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	10+ Week Cycle!
Aqua Newbie n MS Hobbyist Posts: 102 Votes: 1 Registered: 01-Jan-2006	Edited by Aqua Newbie n MS Well, after 10 weeks I think my tank has finally started to cycle! Test data as of today is: pH 8.0, Ammonia 2.0, Nitrites 2.0 and Nitrates 10. This is the first time nitrites or nitrates have even registered on the test kit. I think my slow cycle may be attributed to a bad batch of bio-starter. When I used up the the first bottle and then switched to another similar product, things finally started to get going. What's the realistic shelf life on that stuff anyway?
Posted 10-Mar-2006 21:13
weird22person Enthusiast Posts: 163 Kudos: 106 Votes: 11 Registered: 21-Feb-2005	What was the experation date on the bottle? The stuff does have a limited shelf live. After all it is a live product. But glad to hear you got it under control. Wait!!!!! did the test get any reading for ammonia? 20 Gallon Long: Aquaclear 300 2 Bolivian Rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus: Gumby and Pokey
Posted 10-Mar-2006 22:14
sham Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 3369 Kudos: 2782 Votes: 98 Registered: 21-Apr-2004	10 weeks? Are you cleaning the gravel, changing the filter cartridges, or doing lots of water changes? All of those things may slow the cycle down although I really don't think some water changes makes a difference as long as you aren't doing it excessively. I've never taken 10weeks for a cycle and I rarely use bacteria starters. Granted when I set up any tank now I toss in plants right away but that wasn't the case for my first 4 tanks I cycled and they all took 3-5weeks.
Posted 10-Mar-2006 23:41
Aqua Newbie n MS Hobbyist Posts: 102 Votes: 1 Registered: 01-Jan-2006	I no longer have the old bottle so I can't refer back to the expiration date. At the time it didn't occur to me to check it. I only did water changes when the ammonia creeped up to dangerously high levels and I only changed the filter when it was almost to the point of not letting water pass through it anymore. No matter what the delay was, I'm just glad nature has finally taken it's course!
Posted 11-Mar-2006 01:29
sham Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 3369 Kudos: 2782 Votes: 98 Registered: 21-Apr-2004	Should probably have just rinsed the filter cartridges in dechlorinated water and returned them. If you completely change them then you remove a good portion if not majority of the bacteria. Bacteria stick really well so rinsing them off won't remove any as long as you don't use regular tap water with chlorine. The nitrite spike usually takes much less time to complete than the ammonia spike but considering how long that took it could be several more weeks.
Posted 11-Mar-2006 06:45
Aqua Newbie n MS Hobbyist Posts: 102 Votes: 1 Registered: 01-Jan-2006	Initial test results once cycle finally started to kick in: ph 8.0 Ammonia 2.0 Nitrites 2.0 Nitrates 10 5 days after my intial posting (and after being away from home for almost 3 days), current water parameters as follows: pH 8.0 Ammonia 0.5 Nitrites 2.0 Nitrates 40 (this is the highest that they have ever been) Testing was immediately followed by a 25% water change and a re-test in the morning. Does this seem to be progressing as one would expect?
Posted 16-Mar-2006 04:58
weird22person Enthusiast Posts: 163 Kudos: 106 Votes: 11 Registered: 21-Feb-2005	Yes you are entering into the second step of cycling. Once the Ammonia and Nitrites go back to 0 the cycle is complete. 20 Gallon Long: Aquaclear 300 2 Bolivian Rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus: Gumby and Pokey
Posted 16-Mar-2006 22:40
Aqua Newbie n MS Hobbyist Posts: 102 Votes: 1 Registered: 01-Jan-2006	A day after the 25% water change, the test results were almost identical: pH 8.0 Ammonia 0.5 Nitrites 2.0 Nitrates 40 Again, test followed by another 25% water change.
Posted 17-Mar-2006 00:43


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