Where Am I In My Novice Fishless Cycle?

[4seasons]

I read that 1ppm of ammonia will produce roughly 2ppm nitrite. so Each time you dose to 3ppm you create 6ppm Nitrite. <- this needs verified as I am working on memory.

I believe that the ratio is actually 1:2.7ppm. So if you have no nitrite eating bacteria growing yet for every 1ppm ammonia you add you will get 2.7ppm nitrite. So if you added 5ppm ammonia twice your nitrites would be 27ppm which would be way off any scale. Many times I have heard it said that nitrite bacteria only grows half as fast as ammonia bacteria but I think it grows faster but you have to grow 3 times as much. If you really want to know how much nitrite is being processed you need to do a 100% water change and redose ammonia at 1ppm. Wait for ammonia to drop to 0 and then test nitrites. If you see more than 2ppm nitrite then your nitrite bacteria really hasn't started to take hold yet. You don't need to do this though as it will still cycle with a high nitrite level but you won't see any change in your readings for a few weeks.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Thank you all, brilliantly helpful.

I might forget about reigning in the levels to something I can see if that's the figures we're talking about and there is no benefit other than to monitor what's going on.....

What I mean is if ultimately the nitrites will zero out anyway, and that can't be accelerated, then I might as well just sit it out..... Keep looking for that ammonia to leave and redosing every 24 hours. I was just concerned that with levels so high (which now sounds to be right judging by those ratios) then being way off the scale is pretty normal for this stage of the cycle and I just need to plod on.....

Getting very impatient though..... 4 weeks of tank and no fish.....and no patience

 

[the_lock_man]

No patience, but look at it this way - when you finally get the fish, chances are they won't die. Which is quite a good thing. Certainly the fish think so, anyway.

 

[Easy]

Getting very impatient though..... 4 weeks of tank and no fish.....and no patience

I feel your pain. Its killing me too. And the worse part is the wife thinking I don't know what I'm talking about,LOL. She thinks I'm a crackhead for doing this fish less cycle.

 

[the_lock_man]

And the worse part is the wife thinking I don't know what I'm talking about,LOL. She thinks I'm a crackhead for doing this fish less cycle.

I think this song would be appropriate to play to her.......

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

On average (as far as I can tell and from personal experience) a fishless cycle takes about 6 weeks to complete. The nitrite phase being the most annoying!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Well I was hoping I'd got some sort of accelerated start due to having fish in the tank for the first 10 days....... **sigh**

 

[Easy]

Well I was hoping I'd got some sort of accelerated start due to having fish in the tank for the first 10 days....... **sigh**

Ha! You and me both brother!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just tested (test addict!)

Ammonia back to zero 24 hours after dosing to 2ppm

But......

Nitrites have just about bottomed out..... Gone from mahoosive off the radar last night, to about 0.2ish......!!!!!

I'm so excited I don't remember what I am supposed to do now !!!!!!!

Do I test nitrates?? More ammonia? Open Moët?

 

[Easy]

'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just tested (test addict!)

Ammonia back to zero 24 hours after dosing to 2ppm

But......

Nitrites have just about bottomed out..... Gone from mahoosive off the radar last night, to about 0.2ish......!!!!!

I'm so excited I don't remember what I am supposed to do now !!!!!!!
Do I test nitrates?? More ammonia? Open Moët?

Well I know you you want you Nitrites to drop I just haven't heard anything about it happening that quick but then again who know because my Nitrates just went from 10-20ppm to over 100 in about 1-2 days(didn't test nitrate yesterday).

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Did a repeat test, same result.... So reasonably confident it is accurate...?

Nitrates testing at around 7....

 

[DanTheFishMan11]

Hmmmm interesting haha jk.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Nope that sounds about right actually! It does happen very fast. Just Dose your ammonia to 3ppm as usual and keep testing over the next few days. After you've managed to test for a few days in a row and you get double 0s every time, you're done! Then you do a very big water change (as close to 100% as you can get) add your dechlorinated temp matched water, get it to the temp you will be keeping your fish at, and add fish!

Easy, that's actually a good sign. Your nitrites may still look off the chart but the fact that your nitrates are skyrocketing means that your nitrite is being processed well now. Good good!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

PHEW!!!!! Hopefully not that tedious/ hard after all then?! Super pleased, thank you all!

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Just a quick q about 100% water changing.

Obviously you switch the heater off, to prevent it being exposed to the air and cracking (guesswork there). The water changes I have performed so far don't involve taking the water lower than the minimum line on the heater.

When I do a 100% change should I be switching the heater off in advance so it cools, so as not to 'upset' it when the water is removed, or does that only apply if it is actually switched on?