confused about cycle

[jparnell]

We've had the tank for 9 days. On day 2, added 5 glowlites. Today added to Codys.

Haven't had an ammonia spike yet (0.02 is the highest), but nitrites and nitrates are rising. yesterday nitrites were at .05, today at .09. Nitrates yesterday were at 7, today at 20. Did a partial water change tonight (20%), which brought things down a bit, but I'm confused. I didn't think nitrates were supposed to show up until after an ammonia spike and after ammonia then dropped to nothing.

No live plants, ph at 7.4. 10 gallon tank. No flourescent lights.

Help?

 

[Watcher74]

That is odd.

Have you tested your tap water for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates?

Are you sure you are doing the tests exactly as the directions state?

Are the testing materials within experiation dates?

What testing kit are you using?

Ammonia should be spiking around now, with nitrites just starting to rise. You shouldn't be seeing nitrates at all yet, unless they are coming out of the water you are doing partials with.

 

[jparnell]

small amount of nitrates in tap water (less than 5), no nitrites or ammonia.
Treating water with aquaplus conditioner for water changes. Added Cycle once to the tank (just two days ago)

Expiration dates are 2007 and 2008. Kits are Hagen Nutrafin kits. I don't think I've ever followed instructions this closely in my life.


So yeah. I'm just as confused (glad I'm not the only one!)

 

[daveedka]

Agreed that it does sound odd, Did you seed the tank with anything, and where did does your water come from. It is more likely that the testing is off a little. Nitrate tests IMO are difficult, It takes some real practice to gett consistant accurate numbers.

Otherwise it sounds as if you had a bacteria seed in the tank ( just how it sounds, doesn't mean you did). Just keep watching your levels, do the things that Watcher reccomended, and wait it out. Cylces do vary and do some funny things sometimes, but the process of ammonia to eventual nitrate is pretty much set in one direction and can't deviate.
dave

 

[JSchmidt]

Adding Cycle will play hob with your attempts to track the development of your cycle, for a couple of reasons. First, Cycle contains unknown bacteria that may or may not actually consume ammonia. These bacteria are not, for all practical purposes, the same bacteria that eventually oxidize ammonia and nitrite in our tanks. (In come cases, the bacteria seem not to survive life in the bottle at all.) So you may be seeing some help from the Cycle bacteria, but the general result is that they don't establish themselves in the tank and they die off, leading to a puzzling ammonia spike down the road. (You've been warned!) There is a reason they tell you to use it on a regular basis...

A second finding common in tanks to which Cycle has been added is elevated nitrates. (I even recall someone testing Cycle itself, and the nitrates were off the chart.)

By using Cycle, you've added some species of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria that may live for a while in your tank, and you've also added nitrates and probably nitrites, too.

There is very little hard evidence that Cycle does anything, long-term, other than separate you from your money. A few people swear by it, most of us swear at it. The only really promising bacteria-in-a-bottle produce is BioSpira, and demand for it was so great after its release, that its been impossible to find. It is only sold in refridgerated form.

I'd recommend you ditch the Cycle, continue testing and do water changes sufficient to keep ammonia and nitrite below .5 ppm. If you have access to a friend's tank (known to be healthy) you can get some filter squeezings or a cupful of gravel and place those in your tank. They'll contain far more of the actual nitrifying bacteria you seek than a case full of Cycle.

HTH,
Jim

 

[daveedka]

Fully agreed, the use of "Cycle" explains the numbers you are getting. I would use a good dechlorinator, and nothing else. Do water changes to keep levels down, and wait it out.
dave