I'm not going to up the ammonia as i orginally planned as I've decided to rescue a betta from the pet shop's evil cups of doom! Expert Guide Setting up a reef tank can be a rewarding, Ever pondered how to preserve the exquisite underwater grandeur of our seas? Advertisement Fanatic Aug 18, 2018 #2 Here, we don't get tired of questions, ask as many as you like Congratulations, it sounds like you are doing well! The nitrites will increase when too much ammonia is added too quickly to the cycling process. The nitrogen cycle will help establish safe conditions in your tank for your fish to live in. Re-dose with ammonia to 4 ppm when needed. I will get to the big water change this weekend. Step 1: Obtain the bacteria If you have an established aquarium and are trying to set up a new one, simply transfer some of the biological media from that filter to your new one. niTRATES: 20 ppm All I can say is give it time. How exciting to think that this process is almost over, and I will be able to finally think about buying fish soon! Yep, there is so much confusing info out there it can be tough to wade through. Once my ammonia was daily dropping to 0, there was a week+ of lag time before nitrite converting bacteria grew out in large enough numbers to make a dent in the nitrite in the tank. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Change 2 Ni - 5+ Yes, you'll still be able to read chemical changes. Then, only add 2ppm of ammonia for today & let us know in 24hrs how all of your numbers look. Is my cycle stalled? - REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum So logically you should be able to measure nitrate to make sure your aquarium is cycled this is correct. I have a 55 gallon. , Will do! Bravo!! Unplugged the filter to do water change, Now it doesnt work, The Effects of pH on Ammonia, Nitrite, and the Nitrogen Cycle, Water change 25% in 10 gallon aquarium for cleaning tank. . High Nitrites and Nitrates During Cycle - SeaLife Planet The meaning of NITRITE is a salt or ester of nitrous acid. I'll wait to hear from the experts before I add or do anything else to my tank! niTRITE: 0 ppm It may not display this or other websites correctly. Nitrite Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster I'll be testing my tank after I get home from work tonight. If you have super high nitrite do a 33-50% water change without disturbing the substrate. I'll dose up to 1ppm, wait for the nitrate to change then see where we're at with the nitriteI might have to do another water change? Its to bad I havent found a document that says, if the water tests at this ppm do this, I mean I understand I should add ammonia to keep things up around 2.0 or so, but Im sure there are many other factors that contribute to a well cycled environment, which you have point out many. Tank was stalled after 4 days no change in Ammonia at 2.0, Nitrites started to decrease to this morning at 0, Nitrates have not gone over 5.0. So, I'd keep them both around 1-2 ppm at most. To cycle your tank quickly please review the points below preferably before you set-up the tank. If you want to add shrimp, you'd probably be better upgrading the filtration. One day the Nitrites will just be gone. 2. #1 Oakie12 Community Member Joined Oct 16, 2016 Messages 57 Reaction score 22 Review score +0 / 0 / -0 Rating - 0% 0 0 0 Hey everyone. I dont think the water from tank 1 will help tank 2 as water doesnt really contain any beneficial bacteria. Thank you for your help so far--it's much appreciated! Just keep pushing forward, and you'll have some happy fish in no time. I've just checked the ammonia level in the tank and it was 0ppm. Enjoy banner ad-free browsing with Aquarium Forum Plus. . Can High Nitrites Stall A Cycle? | My Aquarium Club If so, personally, I would do a 50% water change, obviously replacing with conditioned water, temp matched. Any advise on speeding up the process? By emma.b, 8 years ago on Tropical Fish 15,165 Hi all So I've been cycle a 30lt tank for 2-3 weeks now. I did that, and to aid the nitrogen cycle, I was dosing the tank regularly with Ace Hardware Janitorial Strength Ammonia to 4 ppm, with an occasional pinch of fish food added. There will be high levels of ammonia and nitrite in your tank which will not be an optimal environment for your fish. Am- .25 after full water change Yes. Im one of them. Does high nitrite actually stall