Nitrite Crisis In Cycling Tank - Now Under Control - I Think !

[Harlequins]

I know, Im a bit nervous about it, but he loves the plant, its a full soft fern that he curls up inside like a dog lol I have to try it out, besides its designed for a tank so it must be okay...........will test later today to see if anything is happening
If it does I will see how bad it rises and how fast, then remove it and see if it goes again, then its confirmed as the plant. Though considering my readings I am now thinking it was just the natural cycle as the nitrites just went to 0 overnight and have stayed there and this seems pretty typical of a cycle. Fingers crossed for the next few readings......scary not changing the water after doing it daily for all this time, doing it weekly seems odd now.

I was just thinking (yes dangerous at the best of times ),would've it been better to put the coral in a bucket of tank water and then test nitrites from the bucket,if the coral is causing a spike then it would show? Just my opinion
But has you have it back in the tank it doesn't make any difference!

 

[doggiebag]

funny you should mention that LOL .... I did try this a while ago when I first got a smallish spike, it randomly raised to 1 about a week after set-up.......
I split all decor and tested them after 24 hours and tested plain tap water, they all tested the same (with the 1 spike) which was odd and proved nothing. Tap water tested 0 but in a pot I had on the windowsill with some plants in it tested with the spike too, it had sat there a few days......didn't know what to make of it. Since then nitrites went back down and stayed down with all same stuff in then I had the huge spike of 5 in week 3, lasted a week and now have 0's.....
So thought this was the best way to proceed, now I am almost cycled I am hoping the tank can cope with anything that may raise it slightly.....but tending to think it was just the cycling stats all along.

 

[Harlequins]

Fingers crossed it'll all be ok.

 

[doggiebag]

Fingers crossed it'll all be ok.

Fingers !! Im crossing everything I have

 

[doggiebag]

Day 32

Still showing 0's woo-hoo, so far the neon fern looks to be okay, will give it a day or two more then I declare the crazy nitrite spike as cycling misfortune. My Betta boy built the biggest bubble nest yet last night, it was huge !! Now he's flaring when we go near him, guarding it lol so cute.

Just bought a Juwel Rekord 600 today, why do I do this to myself lol Now onto a stress free fishless cycle. Will do a journal of it on here, should be fun, wait for the cries of anguish on that one

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

Maybe you didn't need everything crossed after all...

 

[Harlequins]

Congrats on your new tank,what fish are you planning to keep in there once fishless has completed?

 

[doggiebag]

Maybe you didn't need everything crossed after all...

I think it helped tho

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

Maybe you didn't need everything crossed after all...

I think it helped tho

Hehe

 

[doggiebag]

Congrats on your new tank,what fish are you planning to keep in there once fishless has completed?

Well I have wcmm in a 25 litre at present, I bought a 35litre arc tank for them, but its still in the box waiting to be cycled, then went to 'look' at 60 litre tanks today, and somehow, I managed to actually come home with one, dunno how that happened lol

Anyway, I intend to put the minnows in there once cycled and add some cherry or armano shrimp too. Then the little guys can play more freely, they love their 25 litre but 63 litres, they will adore......as for old minnow 25 litre, it will more than likely have another betta in, as I adore the one I have now. Then that leaves the 35 litre arc waiting to be cycled too, not sure what to do there, different fish or divide and 2 bettas........the minnows would have loved it, but I think they may be better in the 63litre one.....

 

[doggiebag]

Day 33: Got up this morning to find all his new tail growth gone again !!! Tested the water and what do you know, 0.50 nitrite. I think this confirms its the plant now, I had 10 days of 0 nitrite, then added the plant, next day no nitrite second day after 0.50. Last time he lost the new growth on his tail was the day of the first nitrite spike and here we have the same pattern again. I do think the huge nitrite spike was cycling, but I don't think it would have read so high without the plant contributing, and who knows how high it would go now if I left it.
I have done a 95% water change and removed the plant again, so we will see if nitrites stay or if they disappear........

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

Oh no!

Well kind of good news, that if the Nitrites disappear now you know for certain its that plant!

 

[doggiebag]

Yep, he has got salt back in his tank again to aid healing, hopefully his tail will be back in 2 weeks. He seems happy anyway. Will tests his water later to see how its going......

Now I have to find an alternative to this plant, has to be soft for his fins. Silk it okay but even some of those have plastic that is rough.

Looks like I have to go down the live plant route, I hate the thought of introducing pests or snails though. Anyone got tips on how to make sure they are clean and safe? I thought about soaking them in sterazin for a few days, would that kill any nasties?

 

[DannyBlackbourn]

I hope he heals fast!

Well I added two real plants to my tank and did have a few snails appear...

However I literally hand picked them out and I haven't seen any since!

 

[doggiebag]

Tested water at 12pm back to 0's.......will test again later