Help!! Fishless Cycling

[Missy]

I have been very patient and am now on day 25 of this stupid fishless cycle. Its not working!!!

My ammonia is now at 0... only because I haven't added ammonia in 4 days. (actually, last night I added one ml since it was at 0) per advice from another post.

My NitrItes have been at 2.0 since day 12 and before that was only at 5.0 from day 8-12 (didn't start testing till day eight)

My NitrAtes, to my knowledge, have not increased at all since the beginning. I have been testing them only since day 15 and they have been steady at 5.0.

I really don't understand. By this point the NitrItes should have spiked and started going back down. They are high but still haven't started to decrease and my NitrAtes should be increasing.

I'm ready to stop everything. Do a large water change and add a few fish.

This stinks. Not going as I expected at all!!!

By The way, I also have some sort of brown algae starting on a rock and a few plants next to it. Also a little on the sand nearby too.

 

[bogusmove]

I really don't understand. By this point the NitrItes should have spiked and started going back down. They are high but still haven't started to decrease and my NitrAtes should be increasing.

Cycling time can vary I think. It's not always as it is in the text books.

I'm ready to stop everything. Do a large water change and add a few fish.

If your nitrites are 2.0 then that's pretty lethal I think, and all your fish will probably die. If you are unhappy now, i'm sure you will be much less happy then!!

This stinks. Not going as I expected at all!!!

Have a read of my cycling post! I didn't get what I expected either. I expect you will get a nitrite drop soon.

By The way, I also have some sort of brown algae starting on a rock and a few plants next to it. Also a little on the sand nearby too.

I have alot of brown algae. I think you will be able to get it under control once you cycling completes.

Fishless cycling

Also, I think you need to keeping adding ammonia until you get your fish, so the bacteria have something to eat!

 

[mrV]

My ammonia is now at 0... only because I haven't added ammonia in 4 days. (actually, last night I added one ml since it was at 0) per advice from another post.

Why did you stop to add ammonia? Bacteria need nutrient, otherwise they die.

Here is a picture how to cycling goes:

"Pitoisuus" on y-axis means concentration. On x-axis "aika" means time (days).

When you start with new tank, you need to keep NH3/NH4+ level at 5 mg/l until nitrite start to appear. After that you can divide NH3/NH4+ level to 2-3 mg/l. Now nitrite start to increase (As you can see it on pic). After this you can add ammonium so much that NH3/NH4+ level is about 1-2/mg/l. After some time, nitrate starts to increase too. When nitrite level is high and suddenly drops down to zero, tank is cycled and almost ready for fishes. Remember to do water changes before adding fishes so that you get rid of rest of ammonia and get nitrate level down. Probably you need to do it during couple days if nitrate seems to increase.

Here is it something said better in english http/www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html

[picture and some of the text has been quoted from site: aquahoito.info]

 

[Missy]

I stopped adding ammonia for a few days because my levels were high and not dropping at all so it was suggested that I stop adding until it reached zero then add just enough to keep it from raising above zero so I didn't add any till last night but I just checked my ammonia level and the 1ml that I added brought the ammonia reading back up to 3.0. Should I decrease the amount again and continue to add daily or wait till it drops again.?

 

[bogusmove]

Should I decrease the amount again and continue to add daily or wait till it drops again.?

You should keep adding SOME ammonia, until your tank is fully cycled.

Fishless cycling method

Adding less ammonia once your ammonia has peeked is a good idea though as this will make it easier for the next variety of bacteria to colonise. Ammonia inhibits the growth of these new bacteria so you need for there to be not too much of it, but dont stop ammonia altogether though, or the first round of bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrite will go hungry and die. The above link has good instructions

The idea is that by the time you start adding less ammonia there will be a good colony of the first bacteria, and they will now be able to convert the new ammonia into nitrite as quickly as you add it... the new bacteria which grows will convert nitrIte to nitrAte, and once that is also being converted pretty much instantaneously your tank is cycled (but remember to change enough water now to get nitrates down to a safe level before adding fish).

 

[Missy]

My PH is at 7.8. Is this a tad too high and possibly inhibiting the growth of the bacteria. I stupidly just checked the ph for the first time. Could this explain why my nitrAtes are still so low and the NitrItes are not decreasing???

 

[Lithril]

Here's a couple of links which I followed the first time: Link 1 & Link 2. They're really good and should help explain things. The only problems I had was adding too much ammonia (about 10x).

Did you add any seeded media/sand/gravel to start with???

 

[Exiled]

--- what are your ammonia, NO2, and NO3 levels now?
if the water had zero ammonia in it for that long, perhaps all the bacteria are dead. I would try to add some more biofilter media, turn up the temp of the water to 80 F, and get your ammonia level to 4 ppm.
try that, see what happens. My fishless cycling is working for me, by keeping the ammonia level at 4ppm. I have nitrates showing up now and my nitrites are dropping, and the ammonia (at 5mL per ten gallons) is getting totally consumed every 12 hours. Today is day 9 of my cycle.

try adding a really mucky filter pad or sponge to re-kick start the process again--and feed your little bacteria....

Dont give up!

 

[Missy]

Thanks for the help. I'll try maintaining my ammonia by adding enough once a day to keep it around 4 like you said. I keep adding ammonia until I add fish even when the nitrites drop and nitrates spike right? Then when the nitrites drop to zero and stay there I do a water change and add fish right?

 

[Exiled]

Well, since I'm only doing a fishless cycle for the first time, I can only advise based on my experience so far, ans what I've read . But things are happening accordingly, so I have confidence in what I've read. Continue to add ammonia to get to 4ppm, but once nitrAtes show up, I'd reduce the ammonia (that it takes to get your tank at 4ppm) by half. And yeah, you gotta add at least enuff ammonia to feed the bacteria up until you add fish. When your nitrites are at zero, and your nitrates have spiked, your tank is (supposedly) cycled. Then, I've read you must do a 75% water change (with declorinated water) before you add fish, because the water is full of toxic nitrates. Do one more small addition of ammonia and wait till it is totally consumed and your test shows it a 0 ppm before adding your fish. If your bacterial colony is strong I'm guessing that at an ammonia level of 2 ppm it should take less than 6 hours. That's how long it takes my ammonia to be consumed. (in my tank, 4 ppm is reduced to 0 ppm in about 12 hours)

did you add more biofilter media? The more the better.
keep us posted, Missy!

 

[Lithril]

Yup you'll generally need to do a water change after cycling to bring the NitrAtes down.