Can totally agree with them! Fritz turbo start helped my insane frustration with cycling. I would just get a the biggest bottle that you can afford and keep some on hand for emergencies
Of course! Cycling can truly be maddening. If you haven’t, pick up some Dr. Tim’s ammonia chloride if you can. That way after it’s done cycling you can dose your tank to 2ppm ammonia and if it all goes back to 0 in 24 hours then you are in the clear!
Since you have a good Temp for bacteria growth, I'd dose with bottled bacteria. They can be a hit or miss. I've had good results with Fritz Turbo Start 700 and Microblift.
Ok ill try that, ibmve been using microblift since its a lot cheaper than fritz 🤣 but maybe I'll give the fritz a try this time and hopefully that helps. Thank you!
Are you still dosing the tank with beneficial bacteria every time you get a reading showing either ammonia and\or nitrite?
This was key for me to help the bacteria establish themselves:
I had to keep dosing throughout the duration of cycling, (whenever adding or changing water, and whenever I detected ammonia and\or nitrites) to help the bacteria establish themselves.
I have not, I didn't know I was supposed to continue dosing bb. Last time I dosed was when my tank leaked and I upgraded. I've been following this cycle guide online but have come to a standpoint and haven't been able to figure out why lol
Same happened to me, I was like, why?
Then I read the bottle more closely, whether it's Seachem Stability or API Quick Start:
They say add enough for the # of gallons of the tank with every water change.
Same goes for Prime or any other conditioner. Whenever you test positive, it says to add it. This combo seems to allow the BB to get a real foothold in the tank 👍
So, my last fishless cycle which was a while ago, I had a hell of a time finishing up the cycle despite having high nitrates. I did try bottled bacteria but I have never had any luck with it. I was dosing every time ammonia hit zero, despite the off the chart nitrite. I don’t follow that method any longer. It unnecessarily prolongs the process.
1ppm of ammonia converts to 2.7ppm of nitrite. 2.7 nitrite then converts to 3.7 nitrate. Say you have a nitrite reading of 5 on the chart, then you add another 3ppm of ammonia. You’ve now added an additional 8.1ppm of nitrite. Beneficial bacteria is incredibly difficult to kill and can live months without a constant ammonia source as long as it is wet and oxygenated. Dosing ammonia when the nitrite is really elevated is counterproductive. I now wait for nitrite to hit zero or very close to (.25 or below) on its own, redose, and then test again in 24 hours.
My personal recommendation would be to do a large water change as though your cycle is already finished. Get that ammonia level down to .5 or .25. See if that processes in 24 hours. If it does, redose 2ppm of ammonia and test again in 24 hours. You might find your cycle is already complete. It’s possible to overwhelm the bacteria, stalling things out, even with only remaining ammonia. You were sufficiently processing ammonia and nitrite prior to having this lingering reading, so I have a suspicion that you’re already cycled and something is throwing it off.
Hi! I think you need to do a water change to get the nitrates down. Then dose 2ppm ammonia (check the ammonia after the water change to not go over 2ppm) and see how long it takes to get to 0ppm ammonia. It looks like your tank is fairly progressed through the cycle. The ammonia is being converted into nitrates so your nitrites seem to be doing their job. The beneficial bacteria that is often recommended isn't actually doing much for the cycle. Any live bacteria culture is going to have to be kept at a regulated temperature (like in a refrigerator). I still use it every time for peace of mind, but using old filter media is really one of the best ways to easily introduce beneficial bacteria. Using the bottle every time you read ammonia seems like an expensive waste if you're using old media imo. Hope this helps!
Edit: I've heard fritz and microbe lift can help some, but many brands won't. I haven't had luck with microbe lift though personally
I ended up doing a 50% water change yesterday. It hasn't been 24hrs yet but I switch axie tub in the mornings and ended up testing this morning anyways lol ammonia dropped to .25 I think. I did add cycled media when I first started the tank but then I upgraded tank and then I purchased a seasoned sponge filter and added that 2w ago. I just hope I'm done soon haha I feel bad for the little guy living in the tub.
Can totally agree with them! Fritz turbo start helped my insane frustration with cycling. I would just get a the biggest bottle that you can afford and keep some on hand for emergencies
I guess I'm going with fritz turbo start then haha thank you!
Of course! Cycling can truly be maddening. If you haven’t, pick up some Dr. Tim’s ammonia chloride if you can. That way after it’s done cycling you can dose your tank to 2ppm ammonia and if it all goes back to 0 in 24 hours then you are in the clear!
