Cycling 2 plus weeks, 1 ammonia, no nitrites, but have nitrates.

Cycling for 2 plus weeks used old spong filter, put in sponge from another hanging filter. Tested yesterday 1 ammonia and 0 nitrites BUT had Nitrates I added 5 drops of ammonia yesterday I could of missed it bc I was being lazy not testing daily. What step should I do next?

 

Was ammonia higher at any point? Is it already dropping, or was it this low all the time?

 

Have you tested tap water or whatever your source is? My tap has a baseline of 5-10ppm nitrates.

 

If you used a sponge filter from another tank there's no need to add ammonia, unless for some reason you can't add fish right away. The whole purpose of using a cycled filter is to avoid going through the long process of a fishless cycle.

 

With regard to the nitrates, they will tend to accumulate as the end product of the nitrogen cycle. If you have live plants they will consume them if you have enough. The other solution is water changes to reduce concentration. That said, some nitrates aren't bad, you just don't want to let them get too concentrated. I try to keep my tanks around 20 ppm if able.

 

With regard to the nitrates, they will tend to accumulate as the end product of the nitrogen cycle. If you have live plants they will consume them if you have enough. The other solution is water changes to reduce concentration. That said, some nitrates aren't bad, you just don't want to let them get too concentrated. I try to keep my tanks around 20 ppm if able.

Op is just confused because she still has ammonia, indicating that her tank isn't cycled, but yet she has nitrates.

 

So if you still have ammonia and you have nitrate then your water source has nitrates no doubt about it. Also your only 2 weeks in that’s not long for a fishless cycle so the key thing is just patients nitrites will appear eventually

 

So if you still have ammonia and you have nitrate then your water source has nitrates no doubt about it. Also your only 2 weeks in that’s not long for a fishless cycle so the key thing is just patients nitrites will appear eventually

Using a seed sponge from a cycled tank should speed up the cycling process. In some cases it actually creates an instant cycle.

Cycling for 2 plus weeks used old spong filter, put in sponge from another hanging filter. Tested yesterday 1 ammonia and 0 nitrites BUT had Nitrates I added 5 drops of ammonia yesterday I could of missed it bc I was being lazy not testing daily. What step should I do next?

It is possible there wasn't enough bacteria on the sponge to instantly cycle this tank. How heavily stocked was the tank you took the sponge from? It isn't unusual at all not to get a nitrite spike when using seeded media so seeing nitrates without seeing nitrites is not out of line.

 

It is possible there wasn't enough bacteria on the sponge to instantly cycle this tank. How heavily stocked was the tank you took the sponge from? It isn't unusual at all not to get a nitrite spike when using seeded media so seeing nitrates without seeing nitrites is not out of line.

. . . and how long had it been in the tank?

 

Was ammonia higher at any point? Is it already dropping, or was it this low all the time?

ammonia was high and now its low

Have you tested tap water or whatever your source is? My tap has a baseline of 5-10ppm nitrates.

I have 10 tanks so all other cycles I have been great and followed directions for cycling but got lazy this time. Learn from your mistakes.

So if you still have ammonia and you have nitrate then your water source has nitrates no doubt about it. Also your only 2 weeks in that’s not long for a fishless cycle so the key thing is just patients nitrites will appear eventually

should I keep adding ammonia? What do you think my next step is?

 

Using a seed sponge from a cycled tank should speed up the cycling process. In some cases it actually creates an instant cycle.

It is possible there wasn't enough bacteria on the sponge to instantly cycle this tank. How heavily stocked was the tank you took the sponge from? It isn't unusual at all not to get a nitrite spike when using seeded media so seeing nitrates without seeing nitrites is not out of line.

. . . and how long had it been in the tank?

sponge filter I used from other tank had been in tanks for at least 6 months. I have so may guppies I was going to put a few into tank but was worried to do that because of the ammonia in it do you think I should 25% water change it then put a few guppies in?

 

sponge filter I used from other tank had been in tanks for at least 6 months. I have so may guppies I was going to put a few into tank but was worried to do that because of the ammonia in it do you think I should 25% water change it then put a few guppies in?

There should have been plenty of bacteria on the sponge. Since you have so many other tanks can you move more seeded media over to this tank? If you can what I would do is a big enough water change to get the ammonia down as low as possible. Once done I would add both the seeded media and the guppies at the same time.

 

Thanks for the advise. I have another question. I am treating one of my a betta with Methylene blue. This tank has a hang on filter in it. Which part do I need to take out during treating with MB? Thanks

 

Add ammonium chloride or a couple bulletproof fish bu

Cycling for 2 plus weeks used old spong filter, put in sponge from another hanging filter. Tested yesterday 1 ammonia and 0 nitrites BUT had Nitrates I added 5 drops of ammonia yesterday I could of missed it bc I was being lazy not testing daily. What step should I do next?

 

Thanks for the advise. I have another question. I am treating one of my a betta with Methylene blue. This tank has a hang on filter in it. Which part do I need to take out during treating with MB? Thanks

Normally when adding medications the carbon needs to be removed. If you are using cartridges with the carbon built in you can cut a slit in the fiber and dump the carbon out. You may want to read up on M.B. to see if it will kill off your bacteria. Some medications will do so but I don't know if M.B. is one that will.

I am thinking when folks use this product they don't put it in their main tank simply because it will stain everything blue. Normally it is used in a hospital tank/container.

 

Your aquarium needs an ammonia source

 

Your aquarium needs an ammonia source

Would you care to elaborate? it would be helpful

 

Would you care to elaborate? it would be helpful

If you aren’t putting a form of ammonia into the aquarium, the nitrifying bacteria have no food and won’t reproduce forming colonies