Cycling

[Shiverz]

Hey, sorry for my absence but I'm quite busy at the moment. Just popping on because I'm confused by a friends tank.

My friend has started the hobby very recently, so being a good buddy I chucked him some of my media to help kick start the process. I know he had his filter and heater running for about a week before he started adding ammonia (in the form of fish flake).

He's at day day 4, he has just got a reading of... 0.25ppm ammonia, 0.25ppm nitrite and 5ppm nitrate. Now I don't remember getting nitrate levels so quickly, isn't nitrate supposed start showing its face a little later in the cycle?

 

[mbsqw1d]

Their tap water may contain nitrate. Be worth them testing their tap water seperately.
Plus if he has bacteria from yours, then perhaps those bacteria are there already and feeding on the nitrites?

 

[Shiverz]

He's in my area, no nitrate in water, and the first test he did (for a baseline) had 0 nitrates either.

Thanks for the info, well hopefully it has started I know how hard it can be waiting for it to be done

 

[mbsqw1d]

Yeh its a good sign! Waiting for stuff is horrible I'm incredibly impatient. I take it he doesnt have plants and adding any ferts yet?

 

[Shiverz]

Yeh its a good sign! Waiting for stuff is horrible I'm incredibly impatient. I take it he doesnt have plants and adding any ferts yet?

No, nothing but a couple of rocks and sand. He said he was going to wait for his plants. He wants to do one thing at a time so he doesn't make any mistakes.