Fishless Cycle almost complete?

[Rosshaven]

Okay, I'm back. Lost my previous thread to the changes...

I'm working on a fishless cycle (for the past 3/12 wks). Never did have ammonia register no matter how much I added.

Nitrites jumped right away, now have dropped to nothing.

Nitrates started at nothing - have gone up to 20 and now back down to 5.

KH - steady 50, GH steady 50, no PO4 registering, PH 7.5 steady.

Does this mean I'm almost done?

Also, I have a 108 gallon tank - once complete what happens if I still stock it slowly? Too expensive to do too much at once -although you never know - I've asked Santa for gift certificates! Will the bacteria I've been growing just die back to the level of fish I have?

Please tell me I'm almost done!

Also, never did figure out what that film was gathering on the top all the time but my LFS sold me an attachment for my fluval which draws part of the water off the top the tank and this has made the evidence disappear..

Please, please, tell me I'm almost done!

 

[morleyz]

If ammonia and nitrites are @ 0 within 24hrs after adding your daily dosage of ammonia, then yes, your cycle is complete.

If you stock the tank slowly, your bacteria will die back to the level of your stock...so once you start this way, you'll have to continue normal stocking rules of 2-3 fish every week and a half or so.

 

[Rosshaven]

Okay - and I kind of understood that all through this process, but...who can afford to fully stock their tank all at once (at least one my size) and if you can't - what is the point of going with the fishless cycle if you are going to have to do it the other way anyways?

Am I going to have to watch for mini-cycles until the tank is fully stocked?

 

[famman]

Hey, not everyone has a 160 gal tank to stock. I fully stocked both my10 gal and my 20 gal after a fishless cycle.

Fishless cycling is still great, even if you start by understocking. The bacteria die-back will not involve mini-cycles, and no fish are harmed at all.
good luck

 

[morleyz]

As long as you stock slowly you will not have any problems. Just don't go out and add 20 fish because you got some cash for Christmas.