View Full Version : Where have all the NitrAtes gone...
NeonJulie
12-11-2006, 5:49 PM
When I tested my tank this morning, I had a surprisingly unhappy result. I may have had it yesterday, but I wasn't confident I conducted the NitrAtes test perfectly. This morning I confirmed it.... NO NITRATES.
Zip.
0ppm.
Now I've even lost the piddly 5ppm NitrAtes I have. What's going on?!
This morning I left the light on part of the time. Maybe some type of darkness loving algae is consuming them. /sigh
Help??
Plants and/or algae ate it?
NeonJulie
12-11-2006, 6:14 PM
I don't have any real plants, and my tank has been in almost near constant darkness since the cycle began. (Per the directions.)
jm1212
12-11-2006, 6:21 PM
you are sure? did you test your ammoina and nitrite?
NeonJulie
12-11-2006, 6:24 PM
Don't have any ammonia (unless I test after a dosing), 20ppm NitrItes. Very sure, tested repeatedly. There's just nothing in there but NitrItes.
jm1212
12-11-2006, 6:39 PM
wait a while, you should be getting some more nitrates soon
NeonJulie
12-11-2006, 6:44 PM
I'd like to see some reasoning why my cycle is going backwards... how does a nitrifying cycle work when there's plenty food available (NitrItes), but nothing showing that it's being eaten?!
There must be something I need to do... I've been waiting for 31 days, and it's not moving forward, in fact I had started with 10 NitrAtes, it went down to 5, and now it's gone. I don't see how it's possible that the cycle can move forward like this.
I don't have any real plants, and my tank has been in almost near constant darkness since the cycle began. (Per the directions.)It has been suggested by some scientists that these bacteria need light to live.
NeonJulie
12-11-2006, 7:15 PM
hmm... well it's not like the light has been off since the beginning... lights are on at least an hour a day. This is my source...
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?p=744398&highlight=#744398
"Keep the tank lights off and direct/indirect sunlight to a minimum. This time in the tank is RIPE for algae outbreaks. High ammonia levels, steady CO2 levels (from high aeration), and possible light can cause your tank to look like pea soup. The bacteria do NOT require a light source, and in fact, direct sunlight can cause the bacteria to multiply slower. Bottom line, keep it dark!"
kellymarie1081
12-11-2006, 7:44 PM
I've been waiting for 31 days, and it's not moving forward
i waited more than 6 weeks for my nitrites to come down. they're stubborn! i did a 20% water change (as suggested by people here), added nutrafin cycle the day after that and continued for 3 days, then did another 20% water change. that day when i tested i was down to 0ppm nitrites. you might want to try something along those lines. a lot of people will say that the nutrafin cycle doesn't work. i don't know if my success was due to that, the water changes or both, but that's what i did and it worked. i'm not going to argue with results! :D
hmm... well it's not like the light has been off since the beginning... lights are on at least an hour a day. This is my source...
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?p=744398&highlight=#744398
"Keep the tank lights off and direct/indirect sunlight to a minimum. This time in the tank is RIPE for algae outbreaks. High ammonia levels, steady CO2 levels (from high aeration), and possible light can cause your tank to look like pea soup. The bacteria do NOT require a light source, and in fact, direct sunlight can cause the bacteria to multiply slower. Bottom line, keep it dark!"I'm not sure about the information from this site. What I can say is that when scientist did experiment to grow this bacteria they used glass tops with the room lights on for 10-14 hours.
NeonJulie
12-17-2006, 10:34 PM
So I have some updates... today I decided since nothing else was really working, to do a 100% water change. It dropped my NitrItes down to 2-2.5 ppm. I've been adding only the tiniest, tiniest drops (probably 3) of Ammonia. This evening when I tested, about 12 hours later, I showed:
.5ppm NitrItes
160ppm NitrAtes.
The NitrAte test is as red as red can be... does this mean now I have too much of the next type?! Or will these high NitrAtes not come back after the last water change? And is there any way the water change, the Prime or anything else, could have skewed the test results, and I shouldn't get my hopes up that I'm headed for a break?
WeeNe858
12-17-2006, 10:50 PM
should hav just left it .. now you restrted the cycle :/ get some bacteria ans add it in
NeonJulie
12-17-2006, 11:11 PM
I restarted the cycle? How did I do that exactly?
fishcatch22
12-17-2006, 11:14 PM
you added more ammonia, but you didn't restart the cycle. if anything, it's making more progress now. sounds almost cycled to me.
