# Cycling My Tank, I've Got My Nitrite Spike!



## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

I have been tracking the progress of my 75 gallon tank. I started the cycle last friday and here are the results...

75 Gallon Tank Cycle
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Friday
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Ammonia	8.0PPM
Nitrites	.25PPM
Nitrates	10.PPM
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Saturday
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Ammonia	4.0PPM
Nitrites	5.0PPM
Nitrates	20.PPM
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Sunday
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Ammonia	0.0PPM
Nitrites	5.0PPM
Nitrates	5.0PPM
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Monday
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Ammonia	0.0PPM
Nitrites	5.0PPM
Nitrates	7.0PPM
----------------------

That is current to about 15 minutes ago...Just wondering how long it takes the nitrates to break downthe nitrites so that i can put fish in? And is it possible that the reason my nitrates fluctuate so much is because of the fack that it's a planted tank and my plants are stealing the nitrates before they get a chance to break down the nitrites?

Myabe you can help me Don =)


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

each tank is gonna be a little different. i remember cycling my first planted betta tank... a 10 gallon divided barracks... the nitrite and nitrate battled it out for what seems FOREVER. but it will eventually work as long as you continue to provide some source to create ammonia->nitrite->nitrate.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Are you cycling a virgin tank (not seeded with any type of established material)? Your tank won't cycle within a week if that's the case. Also, what food source is there in the tank if you haven't added any fish yet?

Sometimes the cycle will seem "stuck" at the nitrite stage because the species of nitrifier responsible for oxidizing nitrites to nitrates usually takes longer to establish itself. You just need to be patient... Increasing aeration helps and, if you have any fish in there, add a little salt.


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## Supa Samoan (Jan 13, 2005)

nitrates are the bi product of nitrites. your plants will consume some of the nitrates but nitrates do not convert nitrites in to an inert substance. you should read the nitrogen cycle again. amonia>nitrites>nitrates= water change. when you get an amonia spike you'll then have a nitrite spike and then nitrate spike. if you're keeping the amonia input constant and have a zero reading your tank is cycled do a 50% water change and add fish slowly don't overload your tank you might have another amonia spike and loose some fish. Also it is very unlikely that your tank cycled in a week without it being seeded or the addition of bio spira. good luck with you tank.


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

Whole Story...Got a 75 gallon tank from a friend. he had a 10" high diamond rhom in it that died ...he didn't know much about keeping fish, he just found it at a lfs and bought it and killed it pretty much...anyway that's a whole nother story. back to the point. he gave me this tank and it had ugly gravel and i wanted sand anyway. so i pulled the gravel and put play sand in the bottom. I then placed 2 aqua tech 30-60 hang on filters on the tank 1 was brand new and the other was on an old 55 but hadn't been in use. i bought new filter pads (bio media) for the 2 filters to start off fresh. I then took ceramic rings from my established 200 gallon piranha tank that you will see to the left there <--- and placed them behind the fiulter pads in my filters..I then too 2 legs of panty hose and placed gravel from my 200 gallon tank as well and placed them on the inside of my filters also. So water flows through ceramic ringsd and gravel both frommy 200 gallon tank. Once that was set...I added about 1/4 oz. of pure ammonia to the tank on thursday to start the cycle and tested it for the first time on friday...and those are the tests so far...I will keep doing one every day until i get a nitrate spike and then do a water change to suck them all out

One more thing..nitrates are what plants eat correct?


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

Also, there are about 15 plants in the tank...here is a pic and there ae now 2 fish in it =) 2 big gold fish


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

By "Big" I Mean Large Comet Goldfish teehee!


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## Slim (Jan 9, 2005)

Faded said:


> By "Big" I Mean Large Comet Goldfish teehee!
> [snapback]882370[/snapback]​


This is a water chem forum, if you don't have anything to contribute, DON'T post!

*edited DonH


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## Slim (Jan 9, 2005)

Slim said:


> Faded said:
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> > By "Big" I Mean Large Comet Goldfish teehee!
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Thanks daddy but if you would look into it more, like maybe check out the website Faded and I have together, you would find out that we are best friends and we both thought it was funny. But since you seem not to have a sense of humor DonH than let me know so I will be better aware next time not to make any jokes to friends of mine. Thanks again Dad, I mean DonH


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Listen here "son"... When I get a PM from members reporting that you are being rude to another member, I do not need to research your personal life history nor check out your website to identify who your friends are. You can call your friends "***" all you want on your website, but not in this forum...

Consider yourself warned...


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

Slim said:


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Dude, chill out.


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

LOL...Sorry To Have Started This. I Called Him A *** On His Post But I Aplologized Immediately The Very Next Post, He Was Just Getting Me Back Sorry =)

BTW DonH..I Really Do Appreciate Your Knowledge On Water Chemistry And Such. You Have Helped Me Tremendously!


