NITIRITE SKY HIGH!

[happyadd]

Hey, I've been doing a fishless cycle and it seems my nitrite has indeed spiked. Unfortunately, I recon I had been adding too much ammonia prior, so my ammonia reading is to...sky high!

I have done two water changes, yesterday and today, both 20% and before my nirtire spiked I stopped adding ammonia and was adding "cycle". All my plants have died, but I recon that was down to the pH, which I have sorted now.

do you recon I should just leave it for a while, keep changing the water or clean the filter. (I can smell ammonia in the filter, but the water doesnt small anymore)

When my ammonia and nitrite drop I think I will fill it with plants again...as I think this was the reason they died...but if anyone can suggest a reason why they all died (including a amazon sword, which, i heard were very hardy) please advise.

I would also like your advise on my cycle. Again, I have stopped adding ammonia as it is very high (4.00+++) the nitrite spiked so quickly, from nothing to huge readings, would the addition of cycle have caused this?

thank you

 

[Jello]

I think your best bet is to leave the aquarium sit for awhile, probably a week, and then test for ammonia, nirites and nitrates, don't add any ammonia. Don't change the water or filter media as this is where your beneficial bacteria hangout also in your gravel. Once you test and find your ammonia and nitrite levels are zero then do a 50-80% water change and test again to make sure your ammonia and nitrite levels are zero. This means the tank has cycled and you are ready to add some fish and plants. The water change will lower your nitrate levels and the introduction of plants will also eat up some of the nitrates as well. By doing water changes in the middle of cycling is only defeating the idea of cycling.

 

[newfishies]

i have not ever done fishless cycling, so take this with a grain of salt.

i think you need to keep testing the levels and adding ammonia when needed, becaue the nitrifying bacteria that use ammonia for food will die off if the water reads 0 and no ammonia is added...

what are your nitrite readings at present? the other bacteria use nitrite for food and produce nitrate...when the nitrites are down to zero (while still adding ammonia), ammonia comes back to 0 the same day as you add it to the tank, and you have some nitrate, then the tank is cycled...

that is my understanding of the fishless cycle, hopefully you will get a few more opinions, but i would hate to see all your hard work go to waste by making a mistake with not adding the ammonia at this point ...

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

During my fishless cycling, I never let the ammonia get over 3.0ppm. When it did get to 3.0, I skipped adding ammonia for a day and it went down a bit. Once you have nitrite readings, the ammonia additions should be much less than what you started out with. (ie -- I have a 55 gallon and I started with 55 drops daily and then i reduced to 30 drops when I got a nitrite reading.)

My plants -- including my amazon swords certainly did suffer. Once I had nitrAte readings, though, they came back. Plus I cleaned all of the nasty algae off their leaves and cut back the deads leaves, too.

I don't know what to tell you about the "cycle" product, though. I've not used that before.

 

[Mr Miagi]

you have mentioned that you clean the filter.

I know this may sound stupid, but only wash your filter cartridge or media in the water you have just taken out of your tank (water change water). This way, the loads of beneficial bacteria are not lost because the chlorine and chloramine in your un-conditioned tap water wil kill them.

These beneficial bacteria help get rid of nitrite in your water.

benny

 

[loopy]

When we set up our tank all we did was put gravel, wood and plants in (a food tablet was put under each plant). We put in the filter and heater and after filling the tank with water and aqua safe, turned them on and left the tank for a good 2 weeks. We also had the lights on for 12 hrs a day. When it came to testing the water it was perfect.

 

[keane]

When we set up our tank all we did was put gravel, wood and plants in (a food tablet was put under each plant). We put in the filter and heater and after filling the tank with water and aqua safe, turned them on and left the tank for a good 2 weeks. We also had the lights on for 12 hrs a day. When it came to testing the water it was perfect.

This would do nothing

To fishless cycle you must first add pure ammonia. This starts the cycle. Good bacteria then breaks down the ammonia (deadly to fish) to nitrites (also deadly to fish) and further bacteria then breaks the nitrite into nitrate.

The fish can handle nitrates in small amounts, which is why you do water changes regularly to keep these down.

Loopy.....your water was showing perfect because the tank hadn't even started to cycle at the time you checked your readings!!

your ammonia would have read 0, your nitrites 0 and your nitrates would have shown on the low side..5 - 15 perhaps. Am i right?

I have a good feeling this is why your gourami died (noted in another forum) !!

You are now actually cycling with fish! Keep a tab on your water parameters or you may end up with more casualties.

steve B)