# Donh help me out.



## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

ok im still in the process of cycling my tank. The nitrite readings are off the charts but the ammonia readings are close to 0. do i have to keep adding ammonia or should i just let it sit and wait nitrites drop. I read that u have to keep adding ammonia...but if i add more ammonia it will just increase the nitrites and will take longer for my tank to cycle. My tank has been cycling since monday


----------



## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

You will still need to add ammonia to keep the cycle going, except this time at half the initial dose. There are two different types of nitrifiers... one that oxidizes ammonia, and the other, nitrites. If you stop adding ammonia, you will basically starve out the ammonia oxidizing nitrifiers.


----------



## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

do you think it would be smart to do a water change to bring the nitrites down to a readable level or will that just slow down the cycle?


----------



## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

If you don't have any fish in there, don't do a water change until nitrite levels go down. You do not want to dilute the food source for the nitrifiers.


----------



## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

can you please explain it a little more...i know that ammonia ---> nitrite ---> nitrate. but how will the nitrite level go down if i keep adding half a dose of ammonia everyday??


----------



## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

There are 2 types of nitrifiers in an aquarium system... one that oxidizes ammonia and the other oxidizes nitrites. Like I said before, if you stop adding ammonia to your tank once the nitrites spike, you will starve the ammonia oxidizing nitrifiers. Then when the nitrite level goes down, you will need to re-cycle your tank because of 2 reasons: 1) the ammonia oxidizing nitrifiers have either died out or low in number because there wasn't a food source available for them for about a week... and 2) the nitrite oxidizing nitrifiers will slowly die off after the nitrite spike because there no longer is a food source for them to sustain a healthy population (since you have not added more ammonia, there will also be no nitrite). Adding ammonia at half dose during a nitrite spike will ensure that the ammonia munchers will remain in strong numbers, and as a result, produce enough nitrite to satisfy the nitrite munchers. Once both types of nitrifiers have colonized in strong enough numbers, the addition of ammonia will be efficiently converted to nitrates (with ammonia=0, nitrite=0). Once this happens, do a water change and your tank is cycled.


----------



## JeFFLo (Aug 29, 2003)

thx alot donh...that makes more sense


----------

