Confused On Cycle In 125 Gallon

Hi,
So I began a fishless cycle on my 125 gallon tank 22 days ago and I'm confused by what's happening.
Day 1: Got tank all set up, added Prime to Condition water
Day 2: Dosed with Pure Ammonia from Ace to 4ppm. Put a large amount of Gravel in from my established 55 gallon tank and put filter media from my 55 gallon into the canister filter (FX4) on the 125 gallon. Then I waited.
Day 5: Tested using API Master Test Kit. Ammonia at 2ppm. (Didn't test for Nitrites or Nitrates because I figured it was too early)
Day 7: Tested using API Master Test Kit. Ammonia at 1ppm
Got excited thinking I should start to see Nitrites soon...and would have to redose with ammonia soon
Day 8: Ammonia at 1ppm, Nitrites 0ppm
Day 9 - 20: Ammonia held steady at 1ppm. Never budged!

Day 22: Tested Ammonia this morning, still at 1ppm. After being discouraged, out of pure curiosity, I decided to test for Nitrites and Nitrates, expecting them to both be at 0ppm, because I was figuring this cycle was going nowhere. Nitrites was at 0ppm (I figured the tank hasn't started making Nitrites yet), but much to my surprise, Nitrates was at 20ppm.

I'm excited that there are Nitrates, but I'm very confused. So, I guess my questions are:
1. Why is my Ammonia still at 1ppm and not dropping?
2. Did I just miss the Nitrite spike because I wasn't testing for it?
3. Since there's a good amount of Nitrates, does that mean its cycled?
4. What do I do to get the Ammonia down? A large water change?

I hope that makes sense. I've included a picture of my Nitrites and Nitrates test. I don't have a picture of the Ammonia since I did that separately earlier this morning. Thank you in advance for any input!

 

1. My ammonia took longer to process through than the nitrites did, no idea why.
2. Yes, possibly OR you could have nitrates in your tap water. Test your tap water and see.
3. No, it isn't cycled until it can process ammonia into nitrates in 24 hours.
4. I wouldn't do anything yet, just continue to wait.

 

Agree. The nitrates coming in so quick can be explained by the cycled media you used. You can keep testing ammonia and wait.

You can also dose more ammonia to get it back up to 2ppm then wait and test.

You can add more cycled media, that may help speed up the process.

You can get the ammonia down with a large water change, but why would you? Unless you want to add fish now and do a fish in cycle.(not recommended)

Also yes check tap water parameters, just so you know the tank is starting to cycle.

 

You could have actually added some stock to the tank since you used filter media from the 55. As long as the bioload was lesser than the bioload of the 55. That way you would not have needed using any ammonia.

 

Ok, I just tested my tap water (which I had never done before) and it does have Nitrates, 5ppm. So, since my Nitrate test on the tank water was 20 ppm, does that mean that there's legitimate Nitrates in the tank and the cycle has started and I need to just wait for Ammonia to decrease? Or is the Nitrate test on the tank water meaningless and a cycle hasn't started?

I'm still just feeling quite confused about this tank and getting frustrated. Thank you.

 

My tank took 3 months to cycle, I understand your confusion and frustration.

It sounds like you are cycling, sometimes it just takes longer for the bb colony to establish to process ammonia, since ammonia is processing so slow, the nitrite bb has had time to catch up. Just continue waiting for the ammonia to drop. Once it drops, dose it back up to 2 ppm. If it processes in 24 hours then you are cycled, if not, wait for it to drop and dose again.

 

Agree. The presents of 15 PPM extra nitrates means your starting to cycle. Unless you added nitrates, with plant fertilizer or something.

It takes incredible patients to fishless cycle a tank. It can take a long time. As stated it took Valerie 3 months. It's hard to look at an empty tank for 3 months.

 

Day 24: Tested this morning, and want to make sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. I think I finally have Nitrites!
Ammonia: 1 ppm
Nitrite: 0.25 ppm

I tested my 55 gallon community tank for comparison. The 55 gallon is on the left and the 125 gallon on the right. Do others interpret the right tube to be 0.25? Just want to double check.

 

That's what I get. Ok it's getting there. Annoying isn't it?

 

Great. Just keep dosing ammonia, keep it at 2ppm. After the nitrites drop to 0, you're cycled and can add fish slowly.

 

Great. Just keep dosing ammonia, keep it at 2ppm. After the nitrites drop to 0, you're cycled and can add fish slowly.

