Fishless cycle question

dalto

dalto

AC Members
Jun 12, 2006
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I am doing a fishless cycle with bio-spira and ammonia in a 10g tank. I added the bio-spira two days ago. I now have:

Ammonia - 4 ppm
Nitrite - 5 ppm
Nitrate - >10 ppm

The ammonia and nitrite readings are almost the same as yesterday. It has been about 20 hours since I last added ammonia. I add 1ml/10 gallons. This is approx 2ppm I believe. It seems like I must have massive bacterial colonies to produce all that nitrate but the ammonia levels are not dropping.

Am I adding too much ammonia each or are the bacterial colonies just not big enough yet?

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
I don't see how the tank could be cycled when you're showing nitrites. The tank is cycled when 24 hours after adding ammonia both ammonia and nitrite is zero.

I think you need to keep adding ammonia until your nitrites drop to nothing.
 
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dalto said:
Am I adding too much ammonia each or are the bacterial colonies just not big enough yet?
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Try what dorkfish suggested, however IMO you are way too high with the ammonia.

Roan
 
Can anyone explain how this tank can be cycled and yet still showing nitrites? This makes no sense to me...
 
Can anyone explain how this tank can be cycled and yet still showing nitrites? This makes no sense to me...
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It seems that its not cycled just yet. Since you have nitrites and nitrates showing up however that means you have both types of bacteria you need. Now its just a matter of letting them grow to the appropriate size. Since you still have excess ammonia that means the bacteria who eat up ammonia haven't built up enough to handle that much ammonia.. similarly, since you still have a lot of nitrites that means the bacteria who eat up the nitrites aren't up to the level to be able to handle that much.

If you reduce the ammonia some, then the levels should go down. If you do that and then get it to the point where both ammonia and nitrites zero out for a few days then you should be good to go. Just make sure you don't wait too long after its been cycled to add the fish- if you stop adding ammonia and don't add fish soon after, the bacteria will starve and you will be back to where you started.

gl! :dance:
keith
 
hughitt1 said:
It seems that its not cycled just yet.
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Well, let's look at that.

Since you have nitrites and nitrates showing up however that means you have both types of bacteria you need. Now its just a matter of letting them grow to the appropriate size.
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There's the problem, actually. 5ppm is too high at this point in a fishless cycle and it should have been dropped down to 2-3pm. With nitrates already showing, it's very possible that at 2ppm everything will 0 out. Ergo, tank is cycled.

In other words, the tank could be cycled but there is too much ammonia -- ie an "unrealistic" bioload -- for anything to zero out. The bacteria cannot keep up and most likely cannot colonize because there is simply too much ammonia.

Make sense?

Roan
 
The levels of ammonia were not dropping but nitrates continued to drive through the roof so I did a huge water change. Left it overnight and now ammonia is dropping as normal.

Once the cycle finishes I will add some fish.

How long after ammonia drops to zero will I have to add fish? How long will the bacteria have before it all dies off and I have to re-cycle?
 
I'm not sure to be honest- this was just a suggestion someone gave me. Anyone else know?

The best thing i suppose would be to keep adding small amounts of ammonia (maintaining the bacteria once everything goes to 0), until you actually add the fish. Also, it may be a good idea to add only some of the fish at first just to make sure. Even though you did add alot of ammonia and the bacteria could probably handle all the fish you will put in,. you never know what kinda unexpected things may come up.. At least with fewer fish will be easier to resolve :)

Keith
 
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