cycling issue: no nitrite

jaguayo · 11-05-2011, 10:44 AM

My tank has been cycling for a while now (fishless cycle). Amonia is down to 2 ppm and nitrate is well over 40 ppm, but the test says there is 0 nitrite. Can this be right? I've been dosing Nutrafin's Cycle to speed things up.

jrman83 · 11-05-2011, 01:37 PM

How long is "a while now"? I fishless cycle can still take a while. What are you using to cycle the tank with? If ammonia, what has been your dosing regime?

jaguayo · 11-05-2011, 01:59 PM

It's been almost two weeks now. I added 3 tablespoons of pure amonia and that sent the readings thru the roof (over 8 ppm), so I did a 50% water change and that brought it down to somewhere between 4 and 8. I'm getting high levels of nitrate from the tests (somewhere between 40 and 80 ppm) but I'm not getting any nitrites.

madtyke · 11-05-2011, 06:40 PM

2 weeks is no time at all for a cycle and certainly not a fishless one, think 6 to 8 weeks and don't change any water until its fully cycled

holly12 · 11-05-2011, 07:42 PM

^madtyke, the water change was because there was over 8ppm of ammonia initially. It only needs to be at 4ppm.

Test your water from the tap. You may have nitrates in your water. If so, that's why you have high nitrates but the nitrites aren't showing yet. (That's what happened to me.)

jaguayo · 11-05-2011, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holly12

^madtyke, the water change was because there was over 8ppm of ammonia initially. It only needs to be at 4ppm.

Test your water from the tap. You may have nitrates in your water. If so, that's why you have high nitrates but the nitrites aren't showing yet. (That's what happened to me.)

I tested my tap water at the beginning and it was 0 across the board. I guess I´ll just have to be patient. I mean, if there are nitrates it means that there were nitrites at some point and I may have missed them, no?

holly12 · 11-05-2011, 08:14 PM

Could be... but then your ammonia would be at 0ppm too..... anyway, it takes 6 weeks or so to do a fishless cycle. If you have bad luck (like my first one that I screwed up, lol,) it can take 8 weeks. I did have one that only too 4 weeks though.... each tank is different.

Summer · 11-05-2011, 11:19 PM

I didnt have nitrates in the tap when I originally tested and then when I retested later on in the cycle i did....

susankat · 11-06-2011, 01:22 AM

If you have live plants in the tank and they are dieing that can cause your nitrates to rise.

jrman83 · 11-06-2011, 04:48 AM

Nitrites usually show up in the 3rd week or so. Once you figure out what it took to get you to 4ppm, you shoud be dosing that amount everyday until nitrites show. Otherwise, the cycle will stall out and take a little longer.

jaguayo · 11-06-2011, 10:27 AM

Thanks everyone. I´ll keep testing and dosing then!

jaguayo · 11-06-2011, 05:10 PM

Ok, so my amonia went down to 1 ppm, my nitrates are now 0.5 ppm and nitrates are 80 ppm. I have brought the amonia level back up to 4 ppm. Read somewhere that if in 24 hours it goes down to 0, and nitrites are 0 as well I can consider the tank cycled. I guess it's going to take a while!

jrman83 · 11-06-2011, 05:32 PM

If nitrites are showing now, cut the dose to half and dose every other day. You could be close to finished, but you could just as easily not be.

11-05-2011, 10:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
jaguayo jaguayo's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Dominican Republic My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 55 Times Said "Thanks" 31 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	cycling issue: no nitrite My tank has been cycling for a while now (fishless cycle). Amonia is down to 2 ppm and nitrate is well over 40 ppm, but the test says there is 0 nitrite. Can this be right? I've been dosing Nutrafin's Cycle to speed things up. __________________ New to this and loving it! 29G all live plants, woood and rocks, 5 denison barbs, 2 synodonstis zebra hybrids and 8 guppies. Last edited by jaguayo : 11-05-2011 at 01:23 PM.

