55g nitrates 30 ammonia .25 nitrites 0

[Briarmoor]

My first fishless cycle is not going quite like I expected. My nitrites never did get super high (that I know of), but I also did a lot of water changes when my ammonia looked like it was *way* over 6. Then I decided I couldn't compare the colors very good because the shades just didn't match the test kit bottle that well. When ammonia got to .5 (or so I thought) I just added tank water from the 20g when I did a partial water change and gravel vacuum since I couldn't seem to figure out the bottled ammonia thing.

At any rate, I've got algae bloom now and a green tank. Not so pretty but a least something can live in it. The one snail I saw that must have rode in on a potted plant has turned into 2. The plants are all doing fine.

My question, if nitrates are 30 and nitrites are 0 and ammonia is .25, how did I miss the nitrite spike? Did putting in old filter media, gravel, and plants somehow accelerate the process or by not testing for several days did I miss something?

Is this tank cycled? Now what do I do about the algae? I did leave the lights on 24/7 because I read that it sped things up. I kept the curtains in the room closed so natural light did not reach the tank. Since the algae, I have only been turning the lights on for 8 hours at a time in hopes the algae dies.

Any ideas on what's happening?

P.

 

[Sky042]

best way to find out if it's cycled.

Bring the ammonia up to 5ppm today.
Tomorrow at the same time test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate if the first 2 are zero then odds are it's cycled.

Your tank should easily digest 5ppm of ammonia and have it converted into nitrate within 24 hours.

 

[fatguppy]

god sky - you're dead clever! Where DID you get all this knowledge from

In pure admiration........................ B)

 

[sylvia]

Yep do that. If you find it's apparently not cycled...

How long have you been 'cycling' for?

The algae is because of the 24/7 lights which you shouldn't have done.

Test your tap water (don't de-chlorinate).

A cycled tank should have 0 ammonia - not .25...

Also, why did you add water from your other tank? That doesn't help the cycle as the water doesn't contain any good bacteria - those live in your substrate and filter media and other surfaces in the tank.

You also probably slowed the whole thing down because you did a gravel vacuum and water change half way through (you don't have fish in there right?).

 

[Briarmoor]

No, the partial change was on the 20g and I used that water to add waste to the 55g because I didn't feel comfortable adding ammonia since my dip stick test kit didn't seem to show me accurate colors that matched the color chart. I only did partial changes in the 55g when it looked like my ammonia was way over 6 but I have not gravel vacuumed the 55g ever. The 55g has been going with ammonia in it for about 4 weeks at least now. There has to be something in there for all that algae to thrive!

I am looking to order a "real" water test kit, the kind that uses liquid to get readings. Any good places anyone can think of online for these? LFS has them for about $32 and am wondering if I can get them cheaper online, even factoring in shipping. I want an accurate test kit.

The paper I downloaded said that 24/7 light and lots of circulation would speed up the cycling. I wouldn't have done it otherwise.

I think the easiest thing would have been a bottle of BioSpira! I planned on adding fish slowly anyway.

P.

 

[fishwatcher]

You can get a liquid test kit from the Petsmart or Superpets type places. I paid $22 for mine there. These are MUCH more accurate. I'd even say that the strip kit could be wrong an all accounts... my strips were. I'd do what Sky042 said to do, also. (I went the Bio Spira way myself as I'm impatient and didn't want to use all my testing supplies. I figured by the time I spent all that time and money on the testing supplies to cycle it, I could just pay the $10 for the Bio Spira and be done with it. That's just me, though.)
Good luck!!