funnyjew2 said:
Update on my "cycle"
After water change and nitrites read 0 I added 1/4 dose of ammonia (25 drops) just to make sure I was really cycled. Tested tonite hopeing it would read 0 & 0, was going to get my baby oscar tonite. Tested and... Still cycling!!!!

Ammonia went back to 0ppm but Nitirites went back up to 2ppm after 17 hours.
Day 38
I am soooooooooo frustrated now.. This tank will never finish. I'm begining to hate this now
Let me respond to this and explain why I said what I did.
Right after you add ammonia, ammonia will be 2ppm, nitrite 0ppm.
Ammonia level starts to drop as bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite.
After maybe 12 hours ammonia has dropped to 0, but nitrite has steadiliy risen.
Nitrite may peak and then begin to fall some 15-18 hours after the addition of ammonia.
Nitrite has dropped to 0 after 20-22 hours.
So, in this scenario, your tank was 'cycled' before you even added the ammonia. Adding the ammonia and testing is just the proof. The tank was cycled at 10, 12, 16, 17 hours, doesn't matter. 'Cycled' means there's enough bacteria present to handle a certain ammonia load within a 24 hour period. By 'handle' I mean convert it first to nitrite, then nitrate. The testing is just the proof. If you test at 17 hours, you haven't proven that the bacteria can handle the load in 24 hours, only that it can't in 17. If you had tested after 12 hours and had gotten an ammonia and nitrite reading, it doesn't mean your tank wasn't 'cycled'.
So, yes, there are things in the process that you don't understand. Calm down, humble yourself and learn. Or continue to shout at us and we'll probably all go away.

Although I'm not easily intimidated or discouraged.
This is just the first step in a long haul. If you approach all problems going forward this way, you'll decrease your chances for success. Of course you're going to get a lot of different recommendations on an open forum like this. If you're having trouble sorting it all out, find someone who seems to understand and pm them. Many are happy to help this way. I have helped many this way. When you start 3 different threads on your cycling questions, it also adds to the confusion. You started one thread that went for a bit, then started another to ask if the advice you were getting in the first was correct. Then you got a reading you didn't understand, so started yet another thread.
Not trying to belittle you. I am truly trying to help you. This is supposed to be a relaxing hobby.
