What Is Going On With My Cycle?

[KamSandhu44]

I would just to be safe. Do a big water change then gradually up the ammonia dosage over the week to get back to 4 - 5ppm.

If the mature media works then the filter will deal with that in 12hrs. Keep dosing for a few days to double check and then you're ready for fish. Dose right up to the evening before you are adding fish and do a massive water change before adding the fish.

Cool, thank you very much for your advice

 

[KamSandhu44]

Right, so I done a decent water change yesterday. Chopped up the sponge I got from the LFS and fitted it in with my filter.

When I tested the ammonia it was at 0.6mg/l. I topped that up to get 1mg/l.

Do I know leave it and see how long it takes to get to 0? Or gradually build it to 4-5mg/l?

 

[Aquascaper]

See how long it takes to process 1ppm, if it's within 24hrs up the dose to 2ppm next and wait and see for that amount and so on.

 

[KamSandhu44]

Here are my results after yesterday's water change

Ammonia 0.6ish
Nitrite 0.1ish
Nitrate 5
Ph 7.5 - 8

So it looks like the tank can't process 1mg/l of ammonia in 24 hours yet. Any course of action needed or just wait?

 

[KamSandhu44]

Evening all.

I topped ammonia up to 1mg\l yesterday and here are my results tonight....

Ammonia 0.2
Nitrite <0.1
Nitrate <0.5

Looks like all the readings have dropped. Is that a good thing? I'm not to sure what to make of that.

 

[KamSandhu44]

Anyone?

 

[Aquascaper]

Have you done a water change? Do you have any plants or anything else that could be taking up nitrates?

 

[KamSandhu44]

I did a water change on the 23rd. I have been dosing ammonia to 1mg/l everyday and testing every 24hours.

I don't have any plants. Just gravel, a rock and ornament.

 

[Aquascaper]

I wouldn't worry about the nitrate reading, some tests are hard to get consistent results from (my API liquid test has to be shaken for 60 seconds before adding 2nd bottle then for 30 seconds afterwards then left to get an accurate result).

As for ammonia and nitrite falling that's good, keep dosing ammonia until you see it disappear after 12hrs & nitrites should do the same. Then you should see nitrates rising steadily and only reducing when you do a water change as Thebes nothing in the tank to absorb them.

 

[KamSandhu44]

Evening

Here are my results after tonight's testing.

Ammonia 0.2ish
Nitrite 0

So would I be right in saying I have enough bacteria to process nitrite to nitrate and the ammonia to nitrite bacteria is playing catchup?

 

[Aquascaper]

There may be some level of each bacterial type present but at the moment they are not in sync. Until you can measure 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and rising nitrates 12hrs after dosing ammonia (from an initial level of 0) the cycle is still balancing.

 

[KamSandhu44]

There may be some level of each bacterial type present but at the moment they are not in sync. Until you can measure 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and rising nitrates 12hrs after dosing ammonia (from an initial level of 0) the cycle is still balancing.

That's what I thought, I am still dosing ammonia up to 1mg/l. At least things are happening this time.

 

[KamSandhu44]

Evening.

Here are my readings for today.

Ammonia just below 1, it's difficult to match the colour.
Nitrite trace
Nitrate trace

I'm beginning to wonder if the mature media is doing anything or even if my tank is cycling?

 

[KamSandhu44]

On second thought, is ammonia supposed to peak first?

 

[KamSandhu44]

Last night when I tested my water, it showed the ammonia had come down a tad between 1ppm - 2ppm, nitrites still 0 and nitrates still between 10ppm - 15ppm it has been like this for 2/3 days.

Is my cycle kind of going backwards. i.e I have plenty nitrate eating bacteria, but the ammonia eating bacteria need to catch up?