CYCLING!!!

[DeadlyMixer]

Ok i've been cycling my tank for 9 days now and theres been no changes in the water conditions. Should i have seen some kind of change by now??

My tank readings have always been and still are:

pH = 7.4
AMMONIA = 0.25
NITRATE = 0
NITRITE = 0

My tap readings are:

pH = 7.0
AMMONIA = 0
NITRATE = 0
NITRITE = 0

I've been doing 25% changes every day....

Should i keep doing what im doing? or if not what should i be doing?

 

[rdd1952]

If you're doing a fishless cycle, you should add enough pure ammonia (or fish food) to raise the ammonia level to around 4 to 6 ppm. Then wait till it drops to around 1. Test the nitrite then and you should definitely have a reading. Add more ammonia to raise to 4 to 6 again. It should drop back to 0 to 1 much quicker this time. Keep adding ammonia to raise it to around 1 ppm and keep testing the nitrite. The nitrite by this time will probably be so high, it is off the chart you have. That's not a problem since you don't have fish. The nitrite spike takes the longest but when it drops to 0, you are cycled. Your nitrates will be off the chart by then but just do a 75% to 90% water change to lower them and you are ready to add your fish.

 

[DeadlyMixer]

Its a fishless tank but thats because im tryin to cycle my turtle tank so im a little concerned about tryin to raise the ammonia levels with products etc.

 

[newland]

Hold back on the water changes to raise the amonia level to 05 - 1ppm.

If the amonia levels stay at 0.25 then add some fish food to raise it a bit.

This should help the bacteria grow.

Once you get a nitrIte reading the stop the addition of food. Keep an eye on nitrite levels as this is a killer if it gets too high. I'm not 100% on the turtles tollerance to nitrite or amonia so check with an expert.

 

[rdd1952]

I don't know about cycling it with the turtle. Adding the fish food may work but it is basically doing the same as adding the pure ammonia except it takes a little longer for the food to decay and produce ammonia. Your turtle may eat it before it can decay too. Regardless of how you do it, to cycle the tank, you will have to introduce ammonia in some form whether it be pure ammonia or through fish food. Without ammonia, you won't ever develope any good bacteria.

 

[newland]

Thats a very good point.

Does anyone on this forum know anything about turtles?

 

[rdd1952]

You might try the Invertibrates and Amphibian forum. I don't know how much activity there is there though.