Guidence Needed With Api Nitrite Test

[simonmac2]

update: -

did er... 12 buckets @ 9l each, out of total 180l so spot on 60% water change

added the dechlorinator and put the plants in that i've had in a bucket for the last 2 weeks [am thinking they will only "eat" the nitrates once they are produced and so should be ok] - SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE PLEASE CONFIRM

got a bonus point from the memsahib for that as they were starting to smell!

nitrite test now down to 2ppm (maybe slightly more, but definately on the scale) the fact that the test chemicals turn blue when they hit the sample, make me feel confident that i'm on the right track - thanks for all advice!!!

i'll wait for an hour and then post the ammonia level - i added 9.5ml which should take it to 5ppm.

I hope this nitrite goes in a day or so.

 

[alysonpeaches]

Im going through the daily nitrite and ammonia testing too, with API reagents. At first I thought perhaps you mixed the bottles up, did you? I almost did this ... Then I got the packs out. the Nitrite test starts off aqua / turquoise colour and if it stays turquoise it is actually 0 ppm. Lilac is 0.25 ppm and 0.5 then it goes to a magenta colour then a gaudy fuchsia pink for 2 ppm. So its possible that you thought the turquoise was a pale green, in which case its 0 ppm.

Check which bottle you are using and which chart. With a hangover its easy to mix them up (thats my excuse).

The ammonia test colours start yellow for 0 ppm then go to pale green at 0.25, 0.50 is also pale green - see why I thought at first you had maybe mixed them up.

In any case, re-test. If in doubt ask LFS to retest.

 

[simonmac2]

hi AP, no the bottles were definately right.

just done the ammonia test after the big water change and ammonia added and am at 5ppm as per the calculator.

WD and MW were spot on - my nitrite test is now deep purple [had to get that in], and ammonia where i put it. not much in the way of nitrates yet [10ppm before the water change]

will the increased planting skew my results? anyone?

Simon

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Simon,

Unless you are planting more than 50% of the substrate, I wouldn't worry at all about the plants having much effect on your test results.

Here are the ways I can think of at the moment that effect fishless cycling:
1) They eat ammonia, but usually not enough to mess up your process
2) They eat nitrates, but that's good!
3) The sometimes die and that adds a little more ammonia in at a slow rate during the day - this can make you wonder a bit sometimes! But usually no big deal if a lot are not dying off.
4) They are fun, and provide something else to do during fishless cycling.

~~wd~~

 

[LionessN3cubs]

Hi Simon,

Unless you are planting more than 50% of the substrate, I wouldn't worry at all about the plants having much effect on your test results.

Here are the ways I can think of at the moment that effect fishless cycling:
1) They eat ammonia, but usually not enough to mess up your process
2) They eat nitrates, but that's good!
3) The sometimes die and that adds a little more ammonia in at a slow rate during the day - this can make you wonder a bit sometimes! But usually no big deal if a lot are not dying off.
4) They are fun, and provide something else to do during fishless cycling.

~~wd~~

Im still left wondering about the nitrite and green color you got tho LOL. Which was it...that your nitrites were high..or that they were low and you just got a weird shade of green? Im thinking they were high like I thought right since you did a water change and now they are back to deep purple readings (back on chart right?). Im really just very curious how quickly yours drops to 0 after the big water change!

 

[simonmac2]

thanks for the confirmation WD and Lioness,

the planting was dojne and apart from one particular plant that burst free 4 times (once the tank was filled of course) everything is looking good. I did a quick ammonia test this morning, and it seemed to have dropped a bit but was down to 2ppm after 9 hours or so

I assume that because the water put in the tank was cold, the bacteria haven't been processing it as quickly as they did previously [PLEASE DON'T TELL ME I'VE KILLED HALF MY COLONY WITHCOLD WATER]

Coupld of things to check RE water changes:

because i wasn't emptying all the water, i left the filter material in the internal filter, while i emptied and then filled back again. the whole process took about 2 hours i guess. At no time did the fileter dry out, and when i was replacing the water, i did pour it in to the filter and then added the dechlorinator every 4 buckets worth - will that have harmed the bacteria?

i guess i'll see when i get home, but would love to here of another method to pour in loads of water without messing up the planting etc

Thanks

Simon

 

[Miss Wiggle]

so you poured water straight from the buckets into the filter without adding dechlor first ...... ???

 

[simonmac2]

1 capful = 4 buckets worth

so it was going in 1 in 4

a truly DOH! moment when i realised - serves me right for rushing i guess.

hope to see the pale yellow when i get home

 

[Miss Wiggle]

to do it ina rush, work out how much dechlor you'll need for the whole change, add that directly to the tank then add water straight into the tank....


the slopw down means you probably nuked some of your ABacs which the chlorine/chloramine, however the fact that it's dropping means you've not got them all.

 

[simonmac2]

thanks MW - as always a calm voice

if i did that, would i have to pour the water straight into the tank? rather than the filterblock? i only poured it in the filter block so that the garish stones pattern (remember that?) wouldn't get too disturbed.

is there another way of pouring in en masse without causing mini tidal waves?

thanks

Simon

 

[Miss Wiggle]

oh yes i forgot your stone pattern, how is that doing now?!

yes you would need to pour directly into the tank, if you want to pour directly into the filter i would recommend you dechlor water before adding it and try to match the temps a little bit.

try filling the tank with a hose pipe instead of a bucket, cos you've a tap you've better control over the flow, so just run it slowly in and point the flow of the hose against the glass which will dissipate it

 

[simonmac2]

the patterns are still there although somewhat blurred by the planting scheme. rather than have a clump of plants, i thought i would space them out (even managed to get some pink plants !!!! lol)

next time dechlor straight in and the pipe then.

i'll see what the temp and ammonia levels are this evening.

logically - even if i've killed of half the colony, that should only knock me back a day?

The reason i didn't put the dechlor all in at the beginning (because i did have this thought) was that i didn't know if it would "hang around" once it was put in to the tank and so wait for the tank to fill up.

I'll remember the temperature hint as well for next time - it was still a bit cool this morning - i am hoping that the bacteria just hibernated due to temp, rather than were slaughtered due to my ineptitude.

still - rather learn while cycling, rather than have inverted floating bodies in the morning ;-)

Regards

Simon
- unmetered internet access at work is definately a worthwhile perk.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

bacteria growth is not always as predictable as we'd like!! I'd expect this to set you back a couple of days unfortunatley, just got to stick with it and hope for the best!!

 

[alysonpeaches]

1 capful = 4 buckets worth

so it was going in 1 in 4

a truly DOH! moment when i realised - serves me right for rushing i guess.

hope to see the pale yellow when i get home

I almost did this too, I worked out how much for every two buckets and was going to add it alternately then it dawned on me! I got a 1 ml pipette and just used that.

oh yes i forgot your stone pattern, how is that doing now?!

yes you would need to pour directly into the tank, if you want to pour directly into the filter i would recommend you dechlor water before adding it and try to match the temps a little bit.

try filling the tank with a hose pipe instead of a bucket, cos you've a tap you've better control over the flow, so just run it slowly in and point the flow of the hose against the glass which will dissipate it

Does this work then? I was too scared to top up by hose adding the water safe stuff to the tank in case a bit of chlorine got to my filter before the dechlorinator had chance to act.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah it's fine, most people with big tanks do this


can you imagine doing a water change using buckets on a 900 gallon tank?!