How long to Cycle new tank?

[Kodiak]

90gal with one 9" Comet.
Aquaclear 500 with sponge, 1 bag of BioMax, 1 bag of Eheim Lavarock, 1 bag
of Ammrid (Amrid added yesterday).
Added recommended dose of Biozyme week1, and added recommended dose of
"Cycle" week2
Tank has been running for 25 days, Ammonia keeps peaking, gotta keep
changing 30% water every 2 days
How long is this gonna take? I gotta go on vacation next week (for one
week), I don't want to impose on the guy
whose feeding the fish to do a water change. Now I'm worried.
PH 7.0
Ammonia, I try to keep it below 1.2mg/L but it keeps peaking.
Nitrite Seems to be going up, 0.5mg/L
Nitrate very low.

Is the Nitrite peak phase of the cycle more dangerous than the Ammonia peak
phase?
Did I screw up by adding two different bacterial enhancement products?

....S

[Azul]

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 01:01:22 -0400, "Kodiak" >
wrote:

>90gal with one 9" Comet.
>Aquaclear 500 with sponge, 1 bag of BioMax, 1 bag of Eheim Lavarock, 1 bag
>of Ammrid (Amrid added yesterday).
>Added recommended dose of Biozyme week1, and added recommended dose of
>"Cycle" week2
>Tank has been running for 25 days, Ammonia keeps peaking, gotta keep
>changing 30% water every 2 days
>How long is this gonna take? I gotta go on vacation next week (for one
>week), I don't want to impose on the guy
>whose feeding the fish to do a water change. Now I'm worried.
>PH 7.0
>Ammonia, I try to keep it below 1.2mg/L but it keeps peaking.
>Nitrite Seems to be going up, 0.5mg/L
>Nitrate very low.
>
>Is the Nitrite peak phase of the cycle more dangerous than the Ammonia peak
>phase?
>Did I screw up by adding two different bacterial enhancement products?
>
>...S
>
No you did not screw up. This is the normal action of a cycling tank.
The fish produce the ammonia as a waste product. The more food they
get the more ammonia that is produced. So the level of ammonia
continues to climb until the bacteria that live on it are established.
Then it will start to decline, but the nitrites start to go up. The
nitrites which is the "waste" of the bacteria that are already
established will continue to rise until the bacteria that live off the
nitrite are firmly established. Once that happens the nitrites will
diminish and the nitrates will increase. When the tank is completely
cycled, the ammonia should be 0 and the nitrite should be 0, but
the nitrates will always be there. This process takes from 6 to 8
weeks. The only way to control the levels of ammonia and nitrite
during cycling is to do water changes.

Since you have registerable nitrites, I would say your cycle is well
on its way. If you are going away, it would be good if your friend
would do the water change. If you have a Python, that would
make it very easy for him. You can also have him feed them
every other day to keep the amount of waste down.

I'm sure some of the more experienced people will also have some
suggestions.

Azul

[Jim Brown]

Kodiak > wrote in message
...
> 90gal with one 9" Comet.
> Aquaclear 500 with sponge, 1 bag of BioMax, 1 bag of Eheim Lavarock, 1 bag
> of Ammrid (Amrid added yesterday).
> Added recommended dose of Biozyme week1, and added recommended dose of
> "Cycle" week2
> Tank has been running for 25 days, Ammonia keeps peaking, gotta keep
> changing 30% water every 2 days
> How long is this gonna take? I gotta go on vacation next week (for one
> week), I don't want to impose on the guy
> whose feeding the fish to do a water change. Now I'm worried.
> PH 7.0
> Ammonia, I try to keep it below 1.2mg/L but it keeps peaking.
> Nitrite Seems to be going up, 0.5mg/L
> Nitrate very low.
>
> Is the Nitrite peak phase of the cycle more dangerous than the Ammonia
peak
> phase?
> Did I screw up by adding two different bacterial enhancement products?
>
> ...S
>

If the ammonia keeps going up and down, there would have to be a source,
perhaps overfeeding?? Easy to do with a single fish in a large tank.
Based on my experience, I would probably omit the feeding for your vacation,
and do a 30% water change the day before you leave. The goldfish will not
starve, and it takes the pressure off your friend. Have your friend just
check on filter operation and water levels.
On your return, test the water and change as needed. Resume feedings but
monitor the water and consider the possibility of overfeeding.

Jim

Jim

[[email protected]]

no.. neither of those work anyway. you have to keep ammonia and nitrite levels as
low as possible. and use Biospira. that works. Ingrid

"Kodiak" > wrote:
>Did I screw up by adding two different bacterial enhancement products?
>
>...S
>



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