Need some help on cycling

[914joe]

I have a 2.5 gallon ,it has been running for about 2 weeks now ,i started with fish food and found it difficult,so i went and picked up a bottle of Ammonia from ACE Hardware.I initially added about half a tea soon of crushed pellets and about 4 or 5 after that each day, but i never saw the ammonia drop much .about 3 days ago i added 2 drops of ammonia and i took a test and it was around 4ppm .I added another drop yesterday and it seems to have gone a little past 5,i tested for nitrites about 4 or 5 days ago and it was 0.today i tested the nitrites and ammonia and the nitrites are really high and ammonia seems to at 5ppm.Should i leave it as is ,if i add more ammonia i think it will go way over 8 ppm in such a small tank .I also purchased a seachem Ammonia alert disk but it does not seem to match the reading i get with the Api test kit ,i read something about ,that it only shows a reading for free ammonia that is harmful to fish .I am a new to all this so i don't know what i should do next ,here is a pic of what i got today .

[Bettanewbie60]

I would think that a 2.5g is going to be really hard to cycle..not enough surface area. I may be incorrect, but Oldfishlady would know. I have a 2.5g but it is not filtered or cycled.

[914joe]

I decided to test for ph and nitrate since i have never checked them ,this what i got ,nitrates look like 10 or 20 to me and ph seems to be 7.6.does this all seem normal for cycling .

[teeneythebetta]

It defenitely looks like youre getting somewhere!
2.5 gallons are possible to cycle, even 1 gallons can be cycled it is just very difficult to keep it stable. Good luck!

[Hallyx]

It looks like you're on your way to a cycled tank. Your nitrite reading suggest this, as does an increase in nitrate. How long have you been cycling this tank? I assume you don't have "seeded" (with bacteria) media.

Several of us have successfully cycled smaller tanks. I have two 3g and a 2.5g running.

Your ammonia should start going down. When it does (and only when it does), you can add a couple of drops to keep it around 5.0ppm.

If your nitrate goes up >30ppm, you can do a large water change. Until then, don't touch anything.

Don't know about ammonia discs. Your API test kit is your best indicator when cycling.

'Stability' is a function of the bacteria colony size. Having extra filter foam in the intake and outlet flow gives bacteria more area in which to grow.

A few live plants will keep your nitrates under control when your tank is cycled.

The blue vial indicates you're using the low-range pH test. For more accuracy in the mid-7 pH range, use the high-range bottle

[914joe]

Thank you so much Hallyx for your help, it has been about 2 weeks now from when i started.I just did as you said and used the high range PH test it looks like 7.4 to me.I also tested for ammonia today and it still is at 5 or a bit higher so i will do as you said and do nothing for now until i see it drop some.I have 2 sponge filters in there for now i will be transferring one of them to a new 6.6 tank when i am able to set it up for my betta .I have a friend who no longer wanted to take care of his betta fish and gave it to me so i will house him in here when it is ready .Here is a pic of the tank i am trying to cycle and a pic of the betta i just got from my friend.

[Bettanewbie60]

Wow...beautiful fish!

[Perseusmom]

Very pretty Betta..have you decided on a name yet ? Good luck on the cycling sounds like your just about there, he will love his new home !

[914joe]

Originally Posted by Perseusmom

Very pretty Betta..have you decided on a name yet ? Good luck on the cycling sounds like your just about there, he will love his new home !

Thanks, i just kept the name my friend gave him Evan.

[Hallyx]

Now is the time for patience, but.....

Once you see the ammonia going down, you can shave several days off the cycle by keeping the ammonia >4.0, running the filter(s) full blast, getting the temperature up >85* and covering the tank to keep it dark. The bacteria like that.

When you're cycled, the filter you move to the new tank will have plenty of bacteria. So your new tank will be virtually cycled right from the beginning.

Beautiful butterfly. Looks just like my wife's "Valentine."