Ammonia dropping, no sign of nitrite. Please help!

Hey everyone! I've been reading the forums here for a while now but it has finally become time to make my first post. After extensive research I bought my first aquarium roughly 3 weeks ago, a new 38 gallon tank. I opted for the fishless cycle, however, I am now worried that I have made a mistake in the process. I initially dosed my ammonia up to 4 ppm and after 9 days it had fallen down to 1 ppm, so I dosed it back up to 4. 6 days later my ammonia readings were back down around 1, so once again I dosed back up to 4 ppm. I have been testing for ammonia and nitrites everyday and have yet to see any sign of nitrite (I am now on day 17). How can this be possible? Where is the ammonia going if it is not being converted into nitrite?

Just some basic information:
-I'm using pure ammonia with no dyes, perfumes, surfactants, etc.
-I'm using a brand new API master test kit.
-I'm using an Aqueon Power Filter 30 (HOB)
-I added filter media from an established tank on day 4 (my LFS was kind enough to donate to my cause)
-My temperature is a constant 84 degrees
-My pH has fluctuated between 7.6 and 8.2 but has never fallen low enough to stall the cycle from what I understand

Where have I gone wrong? have I missed something essential or am I just not being patient enough? I figured after 17 days with pure ammonia, seeding material, and a high temp I would have seen nitrite by now ;( Any and all help/tips/advice is immensely appreciated! Thank you so much!
-Harrison

 

Welcome to fishlore!

Have you tested Nitrates? If Ammonia is falling and there are no nitrites, do you have nitrates and if so are they rising? I wonder whether it is possible to skip the nitrite peak if out of some strange reason your nitrite to nitrate bacteria develop sooner than usual. Each cycle is different, and some are definitely not what is expected.

 

If you added filter media for an established tank the ammonia is probably being processed into nitrite and right into nitrate. Have you tested for nitrate yet?

 

Wow, thanks for the fast replies. I really appreciate you trying to help me out. My nitrates in the tank read at 5, however, my tap water also reads nitrates at 5 so I imagine that's where they are coming from. In other words, no additional nitrates being produced by the cycle.

 

Ammonia has to go somewhere. Do you have any live plants in the aquarium? Can ammonia evaporate? Maybe someone else will have a better idea than me.

 

Ammonia has to go somewhere. Do you have any live plants in the aquarium? Can ammonia evaporate? Maybe someone else will have a better idea than me.

This is exactly what is stumping me. How can ammonia be dropping without nitrite rising? I'm really frustrated! Also, no live plants.

 

Almost tree weeks with a seeded filter and no ammonia, no nitrites and 5ppm nitrates...
I'd say you're cycled.

Live plants are good in any aquaria (almost any...) filters the water and is part of the biological processes!
Change the water and you are good to go: slowly add the fish of your choice.

 

Are you certain that the test kit isn't expired? I bought an expired one once that was supposed to be "new".

Also, are you allowing five minutes for the test results to develop?

 

Almost tree weeks with a seeded filter and no ammonia, no nitrites and 5ppm nitrates...
I'd say you're cycled.

Live plants are good in any aquaria (almost any...) filters the water and is part of the biological processes!
Change the water and you are good to go: slowly add the fish of your choice.

That would be fantastic. My only concern is that I'm not processing ammonia at really fast rates. I was told I need to be able to convert 4 ppm to 0 in 24 hours. By my estimation the level of ammonia drops about 1 ppm every 24 hours. Is it more likely that my tank is in fact cycled rather than nitrites just haven't appeared yet?

As for the test kit, the bottles within the kit all say the expiration date is 2017.

Again, thanks for taking the time to try and help. I truly appreciate it.

 

Don't estimate.
Add the usual amount of ammonia. Take a test about 24 hours later. My guess is that the ammonia will be gone after 24 H only - with a little 'luck' you will have measurable nitrites. Wait another 24 hours and that will be gone also...

Try to do that and post the results.

