Cycling Issue

[fishywish]

12/31 - no WC today as ammonia is still.25 and no 'trites or 'trates as of yet

I am doing a fish-less cycle on my 10 and 55 gallons...gotta tell ya that actually adding ammonia to a tank feels horribly weird after all of this...lol

Happy New Year!!!

[fishywish]

1/1/13 - ammonia holding at .25...shouldn't be much longer....even though I'm not doing water changes every day, I'm still dosing with the Prime. I figure it can't hurt...

[Cermet]

If you have fish and the ammonia level is holding steady without water changes, then your bacteria is consuming ammonia. Also, new ammonia is accounting for the reading. As such, you MUST do something like dosing with Prime to help counter the toxic effects of the ammonia. Remember, the only safe level of ammonia is zero but in a fish cycle, not is not possible.

[fishywish]

you MUST do something like dosing with Prime to help counter the toxic effects of the ammonia.

Sweet.. I did something right!

[fishywish]

1/2/13 - ammonia still holding at .25....still dosing with Prime daily

[fishywish]

yesterday and today my readings have been Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0 and Nitrates 0.....am I still waiting for the nitrites and nitrates to rise and then fall?....did I miss it?...lol

[Taurus]

yesterday and today my readings have been Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0 and Nitrates 0.....am I still waiting for the nitrites and nitrates to rise and then fall?....did I miss it?...lol

Nitrites should rise and then fall as nitrates appear. It's hard to gauge just exactly when that will happen as you're doing a fish in cycle. If nitrites do rise, be prepared to change water again. Your tank will be cycled when you test for 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 10-30 for nitrates. You want nitrates, just don't let them rise above 20-30. You will need to change water at that point to bring nitrates down to between 5 - 10.

HTH

[fishywish]

Nitrites should rise and then fall as nitrates appear. It's hard to gauge just exactly when that will happen as you're doing a fish in cycle. If nitrites do rise, be prepared to change water again. Your tank will be cycled when you test for 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 10-30 for nitrates. You want nitrates, just don't let them rise above 20-30. You will need to change water at that point to bring nitrates down to between 5 - 10.

HTH

Good info! Thanks!

[fishywish]

ok...so January 6, 7 and 8...ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 0

[Taurus]

Well, 0,0,0 is a lot of nothing.

How many water changes did you do during this period and what was the quantity changed?