What Happened To My Nitrites?

[Boulder Fish]

I may have jumped the gun a little back on day 9 of my second attempt at fishless cycling. I got all excited when I saw nitrites appear for the first time, so I jumped on the forum and reported my success. But, just as quickly, they disappeared. The highest reading I got was 0.5 ppm on day 10. Then it went back to 0 ppm.

It is now day 15
I have been able to maintain my pH at right around 8.0
Nitrates are present (80? 160? ppm, the API test kit makes it tough)
The ammonia load is being processed in under 24 hours.

Where are the nitrites???

 

[minxfishy]

Usually Nitrites will go off the scale for a couple of weeks, then drop quite rapidly to 0. But it doesnt sound like this is the case. It could be on day 10 that you got a false reading.

What are you tap water readings for nitrAte? If they are quite low or 0 and you are getting 80ppm from the tank, then it sounds like you are processing some nitrites or as the API nitrate test is hard to get right unless you follow the instructions to the letter you are also getting a false reading for those too.

15 days in and processing ammonia in 24 hours sounds right, but strange no nitrite unless it really did rise and fall on day 10.

Did you use any mature media in your filter?

 

[Boulder Fish]

Thanks Minxfishy...
I think my nitrites might have arrived!

First things first...
I have been doing best to get accurate nitrAte readings with the API kit.
My tap water registers 0 nitrAtes with a pH of 7.6

I did not use mature filter media, but I had been ignorantly trying to fishless cycle with carbon and zeolite in my filter bag for 6 weeks before I thought to ask about that on here. When I swapped out that material for ceramic rings, I kept the filter bag in tank water and rinsed it only with the same. I tried to work quickly and keep the bag submerged, hoping that if there were any bacteria growing on the bag itself (perhaps at the top of the bag, before the water hit the zeolite which was removing the ammonia), that it would help cultivate my new colony in its new hospitable environment. So, there may have been just a hint of a kickstart.

On to today...
I recharged the ammonia to 4ppm at about noon today. At 10:20 pm these were my readings:

Ammonia 2.0 ppm
Nitrates 160 ppm
Nitrites 0.5 ppm
pH 8.0

So, I think the nitrites are finally making the scene.
I suspect that my day 10 readings were false.

Its a patience game...

 

[minxfishy]

Well good to see that the nitrites have arrived, just keep topping up with ammonia daily when it reaches 0 and watch those nitrites go way way off the scale, you will be praying for the day that the purple doesnt automatically turn up without even shaking the tube!! Any more problems, give us all a shout

 

[waterdrop]

Pretty rare for fishless cycling without mature media to take less than 21 days and for many of us it takes about 3 months. The nitrite spike phase usually takes a bit longer than the first phase where you get ammonia to drop in 12 hours.

~~waterdrop~~