the cycle. dont do a water change untill you have nitrates along side 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite )

 

[lee420]

alright. thanks bro

 

[snazy]

im currently in the nitrite off the charts phase of my cycle and i was told not to do any water changes until i get nitrates.

is this right?

No, it's not right. NitrItes off the charts may mean 150ppm for example. The reason? If you've dosed 4ppm ammonia a day, then taking into consideration that 1ppm ammonia converts to about 2.7ppm nitrItes, multiply that by the ammount of days you've dosed ammonia, let's say two weeks....then that makes 151ppm nitrItes which the home test simply can't measure. There's scientific research that these high levels inhibit the beneficial bacteria as normal levels in a cycled tank don't ever go near that level.
I normally do a large water change at this time, about 90%, then redose ammonia. Now your nitrItes should be more measurable and you won't be waiting for another month or even longer for that stage to pass.

 

[deftuch]

im currently in the nitrite off the charts phase of my cycle and i was told not to do any water changes until i get nitrates.

is this right?

No, it's not right. NitrItes off the charts may mean 150ppm for example. The reason? If you've dosed 4ppm ammonia a day, then taking into consideration that 1ppm ammonia converts to about 2.7ppm nitrItes, multiply that by the ammount of days you've dosed ammonia, let's say two weeks....then that makes 151ppm nitrItes which the home test simply can't measure. There's scientific research that these high levels inhibit the beneficial bacteria as normal levels in a cycled tank don't ever go near that level.
I normally do a large water change at this time, about 90%, then redose ammonia. Now your nitrItes should be more measurable and you won't be waiting for another month or even longer for that stage to pass.

i was just asuuming his nitrites off the charts was a figure of speech. not that its over 150ppm.

 

[snazy]

im currently in the nitrite off the charts phase of my cycle and i was told not to do any water changes until i get nitrates.

is this right?

No, it's not right. NitrItes off the charts may mean 150ppm for example. The reason? If you've dosed 4ppm ammonia a day, then taking into consideration that 1ppm ammonia converts to about 2.7ppm nitrItes, multiply that by the ammount of days you've dosed ammonia, let's say two weeks....then that makes 151ppm nitrItes which the home test simply can't measure. There's scientific research that these high levels inhibit the beneficial bacteria as normal levels in a cycled tank don't ever go near that level.
I normally do a large water change at this time, about 90%, then redose ammonia. Now your nitrItes should be more measurable and you won't be waiting for another month or even longer for that stage to pass.

i was just asuuming his nitrites off the charts was a figure of speech. not that its over 150ppm.

Theoretically they can be 150ppm no bother and quite possible, problem is the test only shows 5ppm max depending on brand. So water change is best.

 

[CezzaXV]

When I got to this stage of the cycle I was doing water changes every day to keep my nitrite within readable levels. That way you can measure it every day and see a noticeable improvement in the amount of nitrite being processed.

 

[deftuch]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle or dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place. i hate cycling!

 

[the_lock_man]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle

Erm, no.....

dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place

Erm, 4ppm ammonia IS the right dose.......

 

[deftuch]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle

Erm, no.....

dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place

Erm, 4ppm ammonia IS the right dose.......

looooooooooool i wasnt reffering to this particular case, just in general

 

[The Taffy Apple]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle or dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place. i hate cycling!

Why would a fish-in cycle "avoid confusion"? If a little research is put into it, a full fishless cycle is very, very simple...so simple, in fact, that a 9 year old son of a good friend of mine recently completed one in a fish tank at his school.

Terry.

 

[deftuch]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle or dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place. i hate cycling!

Why would a fish-in cycle "avoid confusion"? If a little research is put into it, a full fishless cycle is very, very simple...so simple, in fact, that a 9 year old son of a good friend of mine recently completed one in a fish tank at his school.

Terry.

it was just a staement people. it was supposed to be my last input on this thread jeeeeeeeeze

 

[The Taffy Apple]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle or dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place. i hate cycling!

Why would a fish-in cycle "avoid confusion"? If a little research is put into it, a full fishless cycle is very, very simple...so simple, in fact, that a 9 year old son of a good friend of mine recently completed one in a fish tank at his school.

Terry.

it was just a staement people. it was supposed to be my last input on this thread jeeeeeeeeze

I don't think anyone wanted to sound like it was any different, but a statement such as actively encouraging someone to do a fish-in cycle as it 'would save' confusion is pretty strong...especially on a forum where such cycles are mostly opposed to.
With regards to the O.P's questions, it is never a bad idea to do a water change during a fishless cycle... the bacteria we are trying to grow also enjoy a change of fresh, warm, dechlorinated water just as much as our fish do...as long as you properly re-dose any Ammonia after it then it may do more good than harm.

Terry.

 

[lee420]

theres the answer im looknling for "as long as you redose the amonia"

so in otherwords i want to avoid removing amonia so it builds up more bacteria for it right?

its fully cycled since i started topic, but for future reference

 

[deftuch]

to save confusion just do a fish in cycle or dose the correct amount of ammonia in the first place. i hate cycling!

Why would a fish-in cycle "avoid confusion"? If a little research is put into it, a full fishless cycle is very, very simple...so simple, in fact, that a 9 year old son of a good friend of mine recently completed one in a fish tank at his school.

Terry.

it was just a staement people. it was supposed to be my last input on this thread jeeeeeeeeze

I don't think anyone wanted to sound like it was any different, but a statement such as actively encouraging someone to do a fish-in cycle as it 'would save' confusion is pretty strong...especially on a forum where such cycles are mostly opposed to.
With regards to the O.P's questions, it is never a bad idea to do a water change during a fishless cycle... the bacteria we are trying to grow also enjoy a change of fresh, warm, dechlorinated water just as much as our fish do...as long as you properly re-dose any Ammonia after it then it may do more good than harm.

Terry.

pure ammonia cycling is preffered but there is strong evidence fish in cycling can be done. afterall how many new fishkeepers fill a tank up with water and add loads of fish before the tank was cycled, admittedly fish will die and blah blah blah. but often fish dont die and the fish often live well within or above the expected average lifetime. im not talking about hardy fish here, more the research that was put into the immunity of low ammonia levels fish are subject to and their immunity is indeed just that. some fish were uneffected. if anyone can 100 percent contradict that, then i rest my case. i understand if im every ones number 1 enemy when it comes to cycling but hey sorry about that lol