a cycle? Yesterday measured Conflicting data about a possible fishless cycling stall. What we are looking for is zero amm/nitrite. and our Eventually you want to be able to dose 2 ppm and have ammonia and nitrite return to 0 ppm witching 24 hours. ph: did not test, 05/24 Scan this QR code to download the app now. Agree with mattgirl. They've been like this for a while and I've already done a 20% water to change to see if it would help.nope it didn't haha. The overuse of ammonia-removing chemicals will stall the cycle. To reduce all reading then, dose with ammonia to 4ppm and see how long it take to cycle through? I'm only new to this, but for what it's worth I had the same situation. This causes two issues high ammonia which slows the process and a bacteria bloom. He should just be fine. 10 ppm or even more, sometimes. Yes, there really is a Dr. Tim. OP. I guess your first cycle was on another tank? Crazy question since Im doing this water change on Tank 1 which is progressing, can I use that water in Tank 2 to help the progression there since it has stalled? I have a Betta fish in a 3 gallon tank with a filter, how often should I change the water? There is a simple fix for a stalled cycle. As long as the ammonia you add goes down to zero within 24 hours and has processed all the way through to nitrates meaning you also see zero nitrites then I have to think this cycle is complete. I am currently on day 38 of my tank cycle and have very high nitrite reading on my api test kit. You are resetting the tank at this point, but will have no ill-effects on the cycle. I have a 55 gallon. niTRITES: 0 ppm Thank you, will def consider if the current set up. Nitrites will be 0 once your tank is cycled. SeaLife Planet is supported by its audience. You must log in or register to reply here. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! Aquaclear 20 filter. I usually just take the media, rinse it in the smallest possible volume of tank or conditioned water, and then pour the dirty, gross looking rinse water into the filter I want to kickstart. In a fish in cycle, aim for 0 nitrItes because they are more toxic to fish than ammonia at the same level. This is so exciting to FINALLY be in the home-stretch!! Day 18 of cycling my tank using Dr. Tims one and only; the following parameters have been achieved and the history is as per below: Day 18 (03/10/2022): pH: 8.2 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 1.00 ppm Nitrate: +75.00 ppm (API 160) Could my high nitrate levels (maxing out both my Hanna checker as well as API) have stalled the cycle? Now doing big water changes of at least 50%. My custom 45, in which I am doing a fishless cycle by adding pure ammonia, has been stuck in the Nitrite cycle for about 4 weeks now. Is it ok for nitrite to be >5ppm during fishless cycle? Join the list to be entered to win $100 of science-based aquarium products! Sorry, I am kinda late in answering. If your nitrites become too high they can cause the cycling of your tank to stall. Fish are living creatures that produce waste. If it does that reliably for four/five days in a row, your cycle is finished and you can do a huge change to bring nitrate down to reasonable levels and start with fish. It all started with 2 goldfish won at a school fair at age 6 that didnt survive their first night in his care. Hey Emma, opinions vary on high nitrite levels. The test looks brighter than the 5 ppm color on the chart but i dont find the chart to accurate to begin with. Haha nicely.I'll soon be able to out swim a frog , I'm dying to test the tank water! If your water is ammonia and nitrite-free follow the recipe card and add another dose of ammonia. All in all, a great little tank with some mods can be made better. You may not need the Brita filter at all. To change water or not to change water, quite a conundrum! Dr Tim discusses all things related to tropical, saltwater and reef aquariums. This way, we will be able to tell if your nitrites actually increase or decrease after a 2ppm ammonia dose. Xx. Since my numbers looked better after that last test, I went ahead and added 2 ppm of ammonia that night. These readings have me feeling hopeful, as my niTRITES are lower, and my niTRATES are rising again. It also covers the ammonia dosing question you have above.http://www.myaquariumclub.com/cycling-for-the-first-timethe-ins-and-outs-9194.html. I