Confused Newbie.

[Phil Marsh]

Being like most beginners I brought a tank and a week later added 2 neon tetras.

I stuck in an api aqua-detox bag to help.

The tetras are doing great! I've been doing 25-50% water changes minimum and never let the ammonia reach above 0.25 for more than an hour or so.

Its been running for around 2 weeks now and these are today's readings using api master kit

Ammonia 0-0.25
NitrITE 0-0.25
NitrATE 5.0


Am I nearly cycled or no where near?

 

[TrainRek77]

seeems like it's moving along fast. You still have some time until it's complete. If your reading is .25 do a water change right then. Feed very little and turn the temp up to around 78 to 80 f*.

 

[Jayladd]

Looks like you've got some bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite but none that convert nitrite to nitrate. It takes much longer for the nitrite converting bacteria to come, think you've got a least 2 weeks left to go I'd guess. I have 5.0 nitrates in my tap water too.

 

[Jayladd]

As you've got neons in their I would keep the temp around 25C, I don't know much about neons but not sure if they can withstand temps at 80F.

 

[Phil Marsh]

I've been keeping them at around 24.4 which apparently is best for bacteria.

Will the aqua detox ruin or slow down the process? So far it's been a life saver and i feed them once a day only a tiny amount let them eat it all and watch to see if there is any uneaten food.

Any tips to speed it up or is it just a waiting game?

 

[Katch]

waiting game I'm afraid.

Keep doing what you're doing but increase the size of your water changes when you get detectable ammonia/nitrites. 90% is not too much as long as you roughly temp match the water going back in - but certainly aim for at least 75%

Feed VERY sparingly every other day - the fish will be fine as long as the ammonia/nitrite doesn't kill them. (which is why we do massive water changes in 'fish in' cycles.

Once you start getting zeros for both tests every time you test let the tank settle an mature - no new stock for a couple of weeks at least. You can drop your water changes back to a weekly 25% now unless you see ammonia or nitrite then 75%

2 or 3 weeks of good tests and weekly 25% water changes start to add stock SLOWLY - a small group of small fish or a pair or single larger fish. Then leave it 2 or 3 weeks etc etc.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to our forum Phil.
I am afraid that your tank/filter is far from being cycled. It is encouraging that you are getting some nitrites showing up. At least that tells you the ammonia has started to be incompletely processed. Unfortunately the nitrite processors often take twice as long to become established as the ammonia processors and the ammonia processors are not really fully established yet, or you would be seeing zero for ammonia readings.

 

[Phil Marsh]

Well at least I know it has started
Will the aqua-detox slow it down or stop it?

 

[Phil Marsh]

After doing another test today I'm debating weather or not the ammonia is 0?

I did a water change straight after seeing the nitrite levels.

Here is a photo of the results.

Ammonia: http/lvkr.ru/v0DnYa.jpg

Nitrite: http/lvkr.ru/YCpSam.jpg

Nitrate: http/lvkr.ru/B1V2J0.jpg

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Hi Phil..just to clarify, were these results taken just after a water change?
if not, then your Ammonia is '0', but i would hasten to guess your NitrItes are showing just a little ('0' Nitrite is a 'Disney Colour' blue).
Continue to monitor and do your water changes when needed..
Also, your NitrAte reading is '0' as well, and you don't seem to be holding it up against the NitrAte chart !?!?!(the one which goes dark, dark red).
Terry.

 

[Phil Marsh]

This was before the water change.
The ammonia was 0. And the nitrite is the 0.25
An the nitrates where between 5.0-10

I'm confused am I cycling or not?

I have got an aqua-detox in the filter (nitra zorb) which is supposed to absorb all the bad bits

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Afraid i'm not familiar with the nitra zorb..but it does seem to me to ne some kind of chemical filtration to get rid of NitrAtes? If so, it is not needed.
To get a clear indication of what your NitrAtes in your tank are, do 2 things;
1/ Smash the living hell out of both NitrAte test bottles, i mean to do it for 2/3 minutes, play the drums with them on the floor, really shake 'em up.
2/ Then compare a set of results from your tank against your tap water results, maybe put a pic of those up on here (seeing as your recent pics are very clear and focused )

Terry.

 

[balajake]

nitrites usually start rising after ammonia does, keep up the water changes as nitrites dont usually show up in great amounts for maybe 10 days after your cycle starts and they gradually get higher until your filter has grown enough bacteria to neutralise them. i think a fish in cycle is a slower process than a fishless one but i could be mistaken on that.

you want your ammonia and nitrites as close to zero as you can get it with fish in your tank, especially nitrites as they are more harmful in smaller quantities.

 

[Phil Marsh]

I'm using bottled water because my tap water has a really high PH the bottle states the nitrATES are at 11mg/L and a test reads 10ppm

Here is the comparison.
http/lvkr.ru/bb7PMV.jpg

 

[The Taffy Apple]

I'm using bottled water because my tap water has a really high PH the bottle states the nitrATES are at 11mg/L and a test reads 10ppm

Here is the comparison.
http/lvkr.ru/bb7PMV.jpg

How high are talking here? High enough to kill your two Neon Tetra? The beneficial bacteria you are trying to grow prefer higher levels of PH.

Terry.