Where Is The Nitrite?

[ChaseTheBetta]

Yup, it happened again. If anyone remembers, I posted about this last week. I had started my cycle with 4ppm of ammonia, and it went down to 2 in a few days, but still 0 nitrites. The general consensus was either the carbon in the filter sucked up the ammonia, but it wasn't going to suck up anymore. Or, I didn't let the ammonia distribute equally into the tank before testing and I got a messed up reading.

So, I added more ammonia and raised it up to 4ppm. That was last Thursday, I think. I tested again on Monday (we went away over the weekend) and the ammonia was back down to 2ppm. I got all excited and tested for nitrites. But they were 0!
I tested again on Tuesday and today, and the ammonia was still at 2ppm, with no ammonia.

Where did the ammonia go? What am I doing wrong? The tank is a 5 gallon with a whisper filter, gravel, 3 fake plants in it. No live plants, no algae.

My brother (KraKen) started cycling his 20 gallon around the same time I did. His nitrite has started to spike. He used free samples of stress zyme that came with his tank, but I thought those weren't supposed to work.

Would an air pump help?

 

[backtotropical]

How old are your test kits? After 6-12 months most tests will start to deteriorate and be less accurate.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

Brand new API master test kit. Bought it when we bought the tanks. Bought it on June 19th. Same test kit KraKen is using.

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

If it continues to not work... could you try running your filter alongside your brother's? Perhaps you can just clone filters rather then cycling your whole tank. I'm not really sure what to do about yours, I'm sorry! =(

 

[CaraC]

I am assuming you guys are doing the fishless cycle....It in theory is suppose to be faster...Who was adding ammonia to tank while on short trip? There has to be a constant supply of ammonia to keep bacteria that eats it happy...the ammonia cycle can last 10-14 days. The nitrite cycle will last the longest 2 weeks to 3 weeks. This is general rule but ive heard of it taking up to three weeks in an ammonia cycle and totally skipping nitrites to nitrates...Adding a few plants wont hurt maybe even some brigs. But there has to be a constant supply of ammonia. Smaller tanks usually take longer. If you have a 10g and your brother has a 20g thats also gonna contribute to it. Try to find someone with a cycled tank and see if you can have their filter if you buy them a new one...You can also try biospira it works good. I believe that your brother adding that stuff to tank helped, although most will disagree, ill tell you what it wont hurt to try especially if you can get what he has left and just dump it all in. This is the time where patience is really tried as a hobbist. If you live in illinois USA let me know PM me if you are close i can give you some of my already cycled media to help..... Otherwise patience, by next week you should see something happening.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

Yeah, we're both doing fishless cycle. No one added ammonia while we were away. I'm doing the add and wait method, so I didn't need to add ammonia over the weekend, there was 2ppm of ammonia in the tank before we left, and 2ppm when we came back.

My tank is only a 5 gallon, so if big tanks cycle faster, that would explain why the cycling is taking longer. But I want to know what happened to that other 2ppm of ammonia. I added 4ppm, and a few days later there was 2ppm of ammonia. But no nitrites. Where did the ammonia go, if it wasn't converted to nitrites?

I could run my filter in my bro's tank. Would that work? Would all I have to do is put my filter in his tank and when his tank is done cycling, I move my filter back to my tank and add fish?

 

[rdd1952]

What would help more would be if you can get a little bt of your brother's media to add to your filter. It wouldn't take a lot. Even a couple pieces would have some bacteria on it to get you started. Has your brother got a readiing for nitrate yet? if not, Id wait until he does to get some of the media. That way you will know that there are some nitrite processing bacteria too.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

My bro doesn't have any nitrate yet. How do I put some of his media into my filter? His media is just a filter cartridge. Are we supposed to cut a piece off?

Would it work to just put my filter in his tank or put my filter cartridge in his filter?

If the ammonia is still 2ppm today, should I add more? Or wait until it's almost zero like you're supposed to do in the add and wait method?

 

[rdd1952]

I you have a filter cartridge, you should be able to put media (such as carbon that comes with most all filters) into the cartridge. If that isn't possible, then running your filter along side of his would help. You dont want to put your cartridge in his filter as that would just reverse the situation where you took his filter that has started cycling and leaving him with yours which hasn't. If he doesn't hae any nitrate yet, then he doesn't have any bacteria yet to process the nitrite so he isn't that much ahead of you.

Since the ammonia has dropped some, you can always raise it back up to around 4 or 5 again. It won't necessarily help or hurt though.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

I meant put my cartridge in his filter while his cartridge is still in his filter.

So, he could open up his filter cartridge, take some of the carbon or whatever's in there and put it in my filter or cartridge and it would help my cycle? Once he has nitrates, that is.

 

[rdd1952]

So, he could open up his filter cartridge, take some of the carbon or whatever's in there and put it in my filter or cartridge and it would help my cycle? Once he has nitrates, that is.

Thats correct. This would be the quickest way to get you started. You could also put your cartridge in with his but it would need to run a week or 2 to build some bacteria before you moved it back to your tank and filter.

 

[ChaseTheBetta]

Well, today was yet again 2ppm of ammonia and 0 ppm nitrIte.

I figure I'll keep at it until my bro's tank is cycled and then I'll seed my filter with his media. I'm also going to take some gravel from Chase's tank and put it in my tank/filter. His tank just has a UGF so there's no media.

 

[rdd1952]

If he has a UGF, then the gravel is the media so adding gravel to the filter should add bacteria IF the gravel is in the water flow. The gravel in UGF tanks will become clogged so the water flow will be much stronger in some places that in others. The areas that have the most water flow through the gravel will hold the most bacteria. Also keep on mind though that a betta doesn't create a lot of waste so even though there will be bacteria present, it will not be a large amount.

Back to your tank, I don't understand why you aren't getting any nitrites. It would make sense if the nitrates were rising that somehow you have nitrobacters that are processing nitrite already (which would be strange too since those are the slower forming bacteria) but you dont hae either nitrite or nitrate. It just makes no sense as to where the ammonia is going.