WTH with this cycle?!!

Summer · 10-12-2011, 11:48 AM

Ok, so it appears as though I have my ammonia at 0 or darn close to it. My Nitrates are in the realm of normal. My nitrites however, won't drop below .25 I even did a base line comparison w/ my tap with the nitrates and nitrites to see how they compared. (Oddly enough, my tap has the same nitrates as the tank is that typical?)

I'll even illustrate:

Nitrates, tank right tap left

Nitrites, Tank right, tap left

Ammonia: Looks pretty yeller to me

All 3 from tank:

Summer · 10-12-2011, 11:49 AM

Thoughts and opinions? How can I get this freakin cycle completed grr

jrman83 · 10-12-2011, 11:58 AM

Hardest part is patience. If the ammonia is zero and nitrite is that low....you're .25 away from being complete. No magical process to make it go any quicker - it's nature, and nature works on its own time schedule. I would say WC, but there is not a need. Better to let it go away on its own.

Summer · 10-12-2011, 12:00 PM

Oh so this is normal then. phew. I thought i was doing somethin wrong, it just seems like it just wont drop the rest of the way lol I'm being patient. Well...as much as I can

Thanks

jrman83 · 10-12-2011, 12:03 PM

The presence of ntrites can last longer than the presence of ammonia during the cycle. What level did it get to when it was its highest?

Summer · 10-12-2011, 12:27 PM

around 5ppm

Gizmo · 10-12-2011, 12:57 PM

It looks like the tap nitrites are higher than the tank. Is that right, or did you switch it accidentally?

Summer · 10-12-2011, 01:02 PM

The tap looks just slightly lighter than the tank to me.

Gizmo · 10-12-2011, 02:51 PM

Right, I'm a dork and forgot my lefts and rights.

Everything looks good. Cycles take time to establish, so patience is a must.

My nitrates are around 30 ppm out of the tap as well. Plants will solve that problem for you

holly12 · 10-12-2011, 05:45 PM

You are almost there! Woo-hoo! Nitrites usually take the longest to drop. Like Ben said, you could do a pwc or just wait it out.

jrman83 · 10-12-2011, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holly12

Like Ben said, you could do a pwc or just wait it out.

I said, no need. Better to let it finish on its own since it did start to disappear on its own.

Summer · 10-12-2011, 08:36 PM

I'm hangin in there guys. I would totally go get some plants this weekend, but I've been told that they won't grow with the light that I have because it's just a stock light?

snail · 10-13-2011, 10:12 AM

It's a bit of a myth that you need lots of fancy stuff to grow plants. The thing is you can't just grow any plants with low light. But if you choose carefully you can get a least a few that will work. Java moss, java fern, anubias and marimo balls cope with very low light and need no special substrate. They will grow slowly but can be healthy and you can have a nice looking tank.

What kind of light does your tank have? Is it a fluorescent tube, or a bulb? And how many watts?

Summer · 10-13-2011, 10:46 AM

17w flourescant tube

majerah1 · 10-13-2011, 01:41 PM

Like was mentioned some plants will grow ok for now,you just have to hunt.

snail · 10-13-2011, 06:46 PM

you might find this interesting:PG: Setting up your first planted tank - PlantGeek.net

Summer · 10-13-2011, 09:27 PM

Snail, thanks! That cleared up a lot for me!

Summer · 10-13-2011, 10:06 PM

awesome! thanks!

10-12-2011, 11:48 AM	#1 (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	WTH with this cycle?!! Ok, so it appears as though I have my ammonia at 0 or darn close to it. My Nitrates are in the realm of normal. My nitrites however, won't drop below .25 I even did a base line comparison w/ my tap with the nitrates and nitrites to see how they compared. (Oddly enough, my tap has the same nitrates as the tank is that typical?) I'll even illustrate: Nitrates, tank right tap left Nitrites, Tank right, tap left Ammonia: Looks pretty yeller to me All 3 from tank: __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-12-2011, 11:49 AM	#2 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! Thoughts and opinions? How can I get this freakin cycle completed grr __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-12-2011, 11:58 AM	#3 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! Hardest part is patience. If the ammonia is zero and nitrite is that low....you're .25 away from being complete. No magical process to make it go any quicker - it's nature, and nature works on its own time schedule. I would say WC, but there is not a need. Better to let it go away on its own.

10-12-2011, 12:00 PM	#4 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! Oh so this is normal then. phew. I thought i was doing somethin wrong, it just seems like it just wont drop the rest of the way lol I'm being patient. Well...as much as I can Thanks __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-12-2011, 12:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
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10-12-2011, 12:27 PM	#6 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! around 5ppm __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-12-2011, 12:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
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10-12-2011, 01:02 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: WTH with this cycle?!! The tap looks just slightly lighter than the tank to me. __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-12-2011, 02:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
Gizmo What do fish think about? Gizmo's Photo Gallery Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 2,350 Name: Guy Miller Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 183 Times Said "Thanks" 451 Times Was Thanked 603 Times in 573 Posts	Re: WTH with this cycle?!! Right, I'm a dork and forgot my lefts and rights. Everything looks good. Cycles take time to establish, so patience is a must. My nitrates are around 30 ppm out of the tap as well. Plants will solve that problem for you __________________ Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

10-12-2011, 05:45 PM	#10 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! You are almost there! Woo-hoo! Nitrites usually take the longest to drop. Like Ben said, you could do a pwc or just wait it out. __________________ 20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981 36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

10-12-2011, 08:36 PM	#12 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! I'm hangin in there guys. I would totally go get some plants this weekend, but I've been told that they won't grow with the light that I have because it's just a stock light? __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-13-2011, 10:12 AM	#13 (permalink)
snail snail's Photo Gallery Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,649 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 2,935 Times Said "Thanks" 364 Times Was Thanked 636 Times in 593 Posts	Re: WTH with this cycle?!! It's a bit of a myth that you need lots of fancy stuff to grow plants. The thing is you can't just grow any plants with low light. But if you choose carefully you can get a least a few that will work. Java moss, java fern, anubias and marimo balls cope with very low light and need no special substrate. They will grow slowly but can be healthy and you can have a nice looking tank. What kind of light does your tank have? Is it a fluorescent tube, or a bulb? And how many watts?

10-13-2011, 10:46 AM	#14 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! 17w flourescant tube __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-13-2011, 01:41 PM	#15 (permalink)
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10-13-2011, 09:27 PM	#17 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! Snail, thanks! That cleared up a lot for me! __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

10-13-2011, 10:06 PM	#18 (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: WTH with this cycle?!! awesome! thanks! __________________ "Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

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