Fishless Cycle

[canarsie11]

Ammonia readings are 0, Nitrite has spiked!

What next, how long til its over!

75 gallon, Temp @ 86f

 

[pendragon]

If you didn't seed it with bacteria from an established tank, you can generally expect the nitrite spike to last between two and four weeks.

pendragon!

 

[canarsie11]

If you didn't seed it with bacteria from an established tank, you can generally expect the nitrite spike to last between two and four weeks.

pendragon!

It was seeded with Bio Spira!

 

[tstenback]

The nitrite spike is usually pretty painful to wait through. I am not sure how much time bio spira will take off of this phase but like pendragon said it is usually at least a couple of weeks and i have seen it as long as 6 weeks. Hope it is a short one.

 

[canarsie11]

I thought a fishless cycle was supposed to be faster than a cycle with fish?

If I knew it could take 6 weeks, I would have cycled with fish. Cannot stand waiting

 

[catwoman]

I just finished cycling a 75 gal tank and it took two weeks to get nitrites to zero and that was with seeding originally with water & filter material from an established tank. Fishless isn't a shortcut for the cycle BUT you don't harm any fish and due to the large amounts of ammonia you can add, you establish a full load of bacteria so once the cycle is over, you can put a full tank of fish in

However, my tank is FULL of algae from the high nitrates that built up. I don't know how to prevent that. None of the articles talked about that or about doing any water changes until the big water change at the end of the cycle.

 

[tstenback]

usually if you seed it will be faster when fishless cycling however there is never a garantee that it will be. But as catwoman said and many other here the main objective is to get the environment ready for fish without causing harm to fish. i know you know that and it is frustrating but just a little more patience and you will be done.

 

[buggyboutbettas]

wow thanks this info really helps
I'm going through the same thing.

 

[Exiled]

However, my tank is FULL of algae from the high nitrates that built up. I don't know how to prevent that. None of the articles talked about that or about doing any water changes until the big water change at the end of the cycle.

Well, I know it's no fun....but when you're doing a fishless cycle it's better to keep the lights off and the tank covered throughout the time it's cycling anyway since the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria need darkness to thrive. The upside is you won't get algal growth. My 55g tank cycled in 11 days -- I kept the lights out and even though the nitrate skyrocketed off the chart I did not get algae.

 

[canarsie11]

Just going a little crazy.

But ammonia is down to zero (according to my liquid tests) so thats good.

Also I have a seachem ammonia alert card in the tank also.


So when I did my dose of ammonia color changed with in 2 to 3 hrs it was back to the safe color, so I guess that backs up liquid tests that nitrites are present in high quantities in tank.

Just waiting for nitrites to drop to 0,

 

[FMZ]

would take about 2-3 weeks for nitrItes to drop to 0 if you haven't seeded any media from established tank

 

[Exiled]

Hey Canarsie -- what's an ammonia alert card?
Do they make Nitrate alert cards?

 

[canarsie11]

Hey Canarsie -- what's an ammonia alert card?
Do they make Nitrate alert cards?

Thats good question, I dont know if they make nitrite or nitrate alert cards.

But the Seachem ammonia alert card is put in tank by suction (like thermometer for aquariums)

It measure 4 levels by color.

Yellow for Safe
Light greenish color for Alert
Light Blue for Alarm
And purple for toxic


Diagram looks like a pizza pie cut in for pieces with one color on each piece. With circle in middle that changes color.

Please remember this is no way close to accurate as liquid tests, but it is an easy indicator to let you know something is wrong with ammonia levels if you just so happen to walk pass tank and glance at it!

But the cool thing is while doing a fishless cycle when your ammonia has spike and it is at toxic levels (purple), when nitrites build up color changes down to safe levels. ( like I said before this is no substitution for regular water test with more accurate tests)

Also, when feeding your tank ammonia during fishless cycle, the alert card will change colors to more dangerous levels, quickly come back down to safe levels couple of hrs so, proving nitrites are doing there job.

This is just a nice little thing to have in tank as a aid to other more accurate tests!

 

[canarsie11]

Oh yea purchased from PetSmart, I beleive it was like 6.99!

 

[MadCow]

It took my nitrites 1 week to come down to 0. 2 weeks total for my cycle. I seeded mine with gravel and a potted plant. I also kept my light off at all times and didn't have any problems with algae and my nitrates were off the chart by the time my cycle was complete.