fishless cycle may be going wrong

[fishyton]

I set up my new 75 gallon tank on July 4th, I had plants in it and was adding Quick Start and my ammonia was between 4-8ppm. I added another bottle of Quick start and the ammonia stayed pretty much the same. But it it was on the 18th where I decided to add some good bacteria from the filter sponge from my established and being replaced 55 gallon. I added the water from the 55 gallon tank to a bucket and wringed the sponged in the water then I added that water to the 75 gallon. The next day, the ammonia went to 4ppm and two days later, it was at 2 ppm and two days later, it was 0ppm. I Never gotten any nitrites yet and I've been still adding ammonia but it's still showing 0ppm and the nitrites are still 0ppm as well. I tested the nitrates and it shows I have 12.5ppm; I want to mention that all these tests I have are at least 9 years old and it may be too old; I've ordered the API master test kit from Chewy.com and it will be here on Tuesday.

My question is, am I doing anything wrong and what should be my next step in order to get my tank cycled and also, should I add anymore "good" bacteria from my 55 gallon to my 75 gallon?

 

[outofwater]

I'm leaning towards faulty test, if ammonia is going to zero it doesn't make sense no nitrites are showing at all, yet you already have nitrates. Wait it out until you get the kit to get reliable results. If I was a betting man I'd say your cycle is complete.

 

[fishyton]

I'm leaning towards faulty test, if ammonia is going to zero it doesn't make sense no nitrites are showing at all, yet you already have nitrates. Wait it out until you get the kit to get reliable results. If I was a betting man I'd say your cycle is complete.

Your response is much appreiciated

 

[Sanityassassin]

You are fighting a losing battle from the start if your test kit has expired. And even with a test kit that is in date you need to follow the instructions to the letter to achieve accurate results.

Make sure the test vials are rinsed between tests and, in the case of the nitrate test especially, you really need to give bottle #2 a real good shake.

I also agree that from what you have done so far your cycle may be pretty much done. But your new test kit will confirm this.

 

[Lynnzer]

I'd be cautious. Transferring tank water and wringing out filters from another tank isn't necessarily transferring beneficial bacteria. The bulk of that is in the filter sponges themselves and any other stuff such as the gravel, any hardscape things like wood etc.
When I try the same thing to speed up cycling I generally have a spare sponge filter running in another tank, then just take it out and place it in the new tank, or even remove the filter sponge from a pump type filter and cut it in half leaving it half new and half old in the old filter and doing the same in the new one.

 

[fishyton]

I'd be cautious. Transferring tank water and wringing out filters from another tank isn't necessarily transferring beneficial bacteria. The bulk of that is in the filter sponges themselves and any other stuff such as the gravel, any hardscape things like wood etc.
When I try the same thing to speed up cycling I generally have a spare sponge filter running in another tank, then just take it out and place it in the new tank, or even remove the filter sponge from a pump type filter and cut it in half leaving it half new and half old in the old filter and doing the same in the new one.

Hi Lynnzer,

After I did that, I did put that sponge in the 75 gallon tank new filter and put another one in the filter of the 55 gallon.

 

[fishyton]

You are fighting a losing battle from the start if your test kit has expired. And even with a test kit that is in date you need to follow the instructions to the letter to achieve accurate results.

Make sure the test vials are rinsed between tests and, in the case of the nitrate test especially, you really need to give bottle #2 a real good shake.

I also agree that from what you have done so far your cycle may be pretty much done. But your new test kit will confirm this.

Chewy.com emailed me this morning saying my kit is coming today instead of tomorrow so I'll have it to hopefully get an accurate result

 

[Slaphppy7]

In some fishless cycle, the nitrIte sequence happens so quickly that it is missed; you may show nitrItes only for a brief period, and it can be missed between tests

But with a test kit that old, all bets are off...let's see what the new test kit reveals

 

[fishyton]

In some fishless cycle, the nitrIte sequence happens so quickly that it is missed; you may show nitrItes only for a brief period, and it can be missed between tests

But with a test kit that old, all bets are off...let's see what the new test kit reveals

It just arrived. Will let you know in a few

 

[fishyton]

I set up my new 75 gallon tank on July 4th, I had plants in it and was adding Quick Start and my ammonia was between 4-8ppm. I added another bottle of Quick start and the ammonia stayed pretty much the same. But it it was on the 18th where I decided to add some good bacteria from the filter sponge from my established and being replaced 55 gallon. I added the water from the 55 gallon tank to a bucket and wringed the sponged in the water then I added that water to the 75 gallon. The next day, the ammonia went to 4ppm and two days later, it was at 2 ppm and two days later, it was 0ppm. I Never gotten any nitrites yet and I've been still adding ammonia but it's still showing 0ppm and the nitrites are still 0ppm as well. I tested the nitrates and it shows I have 12.5ppm; I want to mention that all these tests I have are at least 9 years old and it may be too old; I've ordered the API master test kit from Chewy.com and it will be here on Tuesday.

My question is, am I doing anything wrong and what should be my next step in order to get my tank cycled and also, should I add anymore "good" bacteria from my 55 gallon to my 75 gallon?

Okay, I got my new test kit and the ammonia level is still zero but the change is that my nitrites are looking like between 0.50 - 5.0ppm so that test was faulty. So what do I do now?

