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Thread: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

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    Default 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Hi all, so to catch you up to speed, I have been cycling my media in 3 separate 32 gallon containers. All the containers appear to have the ammonia cycle completed as I am feeding 1.5 to 2 mg of ammonia each day and it is still out a zero reading when testing the next day. The nitrite and nitrates have risen and both read on the far end of the charts but neither has dropped to zero.......I assume this is okay and I should be patient until the nitrates drop to zero? I am getting impatient due to seeing the latest shipments from Chicago Discus and Kenny's Discus......replies and inputs are welcome.....thx

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    At this point you should change the water and redose to 1.5 mg/l ammonia. When the amount of nitrite goes off the chart you have no way of seeing how well the filters are consuming it. And high nitrite can interfere with the growth of the bacteria.

    Rather than change out the water in the containers, I would just move the filters over to the tank, dose 2 ppm ammonia and see how it looks 24 hours later. You have a complete cycle already, you just don't know the strength of the bacteria. It might have the capacity for only 2 fish - what you want is for it to process 2 ppm with no nitrite after 24 hours. That would be a strong enough biofilter to handle a whole group of 6 discus on the first day.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Understood and thx for the reply. I will do it tomorrow after work. Thx

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Well, I have had the bio-media (4 days now) in the main tank sump transferred from the 3 x 32 gallon media containers. I did a 100 % water change on the tank after doing so and I'm still getting readings of Ammonia 0, Nitrites 5 ppm + and Nitrates 30 to 40 ppm. It is my understanding that the Nitrite cycle may take longer than the ammonia cycle.....any comments/input on that? Also, I am feeding the tank ammonia at 2 ppm and the ammonia bacteria bring it to 0 ppm in about 30 hours. All input welcome....thx

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    The nitrite-oxidizing bacteria are slow to reproduce, so you have a few more days for them to catch up.

    I would change water to get the nitrite down to 3 ppm or less. At this stage you can dose less ammonia so the nitrite doesn't build up so fast. When it gets to 0 bring it up to 1 ppm instead of 2 ppm. Thats enough to maintain the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria but not so much that you keep having to remove excess nitrite. 1 ppm of ammonia becomes 2.6 ppm of nitrite, which then becomes 3.4 ppm of nitrate. That is why you get so much from so little.

    You should also check your tap water for nitrate just in case it has some.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Understood. I have checked the tap water on several occasions and there isn't an issue. Thx for the advice. To be clear, change all the water everyday and ammonia dose to 1ppm after every water change?

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    You should only need to change enough water to keep the nitrite from going off the chart where you can't tell how much is there. I only add ammonia back to 1 ppm when it gets to 0 or very close to 0. The idea is to feed enough ammonia to maintain the colony while keeping the nitrite from getting out of control.

    If you get really impatient you can always put fish in the tank... as long as you are prepared to change all the water every day until the filter catches up to the load. But if you are just starting out its safer to wait until the filter is up to speed, there is less to worry about with new fish that are already stressed from shipping.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Okay, I did the water change. 75 gallon tank drained and most of the 40 gallon sump....approx 15 gallons were left. Then I did filled up the tank with tap water treating it with Prime.......I took the readings and the ammonia is now reading 0, nitrite about 3 ppm and nitrate about 8 ppm. Is it normal for the nitrite and nitrate to still read this high after changing approx 90 gallons of 110 gallons of water? I haven't dosed the tank with ammonia yet ( to 1 ppm per DJW's suggestion) until i hear replies. Thanks again for your help.
    I did test the tap water again and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all 0 levels out of the tap.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Any reading, other than 0, for nitrite means that your cycle is not complete. It takes a while for the bacteria that converts ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2) to build up. However, build up of the bacterial population that converts nitrite to nitrate (NO3) is very fast. IME, the tank gets cloudy then clears within 24 hours. You'll get nitrate readings because that is the end product of the nitrogen cycling process.

    Ammonia and nitrite should both be zero in well cycled tank.

    Willie
    At my age, everything is irritating.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Quote Originally Posted by Ggz123 View Post
    Okay, I did the water change. 75 gallon tank drained and most of the 40 gallon sump....approx 15 gallons were left. Then I did filled up the tank with tap water treating it with Prime.......I took the readings and the ammonia is now reading 0, nitrite about 3 ppm and nitrate about 8 ppm. Is it normal for the nitrite and nitrate to still read this high after changing approx 90 gallons of 110 gallons of water? I haven't dosed the tank with ammonia yet ( to 1 ppm per DJW's suggestion) until i hear replies. Thanks again for your help.
    I did test the tap water again and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all 0 levels out of the tap.
    The test kit for nitrite has a way of exaggerating the amount of nitrite. It looks alright to me, the cycle just isn't quite done yet. When you add ammonia to 1 ppm, its important to use the ammonia test to check the ammonia level rather than some calculation of the amount being added, and it should be an API-type test for total ammonia, not one of those kits that measures only free ammonia (NH3). Those are very misleading.

    If there is a light over your sump, it should be turned off. The bacteria are inhibited by light.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    I have the light covered and only use the API master test kit. Thanks to all for the input and I'll keep you posted.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    SUCCESS! Readings last night showed 0 ppm in Ammonia and nitrites! I then dosed 2 ppm ammonia and will test tonight after work! I could have fish this week, although would it be wise to see what the March shipments from Hans, Kenny and Chicago discus will be so I may get better quality fish?

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    yay! patience pays off! the simply discus sponsors are vetted and that makes them a safe bet for quality and customer service.

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    Default Re: 75 gallon fishes cycle update

    Hello everyone, After reading this thread I have a similar question. Long story short I removed my discus from my 125 and 25 gallon sump because I lost all my bacteria. After switching from ro to aged tap. So two weeks ago I started a fishless cycle I added ammonia to a level of 5 and waited. Four days went buy and levels started to drop, slow at first but I had to start giving more ammonia, keeping them around 2-4 nitrites became high for about a week. Nitrates were off the chart but just kept waiting. Last night I tested and ammonia was 1 nitrites o and nitrates 1. I thought the only way to get rid of nitrates was a water change but I have not done that yet, so I am wondering am I still cycling?

    Thanks Bryan

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