Cycling Diary...any advice?

[Bettalover29]

So I need some help. I've been trying to start my fishless cycle on a 5 gallon with the plan on getting a betta. Anyways I haven't cycled a tank in 3 years and this experience is very different than my last. It seems a lot slower this time around. I'm using Dr tims ammonium chloride. Here's my log so far. Can anyone tell me why I'm not seeing nitrite yet?

Water temp steady at 76

Day 1 2/19/24 ammonia 0.5 or 1ish Nitrite 0
Day 3 2/21/24 ammonia about 0.5 or .25 added dr tims 15 drops Nitrite 0
Day 4 ammonia 1 or 2 I'm color blind I'd say closer to 1 added 10 drops tims
Day 5 ammonia between 1 or 2 wife said 1.5 I say closer to 2 but idk 1.5 it is. added some STABILITY Nitrite 0
Day 6 2/24/24 Ammonia 2 added stability
2/25/24 ammonia 2, nitrite 0, added bottle of tetra safe start
2/27 ammonia 2-4 maybe Nitrite 0
2/28 ammonia 2 nitrite 0 added a few food pellets and stability
3/1 ammonia about 4, nitrite 0 did about 25% water change added cap full of stability
3/2 ammonia about 4 nitrite 0 did about 50% water change. Added stability
3/3 ammonia around 1ppm nitrite 0 added stability

 

[Fishfur]

So I need some help. I've been trying to start my fishless cycle on a 5 gallon with the plan on getting a betta. Anyways I haven't cycled a tank in 3 years and this experience is very different than my last. It seems a lot slower this time around. I'm using Dr tims ammonium chloride. Here's my log so far. Can anyone tell me why I'm not seeing nitrite yet?

Water temp steady at 76

Day 1 2/19/24 ammonia 0.5 or 1ish Nitrite 0
Day 3 2/21/24 ammonia about 0.5 or .25 added dr tims 15 drops Nitrite 0
Day 4 ammonia 1 or 2 I'm color blind I'd say closer to 1 added 10 drops tims
Day 5 ammonia between 1 or 2 wife said 1.5 I say closer to 2 but idk 1.5 it is. added some STABILITY Nitrite 0
Day 6 2/24/24 Ammonia 2 added stability
2/25/24 ammonia 2, nitrite 0, added bottle of tetra safe start
2/27 ammonia 2-4 maybe Nitrite 0
2/28 ammonia 2 nitrite 0 added a few food pellets and stability
3/1 ammonia about 4, nitrite 0 did about 25% water change added cap full of stability
3/2 ammonia about 4 nitrite 0 did about 50% water change. Added stability
3/3 ammonia around 1ppm nitrite 0 added stability

That’s not all that long a time so the explanation is that its a bit too soon to expect it in this case.

Not every cycle shows you nitrite anyway. Some appear to skip past nitrite directly to nitrate. But you can’t get to nitrate without nitrite so it’s there, even if not showing on tests.

You’ve only been at this for 13 days and no two cycles are ever the same. Patience pays.

Just curious but do you happen to have another tank running?

 

[Bettalover29]

That’s not all that long a time so the explanation is that its a bit too soon to expect it in this case.

Not every cycle shows you nitrite anyway. Some appear to skip past nitrite directly to nitrate. But you can’t get to nitrate without nitrite so it’s there, even if not showing on tests.

You’ve only been at this for 13 days and no two cycles are ever the same. Patience pays.

Just curious but do you happen to have another tank running?

No I don't have another running. I wish I did cause I could use some of that beneficial bacteria. Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it

 

[Fishfur]

No I don't have another running. I wish I did cause I could use some of that beneficial bacteria. Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it

Ah well. You can always try adding a bit of clean garden soil if you have access to some that hasn’t been dosed with pesticides, fungicides or herbicides.

Put it in a mesh bag. All the nitrifiers come from soil originally so it can help.

 

[Bettalover29]

This is an update to my previous post. Can anyone give any tips on the consistency I should be adding ammonia? I read that once it drops you should add more to see if your tank can handle it. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!


Water temp steady at 81

Day 1 2/19/24 ammonia 0.5 or 1ish Nitrite 0
Day 3 2/21/24 ammonia about 0.5 or .25 added dr tims 15 drops Nitrite 0
Day 4 ammonia 1 or 2 I'm color blind I'd say closer to 1 added 10 drops tims
Day 5 ammonia between 1 or 2 Jill said 1.5 I say closer to 2 but idk 1.5 it is added some STABILITY Nitrite 0
Day 6 2/24/24 Ammonia 2 added stability
2/25/24 ammonia 2, nitrite 0, added bottle of tetra safe start
2/27 ammonia 2-4 maybe Nitrite 0
2/28 ammonia 2 nitrite 0 added a few food pellets and stability
3/1 ammonia about 4, nitrite 0 did about 25% water change added cap full of stability
3/2 ammonia about 4 nitrite 0 did about 50% water change. Added stability
3/3 ammonia around 1ppm nitrite 0 added stability
3/4 ammonia about 1-2 ppm added Tetra Safe Start bottle
3/7 ammonia about 1-2
3/11 ammonia .5ppm nitrite 0, nitrate between 0 and 5 added 5 drops dr tims and stability
3/12 ammonia .25 ish added 20 drops of dr tims ammonium chloride
3/13 ammonia .25 nitrite about .25 nitrate about 5 added 40 drops of dr tims
3/15 ammonia. 25 nitrite 0 nitrate 5 added 40 drops of tims
3/16 ammonia 2ppm nitrite 0 nitrate about 5-10
3/18 ammonia .5 ppm nitrite 0 nitrate about 20ppm added little pinch of fish food and 5 drops of tims and stability
3/19 ammonia .5 nitrite 0 nitrate 20-40 added 20 drops of tims
3/20 ammonia 1ppm
3/21 ammonia 1ppm nitrite 0 nitrate 20ish added stability

 

[Fishfur]

It appears you don’t have nitrates yet. So you have some time to go.

You should top up the ammonia when it drops below whatever you started with - 1 or 2ppm, whatever you like, until such time as it goes to zero along with nitrite over the course of 24 hours and there are nitrates.

Then you dose it to make sure it goes to zero inside 24 hours and if it does that for several days in a row, your cycle is done.