Ok ill start from the beginning! i will tell you everything. tell me where i went wrong!
Well, i started fishless cycling with the 'add daily' method. i got it to 5ppm on the first day, then added the same amount daily. after about 4 days my ammonia was through the roof.
THEN... i had a fungus problem on my driftwood, it annoyed me, so i done a 90% water change and gave the driftwood a good cleaning with boiling water. i kept the filter media submerged at all times.
I refilled my tank, and ammonia was down to around 2ppm again. so i topped up ammonia to get it round 4-5ppm again. i then decided my new plan was not to add amonia daily and get it through the roof again, but keep my ammonia around 4-5 every day.
The day after i refilled my tank, ammonia was still 4-5ppm, so i didnt add any more ammonia, nitrites still 0ppm.
The next day, i had nitrites, only 0.25ppm my ammonia was still 4-5ppm so i still added nothing.
The day after that ammonia STILL 4-5ppm, so STILL i added no ammonia, but nitrites risen to 1-2ppm.
Day after, ammonia just under 4ppm so i add a few drops to get about 4ppm, nitrites risen to 2-3ppm.
this continued for a couple more days, ammonia would stay the same around 4ppm, but nitrites slowly kept rising.
now ammonia just under 4ppm, so i added ammonia to get it just over 4ppm. but nitrites are about 5ppm.
I havent got a nitrite 'spike' (off the chart) yet. Is this normal. It seems my ammonia just stays around 4ppm, and my nitrites keep slowly rising!!
Shouldnt my ammonia keep dropping down to 0ppm daily? and not just stay around 4??
and shouldnt my nitrites spike?
What is best to do in my situation now? just keep ammonia on 4ppm every day when i check and wait until my ammonia and nitrites fall back to 0 within 24 hours?
Thanks
Well, i started fishless cycling with the 'add daily' method. i got it to 5ppm on the first day, then added the same amount daily. after about 4 days my ammonia was through the roof.
THEN... i had a fungus problem on my driftwood, it annoyed me, so i done a 90% water change and gave the driftwood a good cleaning with boiling water. i kept the filter media submerged at all times.
I refilled my tank, and ammonia was down to around 2ppm again. so i topped up ammonia to get it round 4-5ppm again. i then decided my new plan was not to add amonia daily and get it through the roof again, but keep my ammonia around 4-5 every day.
The day after i refilled my tank, ammonia was still 4-5ppm, so i didnt add any more ammonia, nitrites still 0ppm.
The next day, i had nitrites, only 0.25ppm my ammonia was still 4-5ppm so i still added nothing.
The day after that ammonia STILL 4-5ppm, so STILL i added no ammonia, but nitrites risen to 1-2ppm.
Day after, ammonia just under 4ppm so i add a few drops to get about 4ppm, nitrites risen to 2-3ppm.
this continued for a couple more days, ammonia would stay the same around 4ppm, but nitrites slowly kept rising.
now ammonia just under 4ppm, so i added ammonia to get it just over 4ppm. but nitrites are about 5ppm.
I havent got a nitrite 'spike' (off the chart) yet. Is this normal. It seems my ammonia just stays around 4ppm, and my nitrites keep slowly rising!!
Shouldnt my ammonia keep dropping down to 0ppm daily? and not just stay around 4??
and shouldnt my nitrites spike?
What is best to do in my situation now? just keep ammonia on 4ppm every day when i check and wait until my ammonia and nitrites fall back to 0 within 24 hours?
Thanks
