Cycling Test Readings

[mifty12]

Hi Guys

I am 11 days into my fishless cycle using Waterlife's "seamature" which despite the name is suitable for marine and freshwater. Below are my test readings which i was wondering if you wouldn't mind browsing over-


Date PH/Ammonia ppm /Nitrite ppm/ Nitrate ppm

16/04/2005/ 7.2/ 2/ 0/ 40
17/04/2005/ 7.6/ 0.5/ 0/ 10
18/04/2005/ 7.5/ 1/ 5/ 40
19/04/2005/ 7.4/ 2/ 5/ 40
20/04/2005/ 7.4/ 3/ 5/ 40
21/04/2005/ 7.4/ 4/ 5/ 40

23/04/2005/ 7.4/ 2/ 5/ 5
24/04/2005/ 7.4/ 0/ 5/ 7
25/04/2005 7.4 0.25 2 10
26/04/2005 7.4 0 5 10


Are these looking like the type of readings i should be getttind now ?



Thanks




Just

 

[asaint]

The data is a bit confusing to read but...

appears your ammonia levels have dropped to 0. That's a great sign. I'm assuming you did a water change there as the Nitrates went from 40 to 5 in one day? Maybe I'm misreading it.

Asaint

 

[mifty12]

Yes you're reading them right, the nitrates did drop but without a water change. I am doing a fishless cycle and was advised not to do any water changes til its fully cycled.

 

[dwarfgourami]

The stages you would expect in the cycle are:

1. the ammonia goes up

2. the ammonia comes down and the nitrites go up

3. the nitrites come down and the nitrates go up - cycle finished, you do a water change and add fish

From your readings it looks like you are in stage 2, which I've beeen told often lasts for 2 weeks (it did for me) or more, so it's a question of patience. Don't understand the sudden drop of nitates, but perhaps more knwoledgeable people can explain that.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

This chart from the FINS site should help:

Taken from FINS

 

[rdd1952]

I'm at a loss as to how your nitrates could drop from 40 to 5 without a water change unless you added a huge amount of live plants (don't think that would do it either). There isn't anything that will reduce nitrates except water changes, plants or algae. Otherwise they continue to climb. At the end of a normal fishless cycle, you should have nitrates that are completely off the chart, probably in the 140 plus range. You also should be seeing a pretty large algae build up. As I said, with all the nitrates, the tank is ripe for algae, especially if you don't have live plants.
Are you adding more ammonia every day? I would add enough ammonia to raise the level to around 4 ppm again. Then start testing it every day. Once you see a drop there, test nitrites. Keep checking ammonia until it drops to zero. At that point, the nitrites should be off the chart. Contiue to add ammonia to raise to around 1 ppm and keep checking nitrite. When the nitrite drops, do the big 75% to 90% water change and you are done. Since your nitrates are only at 10, I don't think you are any further than possibly the nitrite spike which as someone already mentioned will probably last about 2 weeks.