Fast cycling?

[Cassius.]

I just set up a 92G corner tank for Africans less than 2 weeks ago, and I kind of overstocked it. The filter is an eheim pro iii 160g. A week ago the nitrites were off the charts - today, they're fantastic.

0 ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrites, 0 nitrates. Ph between 7.8 and 8.

What gives? I thought this was supposed to take longer. Did the fact that I used a used filter make it go faster? Anybody have any thoughts?


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[Adamrhh]

Sometimes it takes long sometimes it doesn't.. maybe you had seeded bacteria that started it quickly?

 

[strollo22]

Something is wrong. How can you have zero nitrates if you have zero ammonia and zero nitrite. I would recheck nitrates.


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[flip_mode]

was the substrate used also?

 

[Cassius.]

No, the substrate was new. It's onyx something or other. Like sand. I also have a whole mess of rocks - lace rock. About 125 lbs of it - but I'm pretty sure that was unused as well.


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[Cassius.]

I did use a refrigerated starter bacteria that I was told was very good.

Just rechecked the nitrates- they're zero. Yellow.


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[strollo22]

I can't see how that's possible. Did you do a huge water change before testing?


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[Cassius.]

No water change. None at all yet.

And again, last week, the nitrites were very high. (I forget what the ammonia levels were, but it wasn't 0).

I'm thinking I need to sleep on it, wake up and take the levels again.


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[strollo22]

It's definitely possible for the tank to cycle that quick with a used filter but ammonia turns to nitrite and nitrite turns to nitrate... So where did it all go lol


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[Cassius.]

Just tested it again. Nitrite definitely 0ppm. Ammonia could be between 0 and .25ppm, but it looks a lot like 0 to me.


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