fishless cycle: NitrItes finally showed up but then dissapeared??

[fishface88]

Hi all,

So I've been fishless cycling my tank for about 2 months and finally for the first time a few days ago started to see nitrItes. My NitrItes were at about 0.25ppm for about 5 days and then they all of a sudden dissapeared. From everything I read, shouldn't the nitrItes be going way up rather than going away? Am I doing something wrong?

29 Gallon freshwater tank

Ammonia: 3ppm (this has been taking a few days to drop to 1ppm and i've been dosing it back up to around 3ppm whenever it does so)

NitrItes: 0ppm. Was at 0.25ppm up until yesterday and now they're gone!

NitrAtes: This has gone up to about 30ppm (from 0ppm) within the last week.

pH: 7.6 constantly throughout my cycle

I'm using the API liquid test kit

Any good explination as to why my nitrItes all of a sudden dissapeared??

thank you so much!

[Cliff]

That sounds like a long time for a fishless cycle

I think a part of the problem could be that your cycle actually completed but by keeping the ammoina level at 3ppm, you have been causing it to go on longer than needed

Typically, when you first start to see nitrites, you should keep the ammoina at 1 ppm, not 3 ppm

I would suggest letting the ammoina drop to 0, then add just enough to go up to 1ppm. Then see what happens. If after 24 hours you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, your cycle should be done.

[fishface88]

OK, so you're saying I completely skipped over the nitrIte stage?? From what I understand, the NitrIte stage is the longest and I should have seen a spike in my nitrItes, how come I never saw that?

Also, I was told that the ammonia should be able to drop from 4ppm to 0ppm within 24 hours before my cycle is complete. is this wrong? should it only be 1ppm to 0ppm within 24 hours?

I appreciate the help!

[Cliff]

A lot of thing could have happend during a 2 month long fishless cycle while keeping the ammoin up at 3 ppm the whole time.

That's why I'm suggesting a quick test to see if you have both the ammoina eating and the nitrite eating bactria in your filter. Only raise it to 1 ppm or you could stall everything

I'm guessing you have a good quantity of nitrite eating bactria as you have a high level of nitrates in the tank after start with 0 nitrates. These nitrates came from somewere.

In the past when I've cycled tanks, I found completing a quick test like this a few times in a row works well to help you figure out were you are at with your cycle

[Lady Hobbs]

With nitrites going up and now gone and high nitrates, you have completed your cycle. The nitrites may have not gone up much due to water changes you have done (if you did any). Point being, they are now 0.

Do as Cliff says by adding that ammonia one more time and see how fast it goes away. Then do a large water change to bring those nitrates way down and starting stocking some fish before the bacteria has a chance to die off .

[fishface88]

Great! thanks for your help all!!