New tank fishless cycling for about 3 and half weeks an a little stuck?

[livvyy]

Hi (information for tank below) I am currently fishless cycling (used the frozen prawn but have taken out as i have run out) I just brought a nitrate test today. In last 3 weeks I have had my ammonia level up in the first 2 weeks was 8.0 so i did a massive 90% water change because nothing was happening; now it is sitting at 4.0 and not sure but I don't junk I was dou f my nitrite test properly but today have defently tested for 0.25 nirIte. I tested for nitrATe and it is 5.0. My ph is currently 7.6 (coukd be higher have bot been able toget a higher oh kit as of yet). My question is should my ammonia be coming down? And is my cycle coming to an end? Any help would be much appreciated

[livvyy]

Info about tank:
First aquarium. currntly fishless cycling classic 50 curves blue planet aquarium (came with filter and light), pebble substrate, 3 live plants, 3 decor, heater that is temp adjustable and therometer.

[Allesgut]

Well it seems like you are doing a right job there and all answers to your questions "Yes". However, 4.0 for ammonia after almost 1 month period might mean that you still have some traces of organic mineralization process which brings up ammonia. Maybe prawn was "too greazy", i don't know. Or your live plants are not doing well and some leaves died. Sometimes their roots in fresh tanks start to decompose in a gravel, you may examine accurately. Keep cheking water params.

[livvyy]

Thanks thats so much help i thought there was somehing wronf with it and started to freak until i brought the nitrAte tester and more relieved...Would the snails that's been in there be causing the ammonia to stay around 4.0 I've been picking them out as I see them... There must have been snail eggs somewhere even though I isolated the plants for two days and rinsed them I dunno but could they cause the ammonia problem?

[Cermet]

Ammonia of 4 ppm is rather high and will slow the bacteria growth for the nitrite cycle. Having snails in such high ammonia is hard on them and I'm not clear on why you have animals in the tank at all since you are cycling using added ammonia (fishless.)

[Goes to 11!]

Ammonia of 4 ppm is rather high and will slow the bacteria growth for the nitrite cycle. Having snails in such high ammonia is hard on them and I'm not clear on why you have animals in the tank at all since you are cycling using added ammonia (fishless.)

The snails are not causing ammonia levels that high & I am clear on it. They hitchhiked in on the plants.

Since you have TrItes showing I would cut your ammonia dosage in half [Meaning only bring it to 2ppm] and carry on. IMO 4ppm is overdosing to cycle [what I assume is] a 50 Liter tank [If it's 50G then you it was fine but dropping of the dose still applies.]


EDIT: Wait.. Are you saying your ammonia doesn't drop from 4ppm on it's own at all?

[livvyy]

Yes the snails hitch hiked -_-
And yeah I haven't had any ammonia source what so ever in there for like a week and a bit I don't understand why it's not going down? I was doing the prawn in panty hose way.... And I made sure there was no way of any of it getting out... It hasn't come down only when I did the massive water change (tried doing 3 25% water changes a few days apart and it did nothing)

[imma24]

Yes the snails hitch hiked -_-
And yeah I haven't had any ammonia source what so ever in there for like a week and a bit I don't understand why it's not going down? I was doing the prawn in panty hose way.... And I made sure there was no way of any of it getting out... It hasn't come down only when I did the massive water change (tried doing 3 25% water changes a few days apart and it did nothing)

If you have a 50L, you really need to get that ammonia reading down to like 2ppm via water changes (try 50% at a time and then test again after about an hour) if it's not going down on its own. If you have a 50Gal then 4ppm is fine and it will take time to go down to 0. Also, once the ammonia goes down to 0 (which it needs to do before you add more), what are you planning to use for a new source of ammonia? You need to have SOME in there to grow bacteria. Many people use pure ammonia.

Also, don't worry about your pH at this point - it is not stable during cycling anyway.

[Cermet]

The whole prawn is overwhelming the aquarium – the amount of ammonia will be huge and small water changes will never cut it. So, using a pawn (via decay) offers no easy method except water change to control the ammonia. That is why the best method is using a good ammonia liquid. That said, you can remove the prawn and do a water change to get a lower ammonia reading. To then get the ammonia to come back up when it starts to fall, just use only a small piece of the prawn in the tank (of course, you need to save the rotting pawn by freezing it. Might want to cut it into pieces first, then freeze it. Yes, not fun but no one said using rotting flesh is a ‘fun’ method to cycle.)

Important safety issue: Don't have any open wounds when handling the prawn or getting the tank water on you - best to wear proper gloves - you will get some REALLY dangerous bacteria in the water using rotting flesh - that is an issue you need to be very careful about.

[livvyy]

Yeah so I've taken the prawn out as said before ill try do a water change tomorrow I just wasn't sure if this would affect my nitrIte and nitrAte.... And yes it's a 50L not 50g...