I'm into about a week of a raw shrimp cycle. I also put in a filter cartridge from a buddy's tank, but he left it out for several hours, so I'm not sure if any bacteria survived. Anyway, for about the past 5 days, I'm getting the same readings. Ammonia 4ppm, Nitrites 1ppm, nitrates .5 ppm. After 5 days, shouldn't the nitrites be getting higher? Is this normal.
Cycle question - weird readings
- Thread starter mattlowry
- Start date
hmm.... i want to try the raw shrimp thing! People told me about it when i tried cycling the first time... i just used a goldfish instead (MISTAKE!!)
anywho, readings are like a rollercoaster. going up... up... up... slowing a bit... slooooowwww.... stop... then just goes down again. but it stays down unless something happens to it.
bacteria in the media can live for just around 24 hours AS LONG AS THEY ARE WET/MOIST!!!
a full cycle would be:
ammonia-0ppm
nitrite-0ppm
nitrate-anything ABOVE (that means never 0) 0 ppm
hope that helps and have a good cycle!
anywho, readings are like a rollercoaster. going up... up... up... slowing a bit... slooooowwww.... stop... then just goes down again. but it stays down unless something happens to it.
bacteria in the media can live for just around 24 hours AS LONG AS THEY ARE WET/MOIST!!!
a full cycle would be:
ammonia-0ppm
nitrite-0ppm
nitrate-anything ABOVE (that means never 0) 0 ppm
hope that helps and have a good cycle!
cycling is a crazy process in that tank. if you do not provide a steady ammount of ammoina, then the bacteria die off, and you have to start again. the nitrite eating bacteria can only grow as fast as the ammoina eating bactera, because as the ammoina desroying bacteria grow and eat up the ammoina, they produce nitrite, and then the nitrite eating bacteria can start to grow and prosper