How Long Till Nitrites Go Down

[commoncarp]

I have been cycling my tank for 6-7 weeks with fish, everyday I do water tests my nitrites reading are between 0.25 - 1.0, my ammonia is always 0, I am having to do 50% water changes every day, I have 15 fish and am using a Fluval u2, how much longer will it take before my tank is cycled. I may be overfeeding as feed the fish three times a day, is this too much? Please Help.


UPDATE, I have another filter (which is new) should I also put this in the tank???

 

[Neptune76]

Because of all the water changes that are necessary, cycling with fish does indeed seem to take a bit longer.

I would definitely cut down on your feeding. Feeding fish lightly is healthier all around anyway; and especially during cycling when you are trying to support a growing biological filter.

I only feed my fish once a day, with one day off a week.

 

[danb]

yup once a day should help.

 

[commoncarp]

BUMP, should I add my other filter which is still new???

 

[waterdrop]

At 6-7 weeks we'd hope to be seeing a bit larger N-Bac population with the result of more nitrites processed a little faster than that. We don't know what volume tank but I assume 15 fish (of whatever size they are) is probably way above an ideal number for fish-in cycle for the tank volume. It may also be above the bioload that the U2 can handle well, although perhaps that shouldn't be.. If you want to start another filter running on the tank without disturbing the first filter (its important not to disturb a cycling filter if you can help it) there shouldn't be anything wrong with that. We assume you intend to keep both filters going.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[commoncarp]

At 6-7 weeks we'd hope to be seeing a bit larger N-Bac population with the result of more nitrites processed a little faster than that. We don't know what volume tank but I assume 15 fish (of whatever size they are) is probably way above an ideal number for fish-in cycle for the tank volume. It may also be above the bioload that the U2 can handle well, although perhaps that shouldn't be.. If you want to start another filter running on the tank without disturbing the first filter (its important not to disturb a cycling filter if you can help it) there shouldn't be anything wrong with that. We assume you intend to keep both filters going.

~~waterdrop~~

I have put the other filter in the tank, can I put the filters next to each other or would it be best to have the filers the opposite ends of the tank to one another.

 

[waterdrop]

Where they are doesn't matter. You can play with them over time to determine what you think creates a good circulation in the tank. Having a good overall circulation can help to reduce dead spots, which is where you will find track increases in ammonia (not measureable by our kits) that can lead to algae. None of this is particularly important right now. I was still interested in finding out the tank volume.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[commoncarp]

Sorry, the tank is 60 litres 30cm, 60cm, 30cm, but looking on Ebay to get a bigger tank, preferably 100 litre+. if I don't get one in the next week am taking some fish back to the shop as think I could be overstocked. The fish consist of Platys, Gourami, Sailfin Molly, Cherry Bards, Neon Tetra, also there are Platy babys, I have seen 4 of them and there big enough now from not going down the gouramis mouth.

As for circulation I have a spray bar attached to my Fluval U2 and I have some cheap filter which came with my hospital tank but gives good flow.

 

[waterdrop]

With 15 fish (quantities unspecified) of the types mentioned its likely you are at least close to fully stocked or possibly overstocked in a 60L/16G tank and the Fluval U2 may be struggling to provide enough surface area for a large enough pair of bacterial colonies.

On the other hand, it might just be struggling but slowly getting there. What is the pattern of pH values you seen as the fish-in cycle has been progressing?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Faffer]

In my latest tank, which is a 60 litre, doing a fish-in cycle, it took 18 days from the point when ammonia was dropping and nitrites started appearing to the point when nitrites dropped to zero, and that was with a bit of mature media from my main tank too. Just need to be patient and keep on top of water changes. I also added a second filter during the cycle, with brand new media, at some point before nitrites started appearing.

 

[commoncarp]

I took some fish back to the lfs today, so now have x4 Platys, x1 Sailfin Molly, x1 SAE, x1 Gourami, x3 Shrimps, and some baby platy fry, I might be still overstocked but working by the 1 inch per gallon scale its not by much.

I am hoping tomorrow when I check my water that nitrite levels will be 0, if not might buy some Tetra Start and see how that works.

 

[OldMan47]

You may well have helped yourself out by moving some of the fish out of the tank. I find that a cycle done from scratch, without any mature media, always takes at least a week longer than when my patience runs out.