 

[outofwater]

Can you post pictures of the tests and review the nitrites reading? Your note covers the whole range right there (between 0.5 and 5 ppm). You sure you meant that? And when was the last time you added ammonia?

 

[fishyton]

Can you post pictures of the tests and review the nitrites reading? Your note covers the whole range right there (between 0.5 and 5 ppm). You sure you meant that? And when was the last time you added ammonia?

I just added a few cap full of it this morning. I'll take a pic of both tests and post it

 

[fishyton]

Okay, I got my new test kit and the ammonia level is still zero but the change is that my nitrites are looking like between 0.50 - 5.0ppm so that test was faulty. So what do I do now?

The nitrite test looks more like between 2.0 - 5.0ppm

 

[GrayTeall]

(Disclaimer: I'm a novice to the hobby, I got my first tank a week ago and have been learning as I go, though I'm an avid researcher and always check my sources for reliability. I do not know everything, I'm just doing my best.)

From what I know about the nitrogen cycle, there's two main bacteria species we need to grow before a tank is ready for fish. Nitrite enters your aquarium as a waste product of the first of those species. High levels of ammonia followed by a decrease in ammonia and increase of nitrite indicates that you've established enough of those ammonia-eating bacteria to keep up with how much ammonia is being added to the tank, though there may not be enough to handle the bioload of all the creatures you plan to stock your tank with just yet. Depends on what you're keeping, how much they're fed, how many of them you'll have, etc. If your nitrite levels are high and your nitrate levels are still relatively low, that probably means you still don't have enough of the second important species of bacteria that eats nitrite. They're there, you're just not done cycling yet.
Personally, I would say to keep your nitrate levels as they are so that nature takes its course and grows enough bacteria to handle the amount of nitrites being produced. But before that, I recommend you research your specific plant species and see what water parameters they can survive in, and if the nitrites should be below what they are in the tank, change the water just frequently enough to keep your plants from dying to ensure the bacteria you're cultivating don't starve and die.

As far as helping the process along, considering you've already added little biofilters (that's the name for the filter media with all the beneficial bacteria in it) and QuickStart to your cycling filter, I don't think there's much else you should do. If it's not already heated, you could maybe try setting the temperature to 80 degrees? I have no reason for choosing that number in particular other than it being the upper temperature range of the fish I personally keep. Warmer water may shorten the amount of time it takes for bacteria to grow in the tank, but take that with a grain of salt because any other microorganisms growing in the tank will probably also reproduce faster in warm water. I would also consider setting the filter to the lowest flow setting so that the bacteria have an easier time growing on their designated spot in the filter?

 

[fishyton]

(Disclaimer: I'm a novice to the hobby, I got my first tank a week ago and have been learning as I go, though I'm an avid researcher and always check my sources for reliability. I do not know everything, I'm just doing my best.)

From what I know about the nitrogen cycle, there's two main bacteria species we need to grow before a tank is ready for fish. Nitrite enters your aquarium as a waste product of the first of those species. High levels of ammonia followed by a decrease in ammonia and increase of nitrite indicates that you've established enough of those ammonia-eating bacteria to keep up with how much ammonia is being added to the tank, though there may not be enough to handle the bioload of all the creatures you plan to stock your tank with just yet. Depends on what you're keeping, how much they're fed, how many of them you'll have, etc. If your nitrite levels are high and your nitrate levels are still relatively low, that probably means you still don't have enough of the second important species of bacteria that eats nitrite. They're there, you're just not done cycling yet.
Personally, I would say to keep your nitrate levels as they are so that nature takes its course and grows enough bacteria to handle the amount of nitrites being produced. But before that, I recommend you research your specific plant species and see what water parameters they can survive in, and if the nitrites should be below what they are in the tank, change the water just frequently enough to keep your plants from dying to ensure the bacteria you're cultivating don't starve and die.

As far as helping the process along, considering you've already added little biofilters (that's the name for the filter media with all the beneficial bacteria in it) and QuickStart to your cycling filter, I don't think there's much else you should do. If it's not already heated, you could maybe try setting the temperature to 80 degrees? I have no reason for choosing that number in particular other than it being the upper temperature range of the fish I personally keep. Warmer water may shorten the amount of time it takes for bacteria to grow in the tank, but take that with a grain of salt because any other microorganisms growing in the tank will probably also reproduce faster in warm water. I would also consider setting the filter to the lowest flow setting so that the bacteria have an easier time growing on their designated spot in the filter?

Hi friend, I appreciate your response. I tested for the ammonia and nitrites this morning and the ammonia is still zero and the nitrites have come down to 1-2ppm and my nitrates is around 10ppm. So all I'm going to do is keeping adding 1 to 2 capful of ammonia to the tank each morning because the cycling is doing it's thing and doing it beautifully. Far as the plants, they've pretty much all died with the exception of two or three; probably due to not having the light on enough, I'm waiting for my vallisneria plants to come in the mail because they're the only plants that I can have in my African cichlid tank that they won't bother too much and I can put it in the soil under the gravel. The heat has been in the 80's since the beginning of the cycle and I turned it back down to 79 to prepare to transfer my cichlids over from the 55 gallon when the cycle is complete and after doing my 70% water change and adding prime and stress coat in the water