Fishless Cycle Has Not Taken Off, What Can I Do?

[trbjones]

I have set up my new tank and set the temperature to 28'c 82 f due to this being the ideal temp suggested to cycle. i then added a heater air stone, pump and a extral filter.

I added the ammonia 11 days ago,

The ammonia level is still very high the same as when i added it, what should i do?

I keep repeating the test but it shows the same results around 5mg/l

what is my next step i need help

 

[lilfishie]

patience is the key to cycling, took mine a good few weeks, maybe more if you already haven't read though the topic at the top of this section about cycling

 

[trbjones]

yer read that 100 of times so should i just wait

 

[Watersprite]

Hi, I'm completely new to the hobby. Just finished my fishless cycle, thought I'd never get there, then all of a sudden it happens. Be patient ( I know it's difficult) and good luck!

 

[trbjones]

thanks, You lot are right,

 

[doresy]

My ammonia started to drop after only 5 days (used media from my established tank). Now I can loose 6ppm in under 12 hours but the nitItes are taking ages to drop.......nearly 5 weeks and it is finally coming down from off the planet to 2.0ppm. and nitrAtes are just begining to show.

When your ammonia starts to drop (and it will) that will just be the begining! All good things come to those that wait

 

[rdd1952]

I would suggest raising the temp a little higher. Upper 80s even into the low 90s is best. Sometimes things just don't get going. You may want to just do a complete (or almost) water change and start all over. I once had an empty tank (no gravel or decorations) that went 18 days without any change in the ammonia.

 

[trbjones]

i got plants in my tank can i realy raise my temp higher

 

[Nosnibor]

i got plants in my tank can i realy raise my temp higher

When I started I decided to take all the 5 plants out and threw them (only a few quid in the bin) but didn't want to mess up the true fishless cycle. I put loads of ammonia in to raise the NH3 to the correct level and I saw it start dropping after a couple of days . Both the Nitrite and Nitrate were off the chart for some reason, now I'm getting the ammonia down in about 30 hours the Nitrite has dropped to 2ppm and I have noticed the Nitrate has dropped to a lower level then it was when I put the dechlorinated water in at the beginning!!!

I have ordered my new plants online and they should take around 5 days to arrive. By then I should be all ready to add the plants then add the fish stock the next day (or two).

It did seem like a long time though

 

[mark.w.jones]

If you are feeling impatient then get hold of some sponge and ceramic media from an established tank. Will hugely reduce the amount of time your cycle is taking.

 

[rdd1952]

When I started I decided to take all the 5 plants out and threw them (only a few quid in the bin) but didn't want to mess up the true fishless cycle. I put loads of ammonia in to raise the NH3 to the correct level and I saw it start dropping after a couple of days . Both the Nitrite and Nitrate were off the chart for some reason, now I'm getting the ammonia down in about 30 hours the Nitrite has dropped to 2ppm and I have noticed the Nitrate has dropped to a lower level then it was when I put the dechlorinated water in at the beginning!!!

Your results don't really make sense. First, ammonia should drop first and after aboout a week or so should be drop from 4 o 5 ppm that you add back to zero in about 12 hours. You should not have any nitrite for at least 3 or 4 days (when ammonia starts dropping) or nitrate for probably at least a week or more. Nitrite should quickly rise off the chart (once ammonia is being processed daily) and stay there for a couple weeks. Nitrates should start to rise and should never come down until you do a water change. Do you have nitrate in your tap water? If not, I don't quite understand what you mean that it is lower than it was when you added the dechlorinated water to start.

 

[Nosnibor]

Your results don't really make sense. First, ammonia should drop first and after aboout a week or so should be drop from 4 o 5 ppm that you add back to zero in about 12 hours. You should not have any nitrite for at least 3 or 4 days (when ammonia starts dropping) or nitrate for probably at least a week or more. Nitrite should quickly rise off the chart (once ammonia is being processed daily) and stay there for a couple weeks. Nitrates should start to rise and should never come down until you do a water change. Do you have nitrate in your tap water? If not, I don't quite understand what you mean that it is lower than it was when you added the dechlorinated water to start.

Hi rdd1952,

Okay I think I was reading it all wrong

Okay, when using the Hagen Nutrafin test kit on the Nitrite and Nitrate and it doesn't go a colour that is on the chart at the back, does this mean that it is so off the chart the colours are not registering?

If so, I'm a plonker

I have run the test again this morning after reading your reply (thanks) and it is showing the Ammonia is at 2.0mg (dropped from 5-6mg within 12 hours) / the PH is at 7.0mg and both the Nitrite and Nitrate is a Yellow/Orange colour that isn't even on the chart! It looks like my PH has come down, I'm sure of it There is about 20mg of Nitrate in our water here.

I take it that if the above is correct, and my ammonia starts dropping a little quicker the Nitrite will start coming down and showing colours that are on the charts at the back of the booklet?

One last thing, what is the difference between mg and ppm, are they the same as some people refer to the test results as mg and some ppm - oh why can't there be a standard

Thanks again for your time guys.

Martin

 

[rdd1952]

I'm not really familiar with that particular test kit as I use the API kits. Usually, if it's just a much darker shade of the color than what it should be (very deep red instead of orange for instance) then it is off the chart high. As for the nitrites, they usually don't drop gradually. Most often they will be off the chart high for a couple weeks and then all of a sudden, they will be gone, literally overnight. The bacteria to process them is slower to develop so it takes longer for the nitrite to drop. The nitrite level will be way higher than the ammonia ever was especially toward the end of the cycling process, since you are indirectly adding nitrite ever day when you add ammonia and it is processed.

The reason the nitrite drops so quickly at the end makes sense if you think about it. The bacteria are doubling every 24 hours or so. They are processing some nitrite every day but the level is so high off the chart you can't tell that anything is happening. Say by the 14th day, the bacteria can process 10 ppm of nitrite a day and there is 20 ppm left in the tank. The bacteria doubles over the 24 hour period, processes the 20 ppm and your test goes from off the chart one day to zero the next and your cycle is finished.

 

[mark.w.jones]

ppm and mg/l are for our puposes, in a dilute solution essentially the same thing. i.e. they are equal.



ps don't bother testing pH whilst cycling. Waste of time as it goes all over the shop. Only worth doing once cycle is finished and tank is more established.

 

[rdd1952]

ps don't bother testing pH whilst cycling. Waste of time as it goes all over the shop. Only worth doing once cycle is finished and tank is more established.

Actually, in reading more articles, I have learned that the optimal pH for nitrification is between 7 and 8 and the process severely slows as pH drops toward 6.0. Below that level, the bacteria go dormant and the cycling process stops. So although pH does seem to vary greatly during cycling, it is worth testing pH occasionally to make sure it isn't dropping too low, especially if things seem to be going slow or are stalled.