Cycling process
- Thread starter Hentie
- Start date
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Naekuh
Valuable Member
Yea but there is no need.
Its been a month so im guessing your probably already almost 50->80% in your cycle.
Test Nitrite and Nitrate....
Cycle goes from Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate.
Traditionally once u see Nitrate, its over, but some like to test cycle before going full live.
So what you do is wait for Ammonia and Nitrite to bottom to 0 or as close to 0 as possible, and then reintroduce ammonia at 2ppm.
If your tank can convert the Ammonia to nitrate in 24 hours, your done with cycle.
You then do a water change of 40% to flush the excess nitrate you collected while you were cycling.
Then turn on your skimmer + other mechanical filtration like filter floss, or sponge filter, and then you can start adding fish.
Do it slowly tho, or you will undergo a second cycle.
So stop dosing prime.
Test Nitrate - have about 15-20ppm?
Test Ammonia - should be 0
Test Nitrite - should be also almost 0... if you have high nitrite like 4ppm, then your on the nitrite part of the cycle, and its not complete yet.
Remember its for every 1 Ammonia ~> 2.6 Nitrite ~> 3.6 Nitrate.
Ultimately your left with a stock pile of nitrate.
Its been a month so im guessing your probably already almost 50->80% in your cycle.
Test Nitrite and Nitrate....
Cycle goes from Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrate.
Traditionally once u see Nitrate, its over, but some like to test cycle before going full live.
So what you do is wait for Ammonia and Nitrite to bottom to 0 or as close to 0 as possible, and then reintroduce ammonia at 2ppm.
If your tank can convert the Ammonia to nitrate in 24 hours, your done with cycle.
You then do a water change of 40% to flush the excess nitrate you collected while you were cycling.
Then turn on your skimmer + other mechanical filtration like filter floss, or sponge filter, and then you can start adding fish.
Do it slowly tho, or you will undergo a second cycle.
So stop dosing prime.
Test Nitrate - have about 15-20ppm?
Test Ammonia - should be 0
Test Nitrite - should be also almost 0... if you have high nitrite like 4ppm, then your on the nitrite part of the cycle, and its not complete yet.
Remember its for every 1 Ammonia ~> 2.6 Nitrite ~> 3.6 Nitrate.
Ultimately your left with a stock pile of nitrate.
Naekuh
Valuable Member
Yep... because a skimmer skims excess organics before it gets broken down to nitrates...
You can leave the cup off, skimmer on tho, as it will oxygenate your water, which is a good thing for cycle.