NeonJulie
12-20-2006, 7:31 PM
Well the surprise news was this morning I tested my water, and waited for it to turn purple, and waited, and then I realized, it wasn't purple at all. I tested a second time, and sure enough... I got blue!!! 0ppm! Tomorrow we'll know for sure, to ensure I get a second day of 0ppm after dosing a full stock amount of ammonia. I'm not sure if the big water change was the breakthrough to get out of the stall for me, since it was only two days ago that I changed it. The cycle was technically started on 11-13, so it's been going for 36 days. (Seems like forever...)
I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a Dwarf Gourami, and 7 or 8 Neons. Is there a certain order I'd need to put them in, or can they go in together? (I'm not concerned about bioload so much as territory establishment/low stress.)
fishcatch22
12-20-2006, 7:35 PM
Well the surprise news was this morning I tested my water, and waited for it to turn purple, and waited, and then I realized, it wasn't purple at all. I tested a second time, and sure enough... I got blue!!! 0ppm! Tomorrow we'll know for sure, to ensure I get a second day of 0ppm after dosing a full stock amount of ammonia. I'm not sure if the big water change was the breakthrough to get out of the stall for me, since it was only two days ago that I changed it. The cycle was technically started on 11-13, so it's been going for 36 days. (Seems like forever...)
I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a Dwarf Gourami, and 7 or 8 Neons. Is there a certain order I'd need to put them in, or can they go in together? (I'm not concerned about bioload so much as territory establishment/low stress.)try to add the toughest fish first (and unfortunately, neither neons or DGs are all that hardy.)
jm1212
12-20-2006, 7:38 PM
there isnt any particular order, but putting in the neons first and then the dwarf gourami to be safe cant hurt.
NeonJulie
12-20-2006, 8:01 PM
try to add the toughest fish first (and unfortunately, neither neons or DGs are all that hardy.)
Are you worried about water conditions? I'd like to hear the reasoning behind that.
I can probably arrange for my friend to probably drop off those 2 guppies he was wanting to give me.
But I'm curious as to why you think after a fishless cycle, that I shouldn't put in my fish?? Isn't this why we do fishless cycle? So we don't have to worry about the fragile ones? Anyway, I'm planning on the drip method for acclimation. I already have my buckets and airline tubes.
But I'm curious as to why you think after a fishless cycle, that I shouldn't put in my fish?? Isn't this why we do fishless cycle? So we don't have to worry about the fragile ones?No...it is done to prevent unnecessary damage to the fish. Even though your first cycle has been completed there are many other factors that come up in the first six months to a year after an aquarium is started. Like others have said fragile fish should be added in last.
roghib
12-20-2006, 11:04 PM
Feeling your pain and was in a very similar situation I am happy for you, I SO look forward to the day I dont see purple anymore! Has to be close.
Seeing your success strengthens my resolve to get through the cycle!!
Enjoy your fish :)
Reddog80p
12-21-2006, 12:05 AM
Congrats Julz!!! I had a feeling it would be sooner than later! All this waiting, will be indeed well worth it!
-Red
fishcatch22
12-21-2006, 12:11 AM
I noticed you want to add guppies. I would add the two guppies and the shrimp to start, then the DG, then the neons, and finally the otos once your algae is established.
eyeman
12-21-2006, 8:43 AM
Fishless cycles are performed for a few reasons:
1. To spare fish from a cruel death / torture during the cycle
2. A fishless cycle is quicker than a fish cycle. Some may debate this but mine have taken 21 or less days.
3. To allow you to fully stock your tank at once at the end of the cycle.
If you just finished a fishless cycle and you DONT add all of your fish at once, your bacterias will die off leaving only enough to support the fish that are in the tank. When you add more fish, you wil go through a mini cycle each time. This won't happen if you fully stock your fish now since the bacteria levels after a fishless cycle are much higher than you would have with a fully stocked tank. (if you added 2-3 PPM of ammonia each day during the final stages of cycle). Just make sure you do a major 50-75% water change to drop your Nitrate down and you should be able to fully stock. You MUST continue to add ammonia every day untill one day prior to adding fish or your bacteria will die off.
There is no need to add all the fish at one time. Once bacteria is established in an aquarium it can reproduce very fast, if some of it dies off it is not that big of a deal. An aquarium will always have continuous "mini-cycles" as factors are constantly changing in even the most established aquariums.
eyeman
12-21-2006, 10:42 AM
I've always started my fishless cycles with media and gravel from another well established tank and it has still taken three weeks or so.
Do whatever you want since there are differing opinions.
I'm just glad I didn't put two platys in my seventy five, wait a week and then added the other 28 fish. I'm not sure if fish would have died but I would imagine it would have been too stressfull for them. This is an extreme example so I'm sure if you space things out it will be fine.