Nitrite spike.

[Wannaknowaboutsand]

I started a fishless cycle last Wednesday. I used two plants I bought at the LFS and Cycle. Well it seems to have work now because my Nitrite is now spiked off the chart. Anyway, I am watching this and my ammonia has dropped to about .5.

I was wondering if I should add more ammonia since the nitrite will probably take a couple more days to drop?

I figure the ammonia will be at zero by tonight or tomorrow.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[MadCow]

Keep adding ammonia. You should be adding 1/2 of your initial amount daily until your ammonia and nitrite are 0 and you have nitrates. You are then ready to do a water change to get the nitrates down and add your fish. Good job on your fishless cycle start. Seems to be progressing nicely.

 

[pendragon]

Yes, you must continue to add ammonia, as it is the "food" that keeps the nitrogen cycle going. Once your tank is established and cycled, your fish serve as this constant source of ammonia. If ever ammonia stops being introduced to your tank, the bacteria that support the cycle will starve and die, producing a "tank crash", and you start over at ground zero with an uncycled tank again.

I'm not a fishless cycling expert, but the general advice is that once your ammonia level drops, you should continue adding ammonia to the tank every other day in a quantity equal to half what you were dosing to start the cycle. One of our resident fishless cycling gurus can probably guide you with more specific info.

Congrats on getting to the nitrite spike! Just be patient. This is generally the longest phase of the cycle.

Hope that helps.

pendragon!