11-05-2011, 01:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,468 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,396 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite How long is "a while now"? I fishless cycle can still take a while. What are you using to cycle the tank with? If ammonia, what has been your dosing regime?

11-05-2011, 01:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
jaguayo jaguayo's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Dominican Republic My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 55 Times Said "Thanks" 31 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite It's been almost two weeks now. I added 3 tablespoons of pure amonia and that sent the readings thru the roof (over 8 ppm), so I did a 50% water change and that brought it down to somewhere between 4 and 8. I'm getting high levels of nitrate from the tests (somewhere between 40 and 80 ppm) but I'm not getting any nitrites. __________________ New to this and loving it! 29G all live plants, woood and rocks, 5 denison barbs, 2 synodonstis zebra hybrids and 8 guppies.

11-05-2011, 06:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
madtyke madtyke's Photo Gallery Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 175 Name: Chris Location: Queensland, Australia My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 123 Times Said "Thanks" 12 Times Was Thanked 41 Times in 40 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite 2 weeks is no time at all for a cycle and certainly not a fishless one, think 6 to 8 weeks and don't change any water until its fully cycled __________________ Chris ¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º> `·.¸¸..·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>

11-05-2011, 07:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
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11-05-2011, 08:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
holly12 Dude.... wait..... what? holly12's Photo Gallery Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 3,074 Name: Holly Location: Canada My location Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 815 Times Said "Thanks" 672 Times Was Thanked 528 Times in 515 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite Could be... but then your ammonia would be at 0ppm too..... anyway, it takes 6 weeks or so to do a fishless cycle. If you have bad luck (like my first one that I screwed up, lol,) it can take 8 weeks. I did have one that only too 4 weeks though.... each tank is different. __________________ 20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981 36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981 Last edited by holly12 : 11-05-2011 at 08:15 PM. Reason: spelling

11-05-2011, 11:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
Summer Susan and Bev's protégé Summer's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 2,504 Name: Summer Location: Pennsylvania My location Feedback: 11 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 1,138 Times Said "Thanks" 168 Times Was Thanked 572 Times in 553 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite I didnt have nitrates in the tap when I originally tested and then when I retested later on in the cycle i did.... __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

11-06-2011, 01:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
susankat Pleco n bn breeder n BOSS susankat's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,420 Name: Susan Location: Tulsa, Ok Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 4,151 Times Said "Thanks" 1,618 Times Was Thanked 1,809 Times in 1,549 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite If you have live plants in the tank and they are dieing that can cause your nitrates to rise. __________________ SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!! 220 Tank build http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

11-06-2011, 04:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,468 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,396 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite Nitrites usually show up in the 3rd week or so. Once you figure out what it took to get you to 4ppm, you shoud be dosing that amount everyday until nitrites show. Otherwise, the cycle will stall out and take a little longer.

11-06-2011, 10:27 AM	#11 (permalink)
jaguayo jaguayo's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Dominican Republic My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 55 Times Said "Thanks" 31 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite Thanks everyone. I´ll keep testing and dosing then! __________________ New to this and loving it! 29G all live plants, woood and rocks, 5 denison barbs, 2 synodonstis zebra hybrids and 8 guppies.

11-06-2011, 05:10 PM	#12 (permalink)
jaguayo jaguayo's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Dominican Republic My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 55 Times Said "Thanks" 31 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite Ok, so my amonia went down to 1 ppm, my nitrates are now 0.5 ppm and nitrates are 80 ppm. I have brought the amonia level back up to 4 ppm. Read somewhere that if in 24 hours it goes down to 0, and nitrites are 0 as well I can consider the tank cycled. I guess it's going to take a while! __________________ New to this and loving it! 29G all live plants, woood and rocks, 5 denison barbs, 2 synodonstis zebra hybrids and 8 guppies.

11-06-2011, 05:32 PM	#13 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,468 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,396 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: cycling issue: no nitrite If nitrites are showing now, cut the dose to half and dose every other day. You could be close to finished, but you could just as easily not be.

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