espitzer
01-31-2003, 02:47 PM
Hi.
I am trying the fishless cycling of a couple of 55 gallon tanks for the first time. I read through the information on this site on how to do this and I'm using the revised method of getting the ammonia to approx. 5 ppm right away and then waiting for the nitrite to spike.
Well, I'm finding some odd/interesting thigs. Both tanks are setup exactly the same way- 2 hydrosponge V filters, 1 Penguin 300 in each, both at approx. 82 degrees. I added BioSpira to both (about 1 1/2 onces to each tank, based on the directions on the bottle).
I've been adding 3 capfuls of the ammonia I purchased (made sure it was clear and no suds). The reading when I added that amount is at the upper level of my test kit (Wardley), which may be part of the problem (I may have been putting too much ammonia in).
In any case, I tested the water today and in 1 tank the Nitrite level (also Wardley test) is off the charts, while in the other tank, it is non-existent.
So, in the tank with high Nitrite I did about a 50% water change and got the ammonia down to about 2 ppm and the Nitrite down to .25 ppm (low readings on both).
My questions are: 1) Should I reduce the amount of ammonia I'm putting in both tanks, making sure it is not going off the charts; 2) why would one tank have nitrite readings off the scale and the other have none?
Thanks for your help.
Eric
I am trying the fishless cycling of a couple of 55 gallon tanks for the first time. I read through the information on this site on how to do this and I'm using the revised method of getting the ammonia to approx. 5 ppm right away and then waiting for the nitrite to spike.
Well, I'm finding some odd/interesting thigs. Both tanks are setup exactly the same way- 2 hydrosponge V filters, 1 Penguin 300 in each, both at approx. 82 degrees. I added BioSpira to both (about 1 1/2 onces to each tank, based on the directions on the bottle).
I've been adding 3 capfuls of the ammonia I purchased (made sure it was clear and no suds). The reading when I added that amount is at the upper level of my test kit (Wardley), which may be part of the problem (I may have been putting too much ammonia in).
In any case, I tested the water today and in 1 tank the Nitrite level (also Wardley test) is off the charts, while in the other tank, it is non-existent.
So, in the tank with high Nitrite I did about a 50% water change and got the ammonia down to about 2 ppm and the Nitrite down to .25 ppm (low readings on both).
My questions are: 1) Should I reduce the amount of ammonia I'm putting in both tanks, making sure it is not going off the charts; 2) why would one tank have nitrite readings off the scale and the other have none?
Thanks for your help.
Eric