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## Slim (Jan 9, 2005)

Im sorry to have called you *** faded It was a joke and I apologize. And im sorry to DonH and all other members for have called Faded a ***. If someone took this personal other than Faded apperntaly this nly forum that has a bad language prefrence in it, cause Ive read alot of other forums that have the same stuff like for instant NON-PIRANHA GERNERAL DISCUSSION, just for kicks and noone has gotten warned about that. But hey pick on the guy that was joking with one of his buddies and believing a snitch who doesnt click on sites and just reads. Once again Im sorry DonH for the







and never meant anything in a bad way. Im not hear to cause trouble, just to learn. And make friends of course. Oh what about the forum I posted were I got a *** also in aquatic plants, noone snitched about that either did they? Cause if they did That was also a JOKE.

I apoligize,

LOVE SLIM


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

I still love you sweet cheeks!


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## Slim (Jan 9, 2005)

Youd think someone whos been on this site awhile would see the web address at the bottom of your post that says check out my web page and see your and someone esles name by it


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Slim said:


> If someone took this personal other than Faded apperntaly this nly forum that has a bad language prefrence in it, cause Ive read alot of other forums that have the same stuff like for instant NON-PIRANHA GERNERAL DISCUSSION, just for kicks and noone has gotten warned about that. But hey pick on the guy that was joking with one of his buddies and believing a snitch who doesnt click on sites and just reads. Once again Im sorry DonH for the
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Slim said:


> Youd think someone whos been on this site awhile would see the web address at the bottom of your post that says check out my web page and see your and someone esles name by it
> [snapback]884261[/snapback]​


I was just going to let this pass and not derail this thread any further than it already has been but...

I am going to say this really SSLLOOWWLLYY so you can understand. I am not going to check out every signature of every member on this site. If you do, then have fun. My responsibility is to take care certain forums (namely Water Chem and Diseases). I leave the other forums to moderators assigned to them. If they let it slide, that's their choice. I'm sure Frank, acestro, innes and other staff agree with me regarding the excessive use of foul language.

I'm not going to check out your web page and I'm sure not everyone does also. Get over it...


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## Slim (Jan 9, 2005)

DonH said:


> Slim said:
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> > If someone took this personal other than Faded apperntaly this nly forum that has a bad language prefrence in it, cause Ive read alot of other forums that have the same stuff like for instant NON-PIRANHA GERNERAL DISCUSSION, just for kicks and noone has gotten warned about that. But hey pick on the guy that was joking with one of his buddies and believing a snitch who doesnt click on sites and just reads. Once again Im sorry DonH for the
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Hey Your welcome for the apoligy. I thought I capitalized it so you could read it? Sorry if you missed it. Once again I apoligize. Now can we be grown adults and drop it like I tried doing? Im sorry it just really bothers me that all these members that are on this site and you pick out one of them instead of every single one of them that does it. If you would like I will go through every forum and ppick out everyone who has typed foul language and let you know. Im willing to do that so Im not the only one getting confronted about it.

LOVE YOURS TRULY
SLIM ANUS


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## smithgrind_who (Mar 26, 2004)

Slim said:


> Im sorry to have called you *** faded It was a joke and I apologize. And im sorry to DonH and all other members for have called Faded a ***. If someone took this personal other than Faded apperntaly this nly forum that has a bad language prefrence in it, cause Ive read alot of other forums that have the same stuff like for instant NON-PIRANHA GERNERAL DISCUSSION, just for kicks and noone has gotten warned about that. But hey pick on the guy that was joking with one of his buddies and believing a snitch who doesnt click on sites and just reads. Once again Im sorry DonH for the
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Hey Slim, if you want to be angry with somebody it would be me. I reported your post and if you are angry over it, eh,







I don't have time to read every post in every forum, and I get tired of reading post that degrade others. Usually most post here in the water chemistry forum are about the exchange of information.


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

Slim said:


> DonH said:
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Slim, no harm, no foul. Don took the action he felt was appropriate and whats done is done. Just let it go man.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Slim said:


> Hey Your welcome for the apoligy. I thought I capitalized it so you could read it? Sorry if you missed it. Once again I apoligize. *Now can we be grown adults and drop it like I tried doing?* Im sorry it just really bothers me that all these members that are on this site and you pick out one of them instead of every single one of them that does it. If you would like I will go through every forum and ppick out everyone who has typed foul language and let you know. Im willing to do that so Im not the only one getting confronted about it.
> 
> LOVE YOURS TRULY
> SLIM ANUS
> [snapback]884454[/snapback]​


Like I said before, I was going to let it pass and not post any further on this thread until you added another post after your apology:



Slim said:


> Youd think someone whos been on this site awhile would see the web address at the bottom of your post that says check out my web page and see your and someone esles name by it
> [snapback]884261[/snapback]​


Doesn't seem like you were trying to drop it does it?







I was going to take your apology as sincere until then...

I don't read every thread on this site. My time at work limits the amount of posts I read/reply to. When a post is brought to my attention, and I feel that it was warranted, it is my responsibility to correct it. After all, this is the water chem forum and not the lounge and Faded was asking a valid question. Then some other member calls him "***" from out of the blue (to me). I sent you a PM stating that this was not a warning yet but think about the way you post in this forum. It should have been done there... But you had to call me daddy, flip me off, and say that I don't have a sense of humor which landed you with an official warning. Simple enough?

I was going to lock this thread because it has gone WAY off topic. But I'll leave it...

Slim: If you still have any problems PM me.

Faded: If you have any further questions regarding nitrites, I suggest you start another thread.


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