 

I'm testing your theory, Siggi. I hope all goes well! Last night at 10 PM EST I had roughly 3 ppm ammonia. At 10 PM tonight I will retest and post the results.

 

Welcome to FishLore!

Are you sure you're really shaking the second nitrate bottle well? Like bonking it on a table for a good minute or so. There are crystals suspended in the liquid, and is it's been sitting on a shelf for awhile, there's a good chance they came out of solution, which would give you a falsely low reading. I agree that the ammonia must be going somewhere; if you have plants, that's likely where it is going. I have a few fish in a tank but there are many plants, and so my nitrates are 0ppm if I don't dose fertilizers.


Edit: As an aside, I have four cycled tanks, and have never once gotten a positive nitrite result. My guess is that because I was testing every other day, nitrites came and went in between tests. Even when I had a mini-cycle from adding more fish to a previously-lightly-stocked tank, I had ammonia and nitrate readings, but no nitrites.

 

Welcome to FishLore!

Are you sure you're really shaking the second nitrate bottle well? Like bonking it on a table for a good minute or so. There are crystals suspended in the liquid, and is it's been sitting on a shelf for awhile, there's a good chance they came out of solution, which would give you a falsely low reading. I agree that the ammonia must be going somewhere; if you have plants, that's likely where it is going. I have a few fish in a tank but there are many plants, and so my nitrates are 0ppm if I don't dose fertilizers.


Edit: As an aside, I have four cycled tanks, and have never once gotten a positive nitrite result. My guess is that because I was testing every other day, nitrites came and went in between tests. Even when I had a mini-cycle from adding more fish to a previously-lightly-stocked tank, I had ammonia and nitrate readings, but no nitrites.

Thanks for the advice! I gave the nitrate bottle a pretty good shake, but I'll really whack it around tonight. I'll post all of my parameters tonight. Again, thank you all for trying to help me out!

Tonight's parameters after last night having around 3 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrate.

ammonia: between 2-2.5
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5

so it seems as though ammonia is not being processed fast enough to conclude that the tank has cycled. But that still leaves the question why no nitrite? Give it some more time? Start over? I'm at a loss.

 

You have nitrate, so you must have the bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate. (Assuming this didn't come from your tap, of course.) As I mentioned, I've never had a nitrite reading, so I wouldn't sweat it. Definitely not cycled yet, though. I think the rule of thumb is that you should be able to process 2.0ppm ammonia in 24 hours, but it might be 1.0ppm, I can't remember. Either way, just a bit longer.

 

You have nitrate, so you must have the bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate. (Assuming this didn't come from your tap, of course.) As I mentioned, I've never had a nitrite reading, so I wouldn't sweat it. Definitely not cycled yet, though. I think the rule of thumb is that you should be able to process 2.0ppm ammonia in 24 hours, but it might be 1.0ppm, I can't remember. Either way, just a bit longer.

the nitrate did come from the tap. I have the same levels of nitrate when testing the water straight from the tap.

 

Hmm maybe you have enough plants to consume some of the nitrate that is being converted, but not all of it? I'm actually having a similar problem in two of my tanks, but one of them is lightly stocked and 90% plants, so that one isn't surprising. Hopefully someone who has dealt with this before will come along.

 

Hmm maybe you have enough plants to consume some of the nitrate that is being converted, but not all of it? I'm actually having a similar problem in two of my tanks, but one of them is lightly stocked and 90% plants, so that one isn't surprising. Hopefully someone who has dealt with this before will come along.

I don't have any real plants in the tank, but thank you for trying to help

 

LOL I think I am getting your story mixed up with a very similar thread. My apologies. That is very strange then, because you would assume the ammonia would have to go somewhere.


Edit: See, I'm not crazy
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/first-time-cycling-zero-nitrates.124970/

 

No worries! yea, I'm definitely stumped but I really don't know where I went wrong. I'd hate to tear the tank down and start over, it would be such a waste of the last 18 days. But I'm not sure what other options I have

HI everyone. I have a new theory which I hope you all can weigh in on. My water conditioner is made by the brand Aqueon and on the label claims to detoxify heavy metals as well as ammonia. Is my dechlorinater reducing the ammonia levels? This would explain the drop in ammonia and the lack of nitrite, although 19 days without nitrite still seems like a long time. Thoughts?

