need cycling help!

[mtdewlover]

Oh please help me. Here is the story. I got a 55 gallon tank with flourite gravel because it's going to be a planted tank. I started cycling on November 16. I'm fishless cycling for the first time. I added enough ammonia to get the water level to 5ppm which took 5mL of pure ammonia. I then added 5mL to the tank every day untill I got a nitrite reading, then I cut ammonia down to 2.5mL. I've been adding 2.5mL of ammonia every day since. On November 27 I had nitrites and nitrates off the chart and a ammonia reading of 0. Well we moved to a new apartment and we had to move all of our fish tanks on Friday the 28th. So I moved the 55 keeping none of the water that was in the tank. Only enough to keep the substrate wet. I kept all of the water that was in the canister filter. Also when I started cycling the tank I had three sponges from an established tank and those have been in the tank ever since. I moved the tank, filled it with water and the readings are now nitrites 0, ammonia 0. I don't know what to do. I'm still adding 2.5mL of ammonia. Should I start cycling all over and add teh 5mL? Or just keep adding 2.5mL? What should I do from here?

 

[smb]

This is a tough one. If you didn't add dechlorinated water you might have killed of all the beneficial bacteria in the substrate.

It does sound like your tank is cycled though if you're adding ammonia and have readings of ammonia and nitrite at zero.

I realize both things I've mentioned contradict each other, just wish I could be more positive. Maybe you can add ammonia a couple more days and if you still get 0ppm readings you will better know? That would be the safest, imo.

 

[yhbae]

What is your nitrate reading?

 

[mtdewlover]

It was off the chart before I moved the tank I don't know what it is now.

 

[mtdewlover]

And no I haven't conditioned the water yet. Dechlorinated it and all of that stuff. When should I do that?

 

[smb]

You can do it one of two ways. Have the water you're adding sit for a day or two or treat while you add it. I dump in the dechlor while I add the new water.

 

[yhbae]

It was off the chart before I moved the tank I don't know what it is now.

I was curious if the whole moving was equivalent to a very large water change, plus since you aded some mature sponges, if the tank has completed the cycle... (Probably a wishful thinking... )

If your nitrate is high, and ammonia/nitrite is zero, this could still be true...

 

[mtdewlover]

Yes when I moved the tank I had to dump out all of the water that was in the tank. I left enough to cover the substrate and left all of the water in my canister filter. So...it was a very big water change. So do you think it's done cycling?