fishless cycle
- Thread starter jecmug
- Start date
If there is no fishfood or anything else decaying in your tank, this is what I would do:
Re-read the instructions and be sure to shake the crap outa the testing bottles. Then test now for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
Then do a 50% water change, and immediately re-test.
If you don't get a 50% reduction in all of your readings, something is amiss with your testing.
Re-read the instructions and be sure to shake the crap outa the testing bottles. Then test now for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
Then do a 50% water change, and immediately re-test.
If you don't get a 50% reduction in all of your readings, something is amiss with your testing.
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Do what OC says first!!!! You have something strange going on. Let us know what you find? Below is the cycle procedure I like to use.
What kind of water conditioner are you using when you WC? You have really strange readings. I like to cycle my tanks with a piece or two of raw shrimp from the meat market. I remove the shell and throw it in. Track your parameters, ammonia will spike and reduce while nitrite will spike and reduce while nitrate will start to go up slowly. Once your ammonia and nitrite are not showing you need to do about a 20% ish water change and watch your 3 parameters for 24 hours. If there are no increases in ammonia or nitrite you are OK to slowly add a fish or two every week or so as long as your parameters stay good.
What kind of water conditioner are you using when you WC? You have really strange readings. I like to cycle my tanks with a piece or two of raw shrimp from the meat market. I remove the shell and throw it in. Track your parameters, ammonia will spike and reduce while nitrite will spike and reduce while nitrate will start to go up slowly. Once your ammonia and nitrite are not showing you need to do about a 20% ish water change and watch your 3 parameters for 24 hours. If there are no increases in ammonia or nitrite you are OK to slowly add a fish or two every week or so as long as your parameters stay good.
If you have well water and not city water you should not need to use any conditioner at all. Well water is great for aquariums! Its usually hard water and has the basic minerals fish need anyway and it should have a ROCK solid pH level. I think you need to wait it out still, its still coming along. I know its hard not having fish in the tank but, its better then killing your pet. I have been doing fish since 1978 and its never gotten any easier to resist going to the LFS for some new stock!!! For the new tank!!! Maybe you should try the shrimp thing instead of the adding ammonia deal..??..!!..?? Anyway, before jumping to a new cycling deal let it set about 24/48 hrs and see if the nitrite goes up. If it does this is good, also leave the hood up on the tank if it has one. This will provide good area for the gas exchange to happen and it will expose the water to the bacteria in the air as well which can help the cycle. While on this subject be sure you have a lot of surface movement on the water as this is also important to the nitrogen cycle you are trying to make happen. OC will have some pointers too, I have been working for about 5 HRS on one of my Transmission websites so my brain is a bit frazzled right now anyhow.