understand and suspected both would cycle differently, I am conditioning with prime, water runs through a Brita and temp is right at 81.9 currently. I see conflicting reports on google & I'm no good at searching on here. you read and agreed to the, http://www.myaquariumclub.com/the-nitrogen-cycle-for-everyone-358.html, http://www.myaquariumclub.com/cycling-for-the-first-timethe-ins-and-outs-9194.html, A quick fix for a tank with high ammonia and nitrites, 3 weeks into cycle (fish in) but ammonia levels are high 2.0 ppm, Help! Bacteria are not human; they do not need to eat every day to survive. High levels of either of these toxins could be causing the fish irreversible damage. When your tank is showing nitrate levels and no ammonia, your tank is fully cycled and ready for fish to be added. Wow--that ammonia calculator is awesome! Change 3. I'll re-test everything tomorrow night and report back with the results! [Broken link]. If it is the same tank, sounds like this tank never completed the cycle. Symptoms of giardiasis generally show up one or two weeks after exposure. 4. Yeah, if nitrItes can't even be measured on the test (over 5ppm), do a large water change to keep them below that level. All rights reserved. How funny to be this excited to test every day! This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. That's what I was hoping for! 354F2576-6A82-4EB6-84E5-929586DF7BFE.jpeg, 37298F9C-79CC-4ADC-8FB1-D289ACEE9756.jpeg, B7AA9090-B5AC-4A45-A73F-2E26CC5B8C15.jpeg, 9EEC1882-FF0B-47F1-BE6A-EED59C5F40EB.jpeg, E9D8D378-F687-477E-9054-AFD88DE0F362.jpeg, 683AD227-AE1C-4646-8560-F8EFE4A09D40.jpeg, A08B05A1-3970-4EA8-8CBA-4D2150B05809.jpeg, 2400FA0F-EA55-4385-9418-53DFDEE4FFF1.jpeg, E59302CF-D80B-4738-AEDE-EE57446596CD.jpeg. Hi! Patience, however hard it is to practice it, pays off. Ammonia came down rapidly, nitrites still very high after 4 days then rapidly came down to zero by day 7. If so, this is the best time to add them if your going this route. I still have the api from last year when i started my first tank.. hate wasting stuff so ive still been using them, is salifert any good? Conflicting info everywhere:( : r/Aquariums So I'm up to the nitrite phase of my cycle and it shoots up to 5ppm nitrite in a day every time I dose ammonia (and 0 ammonia by the next day) but my Advertisement Coins 0 coins Premium Powerups Explore Gaming Nitrites are off the chart high and nitrates are very high (close to 100). Up to this point, I have not done any water changes, but I did lower my water level just a tiny bit so the water falling into the tank can add more oxygen to the water. Using pure ammonia, dosed it up to 4ppm and left it to cycle that, once at 0ppm I re-dosed to 4ppm and again left it. Nitrite levels will rise at the end of the first week. From experience. Ammonia won't drop in fishless cycle. Apr 12, 2013 #1 Howdy All, While I'm not a beginner I thought this would be a good forum to post in. , The exciting results continue for today: . Trying to start a cycle, tank pH dropped to 6(or lower) Ammonia at 1ppm, Goldfish Constipation and What I've Learned to Help. Your nitrate levels are not of much concern at this point, so dont worry! High nitrite inhibits the bacteria and stalls the cycle. And the warmer the temperature, the more toxic NH3 becomes. #1 I have been fishless cycling for about 4 weeks now. I guess the odd part is Tank 1 is moving along and uses 2.0ppm ammonia in a 24 hour period, nitrites are 5.0, but nitrates are still at 10 , no decrease in nitrites, Tank 2 is the one in my opinion, giving me problems, although I cant confirm there is a problem, this may all be very normal, or right on track. This is where a turkey baster comes in handy. Read Our Story. Cycle Stalled? | My Aquarium Club I know it may seem counterproductive but each time the ammonia goes down the nitrites will go up. I started a fishless cycle on a 10 ga Another Look at the Nitrogen Cycle in Your Aquarium, Freshwater Fishless Cycle - Lessons Learned, The Effects of pH on Ammonia, Nitrite, and the Nitrogen Cycle. High nitrite inhibits the bacteria and stalls the cycle. Those bacteria take micro-nutrients out of the water which the nitrifiers need when fishless cycling. , By entering this site you declare It'll all work out, in the end. It truly is a right of passage to cycle the tanks. Live Sand if you are going to use live sand