Help with cycle

[Dwl0222]

Ok so I’m making progress on my 75 gallon cycle, I’m doing fishless while dosing with Fritz Ammonium. I originally dosed to 4 ppm and waited for it to drop. A couple of days ago it began to drop...I dosed back up to 4ppm until it dropped to .25 in less than 12 hours. At that point I started dosing to maintain a 1-2 ppm ammonia level, which is where I’m at now. At this point my nitrite should be very high, correct? I’m having trouble determining where my test says I’m at right now. I’ll attach a picture of my latest nitrite test, as you see it doesn’t really match anything.

 

[tlindsey]

Ok so I’m making progress on my 75 gallon cycle, I’m doing fishless while dosing with Fritz Ammonium. I originally dosed to 4 ppm and waited for it to drop. A couple of days ago it began to drop...I dosed back up to 4ppm until it dropped to .25 in less than 12 hours. At that point I started dosing to maintain a 1-2 ppm ammonia level, which is where I’m at now. At this point my nitrite should be very high, correct? I’m having trouble determining where my test says I’m at right now. I’ll attach a picture of my latest nitrite test, as you see it doesn’t really match anything. View attachment 1352370

Your nitrite is high between 2.0 and 5.0. Nitrite spiking so hopefully everything will start to stabilize and you get a nitrate reading.

 

[Dwl0222]

Your nitrite is high between 2.0 and 5.0. Nitrite spiking so hopefully everything will start to stabilize and you get a nitrate reading.

Thanks, that’s what I thought too. It’s been that same shade since first thing this morning (8am eastern). I did test my nitrate at 7:30 pm and got a reading of 5-10. (The color was a bit lighter than in the picture the first time I took a reading. This pic was taken a little while later after it had sat for a while longer and seemed to darken up a bit)

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Looks like you are getting to where you want to be. If my thinking is correct the next stage to look for is when the nitrites go down. I think a cycled tank is when the ammonia and nitrite are at near zero and you have some number of nitrates. Almost time to add some fish.

 

[tlindsey]

Hello; Looks like you are getting to where you want to be. If my thinking is correct the next stage to look for is when the nitrites go down. I think a cycled tank is when the ammonia and nitrite are at near zero and you have some number of nitrates. Almost time to add some fish.

^
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[Dwl0222]

Hello; Looks like you are getting to where you want to be. If my thinking is correct the next stage to look for is when the nitrites go down. I think a cycled tank is when the ammonia and nitrite are at near zero and you have some number of nitrates. Almost time to add some fish.

Great! That’s what i was hoping to hear! That was my understanding too, after doing some research. Then just before I add fish I do a large water change to remove nitrates, right? Then add the fish. I’m hoping I’m ready to go by Monday or Tuesday as my LFS has a shipment of green swordtails coming in. I want to start with a bunch of them before adding a few Sajica.

 

[Dwl0222]

Might as well ask about this too while I’m at it....the first day I added the Ammonium, this grayish greenish hairy looking stuff showed up on my driftwood. Is it just a reaction to the spike in ammonia? Will that go away on its own as the levels drop after the cycle is completed?

 

[tlindsey]

Might as well ask about this too while I’m at it....the first day I added the Ammonium, this grayish greenish hairy looking stuff showed up on my driftwood. Is it just a reaction to the spike in ammonia? Will that go away on its own as the levels drop after the cycle is completed? View attachment 1352384

Tbh I personally don't have a clue on what it is. Was the driftwood bought from a lfs?

 

[skjl47]

just before I add fish I do a large water change to remove nitrates, right?

Hello; A WC is fine. WC will not hurt the cycle. Some things come to mind. You may already be aware.
first is if you have tap water with chlorine or chloramine then you need to treat the tap water with some sort of water conditioner such as PRIME (there are others).
Another thing is to not load up the tank right away with a lot of fish. Add a small number of fish, wait for a while and add a few more. This allows the beneficial bacteria (bb) you have just been cultivating to increase their population gradually. Too many fish or too big of a single fish can bee too much for the bb and can take them a few days to catch up.

good luck

 

[skjl47]

Might as well ask about this too while I’m at it....the first day I added the Ammonium, this grayish greenish hairy looking stuff showed up on my driftwood. Is it just a reaction to the spike in ammonia? Will that go away on its own as the levels drop after the cycle is completed? View attachment 1352384

Hello; I do not know what is happening. Not a clue as to what to do or what will happen. I have never used wood in a tank myself but many on the forum have.