Advice with cycling

[KingK]

Sorry guys just a other question

You could do plants now but they will eat some of the nitrates. Might want to hold off on plants since you a had a rough start. They can eat up nitrates that you are trying to measure right now. They’ll be great after cycle is established.

Sorry guys just a other question my ammonia is now at 2ppm and nitrite is almost 5ppm, is it too late to add the filter media from my other tank that has been establish for over a year, it’s a 40liter tank, I will be transferring the fish from that tank to the new one with no additional fish being added once the cycle has been done ?

Thanks

 

[FishGuest5123]

You can go ahead and add the media. Will that leave any for the tank with the fish still in it? Actually if you are moving all the media over, you can move the fish too. Good luck!

 

[KingK]

You can go ahead and add the media. Will that leave any for the tank with the fish still in it? Actually if you are moving all the media over, you can move the fish too. Good luck!

Yeah that will still leave some media in the tank with fish in there, if I move all the fish and plants over to the new tank too, wouldn’t that kill all my fish as the ammonia and nitrite are still high?

 

[Colin_T]

Move some of the old filter media into the new tank and wait until the ammonia and nitrite are both on 0. Then move the fish into the new tank.

 

[KingK]

Move some of the old filter media into the new tank and wait until the ammonia and nitrite are both on 0. Then move the fish into the new tank.

Do you think that would speed up the cycle, how long you think it will take for it to drop to zero

Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

if you move established filter media into the new tank, and the filte rbacteria don't die due to the swap, they should remove the ammonia and nitrite within a day or so.

 

[KingK]

if you move established filter media into the new tank, and the filte rbacteria don't die due to the swap, they should remove the ammonia and nitrite within a day or so.

I hope it didn’t die, the swap literally took a few seconds as the tanks are next to each other, I’ll check ammonia and nitrite reading tomorrow evening and see if it has gone down

 

[FishGuest5123]

The bacteria won’t die that fast. Test your water this evening and it will probably already have dropped the nitrites and ammonia. I usually get a cycle within a few hours of moving media over.

 

[KingK]

The bacteria won’t die that fast. Test your water this evening and it will probably already have dropped the nitrites and ammonia. I usually get a cycle within a few hours of moving media over.

I’ve checked it this evening , I think the ammonia has dropped down to 1ppm but I can’t really tell I have attached photos, and the nitrite has gone up even more to around 5ppm what you think?

 

[FishGuest5123]

I agree. It’s getting close. Are your fish still In the other tank? If so then let it climb. The nitrites should continue going up and the ammonia going down. Then you will begin seeing the nitrates. Once you have 0 ammonia and nitrites then do a water change to get nitrates below 20ppm. Then you should be all set but continue to check water a few more days and at each cleaning.

 

[KingK]

I agree. It’s getting close. Are your fish still In the other tank? If so then let it climb. The nitrites should continue going up and the ammonia going down. Then you will begin seeing the nitrates. Once you have 0 ammonia and nitrites then do a water change to get nitrates below 20ppm. Then you should be all set but continue to check water a few more days and at each cleaning.

Yeah my fish and plants are in the other tank still, I already have high nitrates it’s over 40ppm, what if I get zero ammonia and high nitrite , should I add more ammonia to get up to 2ppm and wait for the ammonia and nitrite to go to zero, and keep adding ammonia if it shows zero and high nitrite ?

 

[Essjay]

No, don't add more ammonia yet. This article explains why you should not add too much ammonia http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/
Once the 5 ppm nitrite level is passed the colour of the tester stays at the 5 ppm colour so we have no idea how high nitrite actually is. When it reaches around 15 ppm it inhibits the bacteria and the cycle stalls. Because 1 ppm ammonia is turned into 2.6 ppm nitrite, adding too much ammonia can push nitrite up to that level quite fast once the ammonia eating bacteria start to grow.
If you want a good read on the subject, the posts by TwoTankAmin in this thread http://www.fishforums.net/threads/clarification-on-the-fishless-cycle.420045/ explain a lot about fishless cycling.

The nitrate reading during cycling can be misleading because the nitrate tester also measures nitrite. When nitrite is high it gives a false high nitrate reading.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Totally agree. Give the nitrite a chance to rise and fall. Bacteria doesn’t have to be fed everyday. You may want to give it a small dose of ammonia late tomorrow or Wednesday morning. Not even a drop...just a bite. Once the nitrite drops along with the ammonia to 0 then dose up to 2ppm one more time. If it drops to 0 in 24 hours you are cycled. You’re doing good!

 

[KingK]

Totally agree. Give the nitrite a chance to rise and fall. Bacteria doesn’t have to be fed everyday. You may want to give it a small dose of ammonia late tomorrow or Wednesday morning. Not even a drop...just a bite. Once the nitrite drops along with the ammonia to 0 then dose up to 2ppm one more time. If it drops to 0 in 24 hours you are cycled. You’re doing good!

I’ve tested it again this evening, my ammonia is still on 1ppm but now my nitrite is on 2ppm which now I’m baffled again, is this normal?

 

[FishGuest5123]

No, ammonia should be down and nitrite should have climbed or with media added you should see nitates now. Your media wasn’t exposed to chlorine, was it? I’d be tempted to do a 25% water change and see if it helps. This is strange.