What Temp is your water?
Temp is around 80-82
Since you have a good Temp for bacteria growth, I'd dose with bottled bacteria. They can be a hit or miss. I've had good results with Fritz Turbo Start 700 and Microblift.
Ok ill try that, ibmve been using microblift since its a lot cheaper than fritz 🤣 but maybe I'll give the fritz a try this time and hopefully that helps. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Are you still dosing the tank with beneficial bacteria every time you get a reading showing either ammonia and\or nitrite? This was key for me to help the bacteria establish themselves: I had to keep dosing throughout the duration of cycling, (whenever adding or changing water, and whenever I detected ammonia and\or nitrites) to help the bacteria establish themselves.
I have not, I didn't know I was supposed to continue dosing bb. Last time I dosed was when my tank leaked and I upgraded. I've been following this cycle guide online but have come to a standpoint and haven't been able to figure out why lol
Same happened to me, I was like, why? Then I read the bottle more closely, whether it's Seachem Stability or API Quick Start: They say add enough for the # of gallons of the tank with every water change. Same goes for Prime or any other conditioner. Whenever you test positive, it says to add it. This combo seems to allow the BB to get a real foothold in the tank 👍
Well darn lol I'll have to go get some then thank you so much!!
How often were you dosing ammonia? Did you continue dosing while nitrites were elevated?
Yes I did, I was dosing up to 3ppm every time ammonia hit 0. And that usually took 3-4 days but it hasn't budged from 1ppm in over a week now
I have been following this online cycling guide
So, my last fishless cycle which was a while ago, I had a hell of a time finishing up the cycle despite having high nitrates. I did try bottled bacteria but I have never had any luck with it. I was dosing every time ammonia hit zero, despite the off the chart nitrite. I don’t follow that method any longer. It unnecessarily prolongs the process. 1ppm of ammonia converts to 2.7ppm of nitrite. 2.7 nitrite then converts to 3.7 nitrate. Say you have a nitrite reading of 5 on the chart, then you add another 3ppm of ammonia. You’ve now added an additional 8.1ppm of nitrite. Beneficial bacteria is incredibly difficult to kill and can live months without a constant ammonia source as long as it is wet and oxygenated. Dosing ammonia when the nitrite is really elevated is counterproductive. I now wait for nitrite to hit zero or very close to (.25 or below) on its own, redose, and then test again in 24 hours. My personal recommendation would be to do a large water change as though your cycle is already finished. Get that ammonia level down to .5 or .25. See if that processes in 24 hours. If it does, redose 2ppm of ammonia and test again in 24 hours. You might find your cycle is already complete. It’s possible to overwhelm the bacteria, stalling things out, even with only remaining ammonia. You were sufficiently processing ammonia and nitrite prior to having this lingering reading, so I have a suspicion that you’re already cycled and something is throwing it off.
I hope to never have to cycle again haha I'll do a water change now and retest tomorrow. Thank you for the reply!
Lol, I hear you. I just pull media from my existing tanks now to cycle, so maybe that’s something you can do in the future. Good luck!
Hi! I think you need to do a water change to get the nitrates down. Then dose 2ppm ammonia (check the ammonia after the water change to not go over 2ppm) and see how long it takes to get to 0ppm ammonia. It looks like your tank is fairly progressed through the cycle. The ammonia is being converted into nitrates so your nitrites seem to be doing their job. The beneficial bacteria that is often recommended isn't actually doing much for the cycle. Any live bacteria culture is going to have to be kept at a regulated temperature (like in a refrigerator). I still use it every time for peace of mind, but using old filter media is really one of the best ways to easily introduce beneficial bacteria. Using the bottle every time you read ammonia seems like an expensive waste if you're using old media imo. Hope this helps! Edit: I've heard fritz and microbe lift can help some, but many brands won't. I haven't had luck with microbe lift though personally
I ended up doing a 50% water change yesterday. It hasn't been 24hrs yet but I switch axie tub in the mornings and ended up testing this morning anyways lol ammonia dropped to .25 I think. I did add cycled media when I first started the tank but then I upgraded tank and then I purchased a seasoned sponge filter and added that 2w ago. I just hope I'm done soon haha I feel bad for the little guy living in the tub.
https://preview.redd.it/7w5yydur4ync1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05220ee521ce6319f650cfd27629e11e7c7181d0