JoshandDi

Okay here's everything:
I'm doing a fishy cycle....sorry I didn't know about the fishless cycle when I started. 55 Gallon.

At the start of the third week I started to get some consistant ammonia @ .25-.50 before a water change . Couple days later I added Bio-Spira for up to 90G to the tank. 3 days later 0 ammonia and about .50 nitrite. My Ph is always steady at 7.8.

4th week nitrite still pretty steady @.50 nitrates now at 10. Although the nitrite and nitrate would be higher, I've been doing 25% or more water changes to keep the nitrites down.

5th week added a smaller batch of Bio-Spira for 30g. I thought this might give me a little boost.

Now 6 and 7 weeks into it nitrites out of control. I have had to do a couple 50% + water changes when the nitrites get up to 2.0 or more over night. I'm having to do water changes daily now. Ammonia is still at 0.

I pretreat my water with Aquasafe. I even let it sit for a day or more when I can (obviously I can't do that when I have to do back to back water changes). I have two power filters 1 Whisper 60 with extra bags of ceramic rings in it, and a Penguin Bio-Wheel 150 with a bag of ceramic rings in it too. What else can I do?

Shawnie

you sound like me when I began....when you add bio, you arent suppose to test or water change for 7-10 days...you are almost there tho...dont give up and just let the bio spira do its job....patience is something i learned the hard way like you are about to do ..goodluck!

susitna-flower

I know it is Sooooo hard to do, but when using bio-spira, the directions say NOT to do water changes.....Because the bacteria go into your tank in suspension, they are floating in the water while they are establishing the colonies in your filter/on decorations/in gravel.......So if you do water changes, you flush some of the bacteria away.....You don't know how this will affect your cycle, but you have slowed it down by doing water changes.

Please read the link to calinb's long posts on the subject. He contacted bio-spiras manufacturer to get full details on water changes and use of Prime, while cycling with bio-spira.....it explains everything.

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/aq...bio-spira.html

As far as what to do now, well your cycle will continue, and if you keep up the water changes now that you are slowly reproducing bacteria, it will take awhile to grow enough bacteria to process the nitrites, but it will happen.

JoshandDi

I did wait 6 days before I did a water change the first time. The second time I didn't because the nitrites were way too high.

Shawnie

well...only thing I can say is when I did my 75 gallon, it wasnt fishless either ...i waited the full 10 days, with still ammonia and nitrite reading just barely..so i skimmed 50% water off the top so not to disburb the rocks or decorations ...bacteria forms on those things and in your filter media not inthe water...so Id continue with just water changes after the 10 day period from the last addition of bio, other than that it just takes patience...goodluck

wkinne02

You can dose 1 tsp aquarium salt (non-iodized) per 20 gallons to help the fish deal with the nitrites. Once your nitrites get under control, discontinue the use of the salt.

JoshandDi

I actually have been putting API Aquarium Salt in with my water changes for the last two weeks. I forgot to mention that I guess. Sorry.

JoshandDi

I ran into a guy at Petland yesterday, not an employee. He has been keeping fish for 20 some odd years. He told me I am feeding too much right now. I feed them 2 times a day. He said to try feeding just once a day for a little while. So yesterday I fed them once in the morning. This morning my nitrites only went up to 1.0 overnight not 2.0 or higher like they've been doing. I will test again tonight. I wonder if this was just a coincidence or if it worked that fast.

Shawnie

when did you add your last batch of bio?

JoshandDi

Over two weeks ago.

Shawnie

how are the readings as of today?

susitna-flower

I think it is completely reasonable that if you cut the food by 1/2 that the nitrites would not increase. You DO have some of the bacteria in your tank that convert ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate, just not enough yet to process everything as quickly as necessary. Now it is just a waiting period, testing and water changes will help keep your fish safe.

Shawnie

gm susitna!! yes as she says, patience is the virtue here...tough to learn them sometimes tho

JoshandDi

As of 11:00am cst Ammonia 0ppm Nitrite 1ppm (has been 2.0ppm or more every morning for the last two weeks) Nitrate just under 10ppm, not quite 10, but darker than 5ppm.

Shawnie

great...almost there !!

steveangela1

just keep it up.. it takes a lot of patience!! I thought I was going to loose it w/ my 55 when I was getting it cycled for my first fish.... finally it was cycled.. (I did fishless)... then... adding new filters and new fish at the same time I went through a mini cycle... patience! all I can say! It will be worth it! My nitrite, ammonia hasn't been above -0- (knock on wood!) in weeks actually almost a couple months!!!

JoshandDi

PATIENCE...I knew I forgot to buy something when I was at the pet store yesterday!

I know I know......I'm not a very patient person unfortunately. I am working on it though. This cycle thing is definately helping.

aquariumnewbie

My tank's nitrite also doesn't fall for quite sometime. I'd just do 25% water change everyday and just wait for miracle to happen. And when miracle happens, the nitrite drop drastically to 0. So don't worry about it. Just wait for the bacteria to establish.