chances are high that cycling with take a little longer. Let us know how things look in 24hrs and we can go from there! Mine, and a lot of other peoples views are that if they get too high, it can cause the cycle to slow down. The end is in site! When it comes to pH, the modern Betta is quite adaptable. When you do your next water change wash it out in the tank water and put it back. ok to keep the filter in the bucket with the water taken out form the tank while I get the new water in? Plan is to dose 1ppm ammonia tonight, 100% water change tomorrow night a d all being well fish in by Sunday afternoon , I go right now but I'm at work again tonight , hi there my tank has been cycling for a week and a half and i have danios in the tank nitrite levels are through the roof and nitrate levels are very high as well not quite as high as nitrite but still very high i thought by now that nitrite level would have dropped a bit but surely it cant neafly be cycled its only been a week and a half please help i need advise thanks. High nitrite is very common when you rush the process or add too much ammonia too quickly. I do hope it is alright to do this. Fish Lore's aquarium fish forum - aquarium hobbyists helping hobbyists since 2005! Overdosing with Ammonia-Removing Chemicals It makes little sense to add an ammonia-removing chemical to your aquarium water when you are then going to add ammonium chloride drops. Ive googled this to death but have found the most helpful people and information here, and for that, I thank you! ShawnB, I dont see any issues with your cycle at this stage and there is no need to do a water change unless ammonia or nitrite approach 5ppm or pH drops close to 6. However, tank 2 may catch up by its self if given a bit of time. After 24 hours measure the ammonia BEFORE adding the ammonium drops. If it is 'off the scale' I would guess it is over 8ppm? The nitrite>nitrate phase is by far the hardest part endure so hang in there!! If the cycle is stalled, or is in the process of stalling, then it may take a few days or a week to get back on track and during that time, you do not want ammonia or nitrite to be very high. My experience with my first cycle was about the same. Brilliant guys. hence reaching out to you experts 12. my nitrites are 2.0ppm. It may seem to make sense that pure water is the best its pure! It often causes some clouding in the water, but that is typically extremely short lived and soon clears up. Thought fin rot, but thinking Uromena - not sure. This is especially true in quarantine systems there is not enough good surface area for the bacteria. I don't think it would hurt anything but in my humble opinion the fewer things we add the better it is for our water pets. Once they reach insanely high levels, it makes it difficult to tell what is happening because there isnt a 'high range' nitrite test for aquarium use. Cycle the tank and then slowly start to remove the marbles over a week or two AFTER cycling. I hadn't planned on adding live plants because I didn't want to have to worry about fertilizing them, but would I be able to add something simple like Java Moss and get away with no fertilizer? Because the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria work faster than the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria the ammonia will read zero sooner than the nitrite will read zero. But..my nitrites are off the scale, to the point where the solution is turning purple before I even cap and shake the tube!! 8. JavaScript is disabled. this should keep it wet throughout. Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen. But last night it repeatedly got stuck. How do your numbers look today? Nitrate 10-20ppm, I think it's safe to say it's cycled!!! You should be done by this weekend as long as everything keeps progressing this way!! The whole nitrogen cycle seems that wee bit less confusing now! My passion and hobby has always been scuba diving. Add and remove a few mls each time. I've been cycling for 9 days, ammonia:0.25 ppm, nitrites:0, nitrates:5 ppm, need help! I started cycling a 10 gallon tank on May 10th. I had a bit of an emergency last night (unrelated to the tank), so I didn't have time to do my water tests. I've read high nitrites can stall a cycle. For the nitrite, I think I'd aim to get it down to 1 ppm. you read and agreed to the, http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm, How long do you have to wait to add fish to a new tank? ammonia: 0 ppm Haha, Ammonia 0ppm Any nitrite levels over 20 ppm can be fatal for your fish. As always, good luck and let us know how we can help more! The only way to reduce nitrate levels is by water changes. I slightly reduced the salinity also as I only had a few CUC in the tank, as I heard this allows the fishes osmotic system to take it easy and put more energy into the immune and other bodily systems. So i decided to do a partial water change. Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser. Nitrites won't drop (fishless cycle) : r/Aquariums - Reddit Nitrogen cycle stalled on Nitrites? | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Im very new to this but really want to do it right, scenario is: 1- 5 gal tank for each Betta It's been about 10 days, and these are my readings: ammonia - 0.50ppm nitrites - way above 5ppm nitrates - 80-160ppm So, I tried to taking tap water 75% and 25% tank water, and re-tested nitrites, and got exactly 5.0ppm. Cycling with fish where you add a FEW fish and the bacteria generally takes 4-5 days but this is at a lot lower level of ammonia. I woke up to zero nitrites today. Ammonia has been added--I'll test again tomorrow night and see what happens! Pure ammonia as well. Common symptoms include: fatigue. any tips to make sure I don't bring a sick fish home? Cycle stalled? Nitrites not decreasing , day 25 | Aquarium Nitrogen Suite 115-243 Step away from the tank and go to bed . Sounds like you're on the home stretch! No wholesale or professional accounts. You are using an out of date browser. You may be required to do multiple water changes to encourage the nitrate bacteria to form and for your tank to be fully cycled. Stalled before. Cycle stuck at elevated Nitrite level | Aquarium Forum ammonia: 4 ppm Each time you add some also take some out and discard it. Once again, you all are amazing and without your knowledge I would be lost. But it sure would be nice if it could be distilled into a step by step for everybody. Agree fully. Problem is, after 2 weeks, I never saw a change in the nitrite levels. niTRATES: 0 ppm I have been fishless cycling for about 4 weeks now. thats the kit i have there, think im at the end of my cycle but my nitrite and nitrate levels have gone through the roof today!!! 7. Im sorry about that, the actual measurements were : 0 - ammonia after 24 hours The CC should stabilize your pH and should help this cycle finish up. Use it to add water to the cup. We offer full-cycle UI/UX solutions via our services: from architecture through art to integration. It's all related, linked together, it's not quite as simple as it may appear on the surface. - () - - : : 09:00:00-19:00:00: 09:00:00-15:00:00. Totally willing to do it if thats the pace it needs to be at. API Test. Will do, question in a 5 gal tank with a volume of 3.34 are we thinking a 25% or 50% water change might get me close? You either need to be patient or add a lot more nitrifying bacteria to the system. niTRITES: 5 ppm As more you muck with intervention (beside mattgirl's advice), as longer it will take. High nitrates and nitrites, low ammonia, Ammonia present at 1.0ppm, 0ppm nitrites and 0 nitrates, ***8.8+ pH during fishless cycle--4ppm Ammonia 0 nitrates/nitrites (not cycling? That means cycling will take longer. Please have a read of the following blog on information on how to lower you toxin levels. Who'd have thought setting up a tank could be so exciting lol. Thats a lot of info my friend, Im testing water this afternoon and hope to have some results posted soon. Purple is high, you are right, I would do a 30%-50% water change before it hurts the fish. I'm guessing somewhere in the 2.0 range, but have a look and let me know what you think. Dont believe the internet that says the bacteria will starve if there is no ammonia. Nitrate 160+++ppm. SeaLifePlanet.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Patience is abundant, knowledge however is lacking on this end, that must be what causes so much stress through this process, seeing results but not knowing exactly what they mean or what to do next so as not to goof it up. Nitrite cycle stuck - help | Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum Looking at the cycle graphs, the nitrite curve is almost 3 times longer than the ammonia curve. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Fish Lore's aquarium fish forum - aquarium hobbyists helping hobbyists since 2005! Jan 5, 2014 So I am doing a fishless cycle on a 20G that seems to have stalled. New tank cycle stalled? - General Discussion - C.A.R.E. The bacteria we are growing doesn't live in the water so even a 100% water change will not be removing bacteria. According to my numbers, my niTRITES are in a holding pattern, but more scary to me, my niTRATES have dropped by 1/4 to 1/2 of what they were just four days ago. If I dose to 3 ppm would likely end up with around 15 ppm nitrite. If the temperatures in your area are at either of these extremes purchase the extreme weather package (Item#799P). But both methods will work. Wait until ammonia disappears before adding more. You are probably finished by now. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Without having the chart colours beside them, hard to say, but it looks to be very low ammonia, possibly very high nitrite and very high nitrate too. Yes!! In cycle not sure about water change. Here are my test results so far: 05/17 ph: did not test, 05/22 As shown in the above link, nitrite and nitrate are primarily a result of the cycle digesting toxic ammonia (NH3) in steps. Another way is to simply take some of the media that is cycled and put it in the filter you want to kickstart. High nitrites are caused when bacteria convert ammonia or fish waste into nitrites. Whatever they are after the changes will probably be just fine. Stuck on nitrite phase | Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum Bare-Bottom or lack of biomedia Bare-bottom tanks take longer to cycle because the bacteria need a lot of surface to stick too. The last one took 9 days and can be viewed here. Well, what Ive done is does Tank 1 up to 2.0 again and expect that to be gone by morning, with the nitrites now decreasing Im also hopeful that they might measure even less than today. The higher the pH, the more ammonia takes the free form, NH3, which is the toxic, dangerous form. For one betta it's probably fine. If the cycle stalls, or if nitrates get off the charts (over 80ppm) and Ph begins to fall rapidly do a 75% water change. Nitrite spike, is my fishless cycle stalled? I would have added the 5mls slowly but could removed the 5ml quicker. Change the water to get both nitrites and nitrates down and replenish the necessary minerals. They will speed your cycle up as well. 9. ammonia: 1 ppm pH: 7.6 office@punchev.com. Thank you for the quick reply and warm welcome. niTRITES: 0 ppm Stop adding food until nitrItes drop down. Especially for GH and KH? I tested again on day five after adding and saw a rapid decrease in nitrite, so added the fish then to keep the ammonia part of the colony going knowing the nitrite "roadblock" had been passed. Once nitrites appear (typically in week 2-3) reduce ammonia dose to 3 ppm, still dosing only when it hits zero and max once per day. Conversely, Nitrite gets more toxic as pH drops, the opposite of the way ammonia behaves with pH, and at very acid pH, it becomes nitrous acid, which is pretty dangerous to fish too. DrTims Aquatics, LLC How long do Molly fry take to reach full size? , Your amm/nitrite are zero! Fishless Cycle - Ammonia stalled? | Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Forum Looking at these results, should I now go ahead with the 2 ppm ammonia, or do I need to do another water change to get the niTRITE level down some more? Waste-Away, Clogged Filters and Your Protein Skimmer, A Chemical Analysis of Select Trace Elements in Synthetic Sea Salts and Natural Seawater. Privacy Policy. Ok. Thanks for all your help, I've done a 90% water change - how you guys do it with gigantic tanks I do not know! Nitrites are the most common killers of aquarium fish so they are the compounds to guard against in the nitrogen cycle. I'd probably aim for 1 ppm, and then let it cycle as before, and simply don't let nitrite get that high again. GRC | SpinRite 6.0 Experiences and Testimonials Na - 180. I bet you could with the lid thing. Yes, I have between 10 ppm and 40 ppm. Once you see ammonia going down fairly briskly and nitrite also going down, then you can push the ammonia dose a bit higher, and once the tank can convert all the ammonia and nitrite inside of 24 hours, that's almost it. JavaScript is disabled.