Fishless cycle Nitrite spike low?

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zum14
 
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:39 pm

Fishless cycle Nitrite spike low?

by zum14

Anyone done a fishless cylce notice that there nitrites never really spiked very high? Mine went to mabye 2ppm sat there for 3 or so days and now seem to be on the decline quicker then they came up. Just worried that something may be up. I dont want to add fish if my tank hasnt cycled fully properly. Im still adding my ammonia to 3ppm every day and its 0 the next night. I am also reading nitrates, not in the crazy 80ppm levels yet but around 10ppm. Just dont want to end up with a mini cycle when i add fish.


tomargir
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:18 pm

by tomargir

I fishless cycled with 3ppm. Nitrite started to spike about a month later (completely new tank, no bioprimers). Nitrite concentration was 1ppm. Nitrate started building up 2 days after the nitrite spiked. NO3 concentrations as high as 70ppm can easily be observed (depending on the # of water changes). NO2 took about a month to get down to 0 ppm.
So the whole process took about 2 months. Nitrite and nitrate concentrations depend on the concentration of ammonia you use for cycling. 3ppm is a ok, as long as you stock heavily immediately after the cycling is done (otherwise your precious nitrosomonas will start starving and eventually die).

As long as you see nitrite spiking and then get back to 0ppm you are all right.

If you use a trickle filter you should also let time for pseudomonas colonies to develop. In the latter case you should also wait for the nitrate to spike and come down. If you don't have a trickle filter (so no anaerobic bacteria) do some water changes until nitrate settles around 5-10ppm and start adding fish immediately.

If you want, i could send you my cycling tables.

Fishless cycle Nitrite spike low?

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