Incorrect. When a tank can process 2ppm ammonia in 24 hours it's cycled. Sometimes (however rarely) a tank reads 0ppm nitrites, but still takes 3-4 days to process 2ppm ammonia.

 

Well, here's where we're at today. Ammonia still hasn't dropped, it's holding steady at 1 ppm.
Nitrite is going up, 0.50 ppm today
Nitrate is going up too, around 40 ppm.

I'm hoping Ammonia will drop soon. Just have to keep waiting...

 

Ok it's moving. Nitrite is last to go down, then its a matter of processing ammonia faster.

 

Well...here we are today. Ammonia is still at 1 ppm. I really thought I'd start seeing a Ammonia decrease by now, but the wait continues. Nitrites are rising though, I think they look to be about a 2.0 today and Nitrates are 160 ppm. I've never had Nitrates that high before.

 

Ok there is some speculation that high nitrates >80 PPM can stall a cycle. I recommend a 50% water change , check parameters, then dose ammonia if necessary.

 

Ok there is some speculation that high nitrates >80 PPM can stall a cycle. I recommend a 50% water change , check parameters, then dose ammonia if necessary.

I'll do this in just a bit. Thank you for your help!

 

Definitely up that ammonia to 2ppm. Whats your stocking plan for this tank? If you want to stock african cichlids I personally would add up to 4 ppm if you plan on adding them all at once or if you plan to overstock.

I can't imagine waiting that long with a tank. I cheat every time lol.

 

Definitely up that ammonia to 2ppm. Whats your stocking plan for this tank? If you want to stock african cichlids I personally would add up to 4 ppm if you plan on adding them all at once or if you plan to overstock.

I can't imagine waiting that long with a tank. I cheat every time lol.

Patients is a tough thing. Lol

 

Definitely up that ammonia to 2ppm. Whats your stocking plan for this tank? If you want to stock african cichlids I personally would add up to 4 ppm if you plan on adding them all at once or if you plan to overstock.

I can't imagine waiting that long with a tank. I cheat every time lol.

I'm not sure about stocking yet. Dosed up to somewhere between 2-4 ppm yesterday after doing a 50% water change to get Nitrates down a bit. How may I ask to do "cheat?" It's becoming very frustrating waiting. My kids ask constantly why there aren't fish in the tank yet.

 

So here's where we are today. I feel like this cycle is going nowhere. After doing a 50% water change and dosing back up to 2-4 ppm (honestly its hard to tell the difference depending on the lighting)...
Ammonia looks the same - which means in 24 hours it didn't process a thing...
Nitrite looks 1 ppm
Nitrate looks...I don't know 40-80 ppm?
Just continue to wait I guess

 

So here's where we are today. I feel like this cycle is going nowhere. After doing a 50% water change and dosing back up to 2-4 ppm (honestly its hard to tell the difference depending on the lighting)...
Ammonia looks the same - which means in 24 hours it didn't process a thing...
Nitrite looks 1 ppm
Nitrate looks...I don't know 40-80 ppm?
Just continue to wait I guess

I cheated with tetra safe start plus. I didnt want the only filter media available due to it being in a feeder goldfish tank. It took me two attempts when I set up my 65. Only took once with my 10 gallon. Idk why it fails sometimes but it does. Well work the gamble in my opinion but I move around relatively so waiting a few months to cycle means a few months less of having fish in my tank.

 

You can add cycled media for an instant cycle if you have access to some.

By cheating I thought you meant starting a fishless cycle lost patients and added fish before it was finished.

 

You can add cycled media for an instant cycle if you have access to some.

By cheating I thought you meant starting a fishless cycle lost patients and added fish before it was finished.

I kinda did that. The first time was because I had no idea what I was doing and why everything died quickly. The 65 was because after a month of no movement I was over it so I very lightly stocked and used tss+. The latest tank doesn't count. Used the same filter and stock, just upgraded to a dirted 180. I added a large bottle of tss+ just in case but I doubt it was needed or useful.

 

I kinda did that. The first time was because I had no idea what I was doing and why everything died quickly. The 65 was because after a month of no movement I was over it so I very lightly stocked and used tss+. The latest tank doesn't count. Used the same filter and stock, just upgraded to a dirted 180. I added a large bottle of tss+ just in case but I doubt it was needed or useful.

Tetra safe start and+ was actually designed for fish in cycling. It can be used just as easily with ammonia for fishless cycling.

After the first tank is established it's a breeze to set up other tanks.

