Cycling Concern

[Ricksza]

I've been fishless cycling my 10 gallon for a month and my ammonia is looking great, it will take 2.0 ppm to 0 within 24 hours every day. My nitrite is at 0. But my nitrate reading won't go down. Water temperature is about 80°. I put in the tank 1 - 5" driftwood, 1 - conconut hut, 2 - 1.5" marimo balls 4 weeks ago and 2 - golf ball size java moss 2 weeks ago. Should I add more plants? Do more water changes? I did 2 - 50% water changes 3 and 4 days ago and it's back up to 80 ppm. Should I keep dosing with ammonia? Should I stop, do another water change and put a fish in there? This will be a shrimp tank with a divider and has 2 sponge filters currently.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sorry... I am a bit confused, so please help me understand the situation.


You have been cycling for a while... I see you say a month... in that time, nitrite should be showing up... so something is amiss.

How often are you doing ammonia currently?


2.0 ppm ammonia drops to 0 in 24 hours means that nitrite should be showing up in some capacity - or had... at some point. Did you ever get a color in the nitrite tube other than the 'baby blue' color representing zero? Or are you getting a 'greyish' color?


Nitrates keep popping at 80ppm... again, the only way nitrate would show up without nitrites would be if you have a complete cycle going OR your tap water is exceedingly high nitrate.



One other possibility remains...

The ammonia is processing to nitrite, but has well exceeded the tolerance of the test kit, and it is giving you the 'greyish' color, rather than the blue. That represents 'off the scale'. And a side effect of that can be, that you are getting a false high reading in the nitrate, because the test kit converts the nitrate to nitrite (Bottle 1, I believe) and then Bottle 2 is reading the nitrite in the tube. And if you have a nitrite SPIKE, you might very well just be reading that with the nitrate test (as its capable of reading higher values than the nitrite).


If all this is true, and you've been cycling for a while... getting the 'grey' color, you may have stalled the nitrite portion of the cycle and require a full tank water change to remove them. Then, before adding ammonia... do a nitrite test, to see if that brings the nitrite down low enough to be on the scale.


A secondary option for testing would be a diluted nitrite test. You can take a sample of tank water. Add 9 x as much water from your tap to that and mix them. Then test that sample of water. Whatever nitrite reading you get, can be multiplied by 10 to get a decent sense for where the nitrite really is. Our goal is to always have it well under 15ppm, as that's normally around where it stalls.

 

[Essjay]

But my nitrate reading won't go down

Are you expecting nitrate to go down as part of the cycle? Nitrate is not removed by bacteria, we have to remove it by doing water changes.

 

[Colin_T]

Your tank might be cycled.

Ammonia is eaten by bacteria that convert it into nitrite. Your ammonia drops to 0 after 24hours so that bit is working.

Nitrite is eaten by different bacteria and converted into nitrate. If you are adding ammonia and no nitrite is showing up but nitrate is going up, then the filter has cycled.

Check the nitrate in the tap water. If it's 0 then do a 90% water change using dechlorinated water, wait 24 hours, then go get some fish or shrimp.

 

[Ricksza]

....You have been cycling for a while... I see you say a month... in that time, nitrite should be showing up...

Yes, my nitrites were at 5.0 ppm about 10 days ago then went to 0 ppm.

How often are you doing ammonia currently?

Every day to 2.0 ppm then next day it's at 0 ppm.

Nitrates keep popping at 80ppm... again, the only way nitrate would show up without nitrites would be if you have a complete cycle going OR your tap water is exceedingly high nitrate.

I'm hoping the cycle is complete, My tap water tests at nitrate 5.0 ppm. Guess I'll do water changes and add minimum ammonia.

Thank you

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nope. Your cycle is done.


Big water change... and get some fish.

 

[Ricksza]

Your tank might be cycled.

Ammonia is eaten by bacteria that convert it into nitrite. Your ammonia drops to 0 after 24hours so that bit is working.

Nitrite is eaten by different bacteria and converted into nitrate. If you are adding ammonia and no nitrite is showing up but nitrate is going up, then the filter has cycled.

Check the nitrate in the tap water. If it's 0 then do a 90% water change using dechlorinated water, wait 24 hours, then go get some fish or shrimp.

That's what I was hoping for.

Thanks

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nevermind... don't get fish..

Get your shrimp.

 

[Ricksza]

Nope. Your cycle is done.


Big water change... and get some fish.

Great, that's what I wanted to hear.

Thanks from a fellow Pennsylvanian

 

[steelo]

I've been fishless cycling my 10 gallon for a month and my ammonia is looking great, it will take 2.0 ppm to 0 within 24 hours every day. My nitrite is at 0. But my nitrate reading won't go down. Water temperature is about 80°. I put in the tank 1 - 5" driftwood, 1 - conconut hut, 2 - 1.5" marimo balls 4 weeks ago and 2 - golf ball size java moss 2 weeks ago. Should I add more plants? Do more water changes? I did 2 - 50% water changes 3 and 4 days ago and it's back up to 80 ppm. Should I keep dosing with ammonia? Should I stop, do another water change and put a fish in there? This will be a shrimp tank with a divider and has 2 sponge filters currently.

If you add ammonia then nitrites and ammonia disappear within 24 hours, you are cycled. Nitrates will never go down until you do a water change. It sounds like you are cycled!