Is My Tank Nearly Cycled?

[rosebud280282]

I just got a 20g tank, I was planning on doing a fishless cycle (bought ammonia especially) but went to the lfs on easter monday for airpump and came back with 4 mickey mouse platys. 3 female 1 male. Fish are doing really well. I just wanted to know can anyone tell me how far through cycling I am? I test the water daily and by day three (when I got kit) ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were all through the roof!! I have been doing at least a 20% water change a day, did two yesterday. Here are my recent results:

ammonia 0
nitrite 0.1mg/l
nitrate 12.5mg/l

have seen them go as high as:

ammonia 2.0mg/l
nitrite 4.0mg/l
nitrate 100mg/l highest reading

any ideas where I am on the cycle
Thanks

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How long has the tank been cycling exactly and how many gallons is it? If you are cycling with fish, it may take quite some time until the tank is anywhere near stable.

 

[mark.w.jones]

Your water changes will keep your levels down because there wont be ammonia or nitrate in your tap water. However, there are currently very few bacteria in your filter to deal with the ammonia from your fish poop. Once the poop builds up your ammonia and nitrite will go up as well and you'll have to do another water change. Ammonia and nitrite are very bad for fish even at tiny levels your fish are being regularly poisoned and weakened by being in the tank. Fishless cycling uses ammonia to replace the fish poop and doesnt make fish suffer which is why it is so heavily promoted on this site.

It will take many months to build up bacteria levels cycling with fish but every month or so you can add a few more fish from what ive read. Good luck.

 

[rosebud280282]

I have a 20g uk tanks and I started cycling on Easter Sunday. I thought that the constant water changes might just be diluting the toxins in the tank so I didn't do a water change yesterday plus I got 4 guppies yesterday. Did my tests today and and my nitrite has gone down and ammonia has stayed the same. I am using an ugf does this make any difference to the speed of cycling?

Todays results
ammonia 0.0mg/l
nitrite 0.05mg/l
nitrate 12.5mg/l

Yesterdays results
ammonia 0.0mg/l
nitrite 0.1mg/l
nitrate 12.5mg/l