 

Do a 50% water change, and test, but do not add any ammonia, let what residual ammonia is left process through first and test daily after. Try to keep ammonia at 2ppm the key if fall again without adding ammonia

 

I added cycled Media from my 55 gallon tank when this one first got set up, but it didn't seem to do much. I added a piece of filter sponge to the canister filter and used a large amount of substrate from the 55 gallon in this one.

Here's where we are today.
Ammonia 1 ppm (this tank does not seem to want to let Ammonia go below 1 ppm)
Nitrite 5 ppm+ - The tube turns dark purple the moment I shake it for 5 seconds
Nitrate - 80-160?? I'm unsure what the level of this is. I keep going back and forth between 80 ppm or 160 ppm depending on what lighting I look at it. But I'm leaning towards 80 ppm.

So...my question today is...what should I do? Let it ride? Do I need to do a PWC? Any input/advice is greatly appreciated. Today is cycle day 31.

 

I personally would do a decent sized water change to get the nitrite down to 3 or 4. That last 1ppm of ammonia always seems to take the longest.

 

Just wait. That's a good amount of nitrite. Let that nitrate get processed . I agree I would like to see the nitrates down a bit, but doing a water change will remove the nitrite too.

 

Cycle Day 33
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nitrite: 5.0 + ppm (The water turns dark purple the moment the drops go in)
Nitrate: 160 ppm

So...Do I need to redose Ammonia or do I let it get to 0 first? Any water change needed to get Nitrite or Nitrate down?

 

At this point yea water change. 50% I would say. Then re-test. You will probably need to re-dose ammonia after the water change.

 

Ok, so I just finished doing a 50% water change and retested. Now, the levels are
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 5.0 + ppm (Still immediately turns dark purple when drops hit the water)
Nitrate: 80 ppm

Since I have no idea how high the Nitrites actually are since the scale only goes to 5, do I let it ride for the day and retest tomorrow, or do I need to do another water change to try and get the Nitrite down some more?

 

No that's ok let the nitrites stay. It's food for your growing bacteria. If you want to know the exact level ,you can add 2.5 ml of tank water to your test tube and 2.5 ml of nitrite free water to the test tube, do the test and double the results.

You should also dose the tank back up to 2ppm ammonia.

 

Cycle Day 34
It finally happened! 2 ppm of Ammonia processed to 0 in 24 hours! Look at that beautiful yellow tube!
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 5+ ppm (The water instantly turns dark purple the moment drops hit it)

- I did 2.5 ml tank water and 2.5 ml nitrite free water this morning also, and it was still 5+ ppm within 30 seconds, so Nitrites must be pretty high.
- Redosed Ammonia back up to 2 ppm this morning after testing, so we'll see what tomorrows test says. Hopefully it's still 0 ppm tomorrow morning.

I realize every tank is different, but once peoples tanks started processing Ammonia within 24 hours, how long did it take for your Nitrites to drop down? Just curious. Thanks!

 

Usually a week or 2 after that and the nitrites go as fast as the ammonia. At that point your cycled. Then 1 more large water change to get the nitrates <20. Then woohoo fish time.

 

Ok, so today...
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 5+ ppm (off the chart, immediately purple)
Nitrate: 40-80 ppm

Do I redose with Ammonia to 2 ppm again or do I need to give Nitrites a day to convert? If I keep redosing with Ammonia, doesn't that cause Nitrites to keep increasing? Sorry if that's a ridiculous question. Thanks!

 

Yes the nitrites will keep going up. Give it another day then re-dose ammonia up to 2ppm. After that you may want to do a very large water change 75% or so. Just to get the nitrites down so the level is at least readable. At this point you can't tell if it's coming down any.

 

Just did a 75% water change and retested Nitrites. Its still 5+ instantly. Do I do another water change to bring it down?

 

Just did a 75% water change and retested Nitrites. Its still 5+ instantly. Do I do another water change to bring it down?

Wow really still that high? Have you tested nitrites in your tap water?

 

Yes, I've tested tap water and Nitrites are 0. When I do a 1 ml tank water to 4 ml of tap water, the Nitrites are at 2 ppm.

I won't dose with Ammonia today (because I did yesterday) and I'll see what Nitrites are in the morning and reside Ammonia then.

 

Yes, I've tested tap water and Nitrites are 0. When I do a 1 ml tank water to 4 ml of tap water, the Nitrites are at 2 ppm.

I won't dose with Ammonia today (because I did yesterday) and I'll see what Nitrites are in the morning and reside Ammonia then.

Ok so nitrites are about 10 PPM. Wow that will hopefully start coming down soon.