 

When a water conditioner detoxifies ammonia, the effect lasts 24 hours.

 

hm, well I figured it was worth a shot lol Thanks for the info anyway!

 

I'm not 100% on this, but I think that the Aqueon water conditioner is like Stress Coat+ where it claims to detox (or remove) ammonia. With Stress Coat+ they are talking about the very slight amount of ammonia that is produced when chloramine is removed for the water. But Stress Coat+ will not detox anywhere near the amount of ammonia that Prime or Amquel+ will detox.

 

No, it doesn't make the ammonia go away, it merely turns it into a form that is not harmful to fish. If it made it totally go away, then for people who used it all the time, their bacteria wouldn't have a food source. So when you test, it still shows up on the test, as it is merely a different form of ammonia. Websites say it's ammonium (NH4+ as opposed to NH3) but I've heard people say that don't think this is correct, so I'm not sure.

 

I am doing a fishless cycle in my 10 gallon and I checked the levels. The other day the ammonia was at 4PPM and nitrites were 0PPM. I looked at the levels today and Ammonia was at 2PPM and nitrites were still at 0PPM. Is it normal for ammonia to go down without nitrites present? When I cycled my 29 gallon, there were nitrites, so I am confused.

 

Ammonia is volatile, it can simply go up in the air especially if the water is warm and it's surface agitated.
Plants can also use up ammonia.

 

Ammonia is volatile, it can simply go up in the air especially if the water is warm and it's surface agitated.
Plants can also use up ammonia.

It does have a few plants in it.

 

Did you check for nitrates? Sometimes the nitrites can be converted to nitrates before you see them.

 

Did you check for nitrates? Sometimes the nitrites can be converted to nitrates before you see them.

The nitrates are 5 PPM, but they were that when I first started. I have nitrates in my tap water. :/

 

What kind of plants you have and how many? Did you notice any growth?

 

What kind of plants you have and how many? Did you notice any growth?

I have Aponogeton, a banana plant, Java fern, anubias nana, and hygrophila. I have seen large growth of my banana plant. Like three leaves growing quickly. I bet that is my ammonia eater

 

Ammonia is volatile, it can simply go up in the air especially if the water is warm and it's surface agitated.
Plants can also use up ammonia.

To my knowledge only Nh4+ can be used by plants, but not Nh3.

 

To my knowledge only Nh4+ can be used by plants, but not Nh3.

I think they can based on the info in this thread:

 

Think your suggestion is more plausible TD : nitritemunchers have grown fast enough to leave no trace of nitrites

 

So, if I don't have any traceable nitrites, how will I know if my 10 gallon is cycled?

 

So, if I don't have any traceable nitrites, how will I know if my 10 gallon is cycled?

When you have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and above zero nitrates, and the BB can process ammonia into nitrates in 24 hours.

 

I didn't think cycling a planted tank would be any different than a non planted one. Weird

 

I didn't think cycling a planted tank would be any different than a non planted one. Weird

It's not usually too different!

 

Come to think of it. NPK(Nitrogen,Potassium, Phosphorus) is standard in terrestrial plant fertilizer. It does make sense that aquatic plants are the same way

 

To my knowledge only Nh4+ can be used by plants, but not Nh3.

I use the terms interchangeably. Back in my school years, ammonia in water was called Ammonium hydroxide. And it was called ammonium even if pH of such solution was more than 10.
When the pH is 9.25 , about half of the total ammonia is ionized (NH4)+ (ammonium)
At pH 8.25, about 90% is NH4 and 10% NH3
At pH 7.25, about 99% is NH4 and 1% NH3
Plants will not use NH4 and leave NH3 unchanged. There is an equilibrium between the two forms (for the same pH), as NH4 leaves the solution, more NH3 is replacing it, the proportion stays the same.

 

I learn something new every day on this site.