Fishless cycle question

[BradT041]

Ok. So my tank has been running for a couple weeks now. My ammonia is about to 0. My Nitrate is a little high, but Nitrite is really high. Do I wait for the Nitrite to drop or do I need to feed it more ammonia? I think i've read a wc will drastically drop the nitrite, then I would be ready for fish?

BTW I have a 75 gal, sand substrate, a few fake plants and rocks. It's equipped with 2 whisper 30/60's. How often do I need to change the carbon and the regular filters? I think the carbon can be cleaned out a few times? PH is high too, but wont a wc help this also?

Thanks for all ur guys support. You ROCK *PEACE!*

 

[Newman]

from what i do know, all i can say is to keep adding ammonia to the tank a few drops daily. wait for the nitrite to spike (it seems its already spiking, but you sill need to add ammonia constantly to mimic the constant fish waste) once the nitrite spike goes all the way to 0 and ammonia stays at 0 DESPITE you adding few drops of ammonia daily, then do a big water change to reduce nitrate. add a few drops of ammonia right after the water change, then wait a day, and test the nitrate. if its below 20 ppm ( <10 ppm is ideal) then your tank is ready for real fish and you should stop adding ammonia. make sure the ammonia and nitrite reads zero through the first couple of weeks with fish in there. also do a 25% water change weekly and you should be good.

DO NOT THINK that by doing a water change, youll solve the nitrite problem. that one youll have to literally wait out until it clears on its own just like the ammonia should. nitrate removal is the only real goal you should have when cycling in terms of changing water. let the bacteria do the rest with the ammonia + rite.

 

[BradT041]

Currently, the ammonia is 0, nitrate is 10, nitrite is 2.0. Is it getting close to being cycled?

 

[Newman]

i would add ammonia to get it back up to at least 1 ppm ammonia. you gotta supply constant source to mimic actual fish being there. otherwise you breed tons of bacteria, then they starve and crash, and when you think its all cylced a pretty you add way more fish than they can handle.

If you HAVE BEEN adding constant ammonia and thats your current reading then it sounds like youre close. but you should really have more nitrate there (unless youve been doin water changes which werent really necessary). dont worry, just add amonia and it will all be used up fast. good luck.