OMG

[Fiddlesticks]

I am currently cycling my 60 gal, with not much luck. This would be week 5 now, doing water changes every 2nd or 3rd day to keep my Pl*co from being poisoned. I thought I was finnaly getting somewhere after I added gravel from my other tank. My test results one week after adding the gravel were ammonia 0, NitrIte .25, this was last weekend. My readings this weekend are ammonia 0 NitrIte .25. I seem to be stuck in the last phase of the cycle. Is my bioload too small with only one Pl*co in there? I am running out of ideas here. Could my test kit be faulty? When I do the test the results seem to be good but as it sits for a few minutes the nitrIte keeps getting darker. Is the accurate reading the instant one or the later one. Arrrg. Sorry for the novel, any help would be hugely appreciated.

 

[Auratus]

I would test your other tank and if the readings do the same thing, I would say that you got a bad kit.

 

[silver]

Hmmmmmmm.................

My advice would be to run out and buy 3 real plants and put them in your tank. I BET YOU MONEY that in 48 hours your nitrItes will be at 0ppm!!!!!

 

[leanne]

If you read the instructions on the test kits you will find that most say leave the tests for several minutes. The nitrIte kit is usually the quickest to react (mine 3 mins) the ammonia second (mine 5 mins) and the nitrAte slowest (mine 10 mins but some up to 20 mins ie TetraTest). The reason your levels are low could be you aren't leaving them long enough... or just that they are low.

I agree with getting a few fast growing plants - it gives you a bit of leeway with your nitrAtes.