Andy M Fishless Cycle

It might be worth adding real plants too at some point down the line.

Hmm that does seem odd. I'm assuming nitrate 5 means nitrite? I remember you said your nitrate was really really high, and someone suggested (I think Steve?) whilst I was cycling that high nitrate levels can sometimes stall a cycle, so it may be worth doing a large water change to bring the nitrate down and see if that improves things. Wait until your 24 hour results though, as it still does seem things are being eaten by then!

It might be worth adding real plants too at some point down the line.

Hmm that does seem odd. I'm assuming nitrate 5 means nitrite? I remember you said your nitrate was really really high, and someone suggested (I think Steve?) whilst I was cycling that high nitrate levels can sometimes stall a cycle, so it may be worth doing a large water change to bring the nitrate down and see if that improves things. Wait until your 24 hour results though, as it still does seem things are being eaten by then!

Yes i did mean nitrites, sorry, as for live plants i just didnt want to go down that route. I've got enough to be going on with once i get fish ( if ever) without having to look after plants too

It could be your high nitrate inhibiting the nitrite eaters somewhat. You've grown enough to remove the nitrite from 4ppm ammonia in 24 hours, but seem to be stuck growing enough to get rid of it in 12 hours.

I've looked back through the thread and this seems to be the summary:

Day 20 - 24 hours: am zero, nit zero. Dosed to 2ppm
Day 21 - 24 hours: am zero, nit .25. Dosed to 3ppm
Day 22 - 24 hours: am zero, nit 2 to 5. Dosed to 3ppm
Day 24 - 24 hours: am zero, nit zero. Dosed to 4ppm
Day 25 - 12 hours: am 1, nit 5. 24 hours: am zero, nit zero. Dosed to 4ppm
Day 26 - 12 hours: am 0.5, nit 5. 24 hours: am zero, nit zero. Dosed to 4ppm
Day 27 - 12 hours: am 2, nit 5+. Not reached 24 hours yet.

It does look as though both have stopped dropping as much as they were yesterday at 12 hours.
3 possiblilties.
You accidentally dosed more than 4ppm ammonia last night (did you check the ppm afterwards? I didn't because I just added the same amount I had been adding)
The high nitrate is inhibiting the bacteria.
Your pH has crashed - easily checked.


It's not likely to be the pH with your hard water but it is worth checking just to eliminate it as a cause.
See what the readings are this evening. They have been zero at the 24 hour tests for the last three days so if they are not zero this evening, either you did add too much ammonia or something's affecting the bacteria.
If they are above zero, don't add any more ammonia and see what happens tomorrow. If the readings are still the same tomorrow morning, I would do a water change then tomorrow evening just dose to 3ppm. And I would also stick to 3ppm until the cycle has finished. That amount will grow you enough bacteria. And it won't make as much nitrate as 4ppm.

Day 27

24 hour test
Ammonia zero
Nitrite zero
Ph 8

Did a 50% water change then added 3ml ammonia to hopefully get me 3ppm and no more

Ah well that's something. See what tomorrow morning brings although may be slightly more than 12 hours cos  i'm off work but if I wake early I will test at usual time 6 o clock

Looking good!

Assuming that's nitrite at 0.25 (the API nitrate test can't measure that low), it's definitely looking good. You won't need another water change for cycling purposes but you'll probabaly need another one just before you get your fish as the nitrate level will be creeping back up.

Ooops I did it again, yes I did mean nitrite, it was early in the morning 

That water change seems to have done the trick 

Day 29

Ammonia 0.5 ppm

Nitrite between 2 and 5

So frustrating, thinking of either getting fish and hoping for best or just giving up

It was that hint of purple stage at 12 hours that I gave in and got fish  Though having said that, I cycled to 2ppm and the community creator says that 1 betta in a 25 litre tank is only 20% stocked so I'd probably got way more bacteria than I needed even with that hint of purple.

In your shoes, I'd either wait a few more days and see if you can get to that hint of pruple or even blue in 12 hours, or there is another option. Get some fish but not all you want. You'll have enough bacteria for half your planned stocking with no problems. It will mean you'll have to continue getting more fish like for a fish-in cycle but at least you'd have some in the tank. If you do decide to do this, get around half of the fish you want to get, wait a couple of weeks then get more; a third of what you'll already have. Then a couple of weeks later, another third-of-what-you-already-have and so on till you've got all your fish.

Whichever you decide keep an eye on the ammonia & nitrite levels after you get fish till you are sure the filter is coping, and also every time you add more fish