The Most Confusing Cycle

[BIG BAD BARRY]

Wait until its 0ppm then dose your ammonia.
Then wait 30 minutes and test for ammonia to confirm that you have dosed the correct amount. Thats why i recommend 4ppm dosing as you have a colour to compare to rather than trying gues what it could be.

How is your ph?
Test for nitrite when ammonia is 0ppm to see how you are doing.

 

[Joshwainwright]

My pH seems to have been fairly stable at around 7.8 throughout most of the cycle, I've been lucky so far and haven't had to try raise it so I'm rather pleased.

I'll dose enough ammonia to get it up to 4ppm tomorrow then and start to record the nitrite level.


Thanks for the advice

 

[Little_Nemo]

Wait until its 0ppm then dose your ammonia.Then wait 30 minutes and test for ammonia to confirm that you have dosed the correct amount. Thats why i recommend 4ppm dosing as you have a colour to compare to rather than trying gues what it could be.

How is your ph?
Test for nitrite when ammonia is 0ppm to see how you are doing.

+1

 

[Warehouse]

FINALLY my cycle has made a bit of progression and moved from 2ppm! After 7 days of being stuck at 2ppm, it reduced to 1ppm and now 0.5ppm. The thing is, after dosing before reaching 0ppm before I'm now not sure if I should wait until tomorrow to put it back up to 5ppm or do it today. What do you think?

At last! Glad to hear the good news.

If its any consolation mine got stuck at 2ppm for 6 days 14th feb - 19th feb, added 1ml of ammonia on the 6th day, then low and behold 4 days later my ammonia dropped to 1ppm

Did you add any media (cant remember if you did?) cause maybe there wasnt quite enough established bacteria on there to help speed your cycle?

Fantastic bit of Excel there LNemo, I think I shall be imitating that!

 

[Little_Nemo]

FINALLY my cycle has made a bit of progression and moved from 2ppm! After 7 days of being stuck at 2ppm, it reduced to 1ppm and now 0.5ppm. The thing is, after dosing before reaching 0ppm before I'm now not sure if I should wait until tomorrow to put it back up to 5ppm or do it today. What do you think?

At last! Glad to hear the good news.

If its any consolation mine got stuck at 2ppm for 6 days 14th feb - 19th feb, added 1ml of ammonia on the 6th day, then low and behold 4 days later my ammonia dropped to 1ppm

Did you add any media (cant remember if you did?) cause maybe there wasnt quite enough established bacteria on there to help speed your cycle?

Fantastic bit of Excel there LNemo, I think I shall be imitating that!

Haha thanks - I'd be lost without that for reference

 

[JoshuaA]

I've done 4 fishless cycles so far in the past year and found that this was a frequent occurance for me on all the cycles it would just stop dead in its tracks for no reason. A water change usually solved the issue but I could never quite put my finger on what was causing it.

If I were you, I would buffer the water using Bi-Carb and to boost the pH up to a stable 8~. After I found that little neat trick from Waterdrop I think my cycles always have been pretty fast.

Have you sourced anyone for mature media yet?

 

[Joshwainwright]

Thankfully I'm back on track now, the ammonia level almost hit 0ppm this morning so I re-dosed it back up to 5ppm. Nitrites are present too!

 

[Gazanimal]

Jammy #29###. LOL

 

[waterdrop]

I've done 4 fishless cycles so far in the past year and found that this was a frequent occurance for me on all the cycles it would just stop dead in its tracks for no reason. A water change usually solved the issue but I could never quite put my finger on what was causing it.

If I were you, I would buffer the water using Bi-Carb and to boost the pH up to a stable 8~. After I found that little neat trick from Waterdrop I think my cycles always have been pretty fast.

Have you sourced anyone for mature media yet?

Yes, we just keep seeing that off and on a lot. In the back of my mind I often think it means there are other parameters out there we know nothing about. (...now let's see, when is waterdrop going to go climb the stairs of the Mary Ellen Jones building and go hunting for an old bacteriologist... he just keeps never getting around to it...)

 

[Joshwainwright]

Just a quick update, the cycle is coming along nicely and 5ppm of ammonia is being processed within 24 hours. The nitrite level is going off the scale so hopefully it will begin to drop soon!

 

[waterdrop]

People like to say that the nitrite spike stage is typically twice as long as the initial stage when one is watching ammonia drop for the first time. In reality is varies a lot though, and the third stage can take quite a long time too, as the nitrite often gets to the "sticking problem" prior to going to zero in 12 hours. WD

 

[Joshwainwright]

I know, but at least I'm "half way" in my head even though in reality I'm about a third of the way!

 

[waterdrop]

You're doing great Josh! And you can never tell when one will surprise you and be faster! WD