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High nitrites in cycle of 75g

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  Tha Bizness 
#1 ·
I have been cycling my 75g for a couple of weeks now. I am able to convert ammonia with in 24 hours to nitrites and I do have nitrates but my nitrites are off the chart no matter what I do. A couple of days ago I did a 1/2 water change and today I did a 3/4 water change. RIGHT AFTER the water change a test for nitrites still shows deep purple. I tested my tap water and water in another tank (just to be sure) and both test 0 for nitrites.

If the tank was sitting for some time and had nitrites I wouldn't mind but for it to be deep purple right after water change? That cant be normal.

I am using PFS for substrate. I have a tufa rock, a piece of texas holey, and some basic aquarium rock (cant remember name) from a LFS that specializes in cichlids.

Should I be concerned? Should I just keep feeding the tank ammonia and hope one day soon the nitrites removed on their own?
 
#2 ·
Nitrates remove the Nitrites, and by feeding Ammonia your getting it to build Trites, but Trates build in time. That is why you are haveing a hard time with those, they haven't grown enough to put a dent inthe Trites as of yet. you have to give it time, they will come down, thats nature. It will happen. Quit dosing anything, the cycle has started, most mess it up and its takes longer because of messing with it.
 
#6 ·
I may not have been correct in doing so...but I was kinda thinking along the same lines as you Bizness...so I dosed a small amount of ammonia once a week just to give the ammonia bacteria something to eat. It took my tank about 5-6 weeks to cycle so I don't think it hurt anything.

As a final test before I added fish, I dosed up to 5ppm ammonia and made sure that it and nitrites hit zero in 24 hours or less. When it did I knew I was done. I did a huge water change to clear out some nitrates and went and got fish.
 
#7 ·
I may not have been correct in doing so...but I was kinda thinking along the same lines as you Bizness...so I dosed a small amount of ammonia once a week just to give the ammonia bacteria something to eat. It took my tank about 5-6 weeks to cycle so I don't think it hurt anything.

As a final test before I added fish, I dosed up to 5ppm ammonia and made sure that it and nitrites hit zero in 24 hours or less. When it did I knew I was done. I did a huge water change to clear out some nitrates and went and got fish.
Yes, it can be done with no issues. You say dosed a small amount. Some keep dosing, thats how it gets messed up.
 
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