Opinions on where my cycle is?
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What have you done up till now? How much ammonia have you added and how often? And are you following this method http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/
If you have been following the method on here, you need to test today, then in 2 days, then in another 2 days, and another 2 days and so on until two of those tests show zero ammonia. Then add a small dose of ammonia, enough to get the tank level to 1 ppm.
Then wait. And wait. When your tests results finally show ammonia under 0.25 and nitrite under 1.0, then you can add another 3 ppm dose of ammonia. But not until nitrite has dropped below 1.0.
Is 5 the highest reading on the nitrite tester? Your nitrite level could be anything from 5 upwards as once the level gets higher than the maximum the tester goes, it still shows as that highest colour regardless of how high it actually is.
If you have been following the method on here, you need to test today, then in 2 days, then in another 2 days, and another 2 days and so on until two of those tests show zero ammonia. Then add a small dose of ammonia, enough to get the tank level to 1 ppm.
Then wait. And wait. When your tests results finally show ammonia under 0.25 and nitrite under 1.0, then you can add another 3 ppm dose of ammonia. But not until nitrite has dropped below 1.0.
Is 5 the highest reading on the nitrite tester? Your nitrite level could be anything from 5 upwards as once the level gets higher than the maximum the tester goes, it still shows as that highest colour regardless of how high it actually is.
Okay, did a small water change upon recommendation yesterday, about 15% so that high nitrite would not stall my cycle. My tank has been up for two weeks, and I've dosed with ammonia around 3 or 4 times. CToday my readings are:
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: .50
Nitrate: 40
So still dose the tank to 1 ppm of ammonia?
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: .50
Nitrate: 40
So still dose the tank to 1 ppm of ammonia?
It is interesting that the ammonia reading stayed the same after the water change and nitrate increased.
The ammonia reading could well be the same because it was really zero on both occasions. If you have the API ammonia tester that is notoriously hard to tell the difference between 0 and 0.25.
But nitrate should have gone down with a water change - unless you have grown a lot of nitrite-eating bacteria which are busy turning nitrite into nitrate.
Since your nitrite is now nice and low I would add a 3 ppm dose of ammonia and test after 24 hours. If both ammonia and nitrite are zero, the tank is cycled. If one or both are not zero, continue testing every day - without adding ammonia - until ammonia is below 0.25 and nitrite is below 1.0, then add another 3 ppm ammonia and test again next day. Continue with this pattern until you do have 2 zeros.
The ammonia reading could well be the same because it was really zero on both occasions. If you have the API ammonia tester that is notoriously hard to tell the difference between 0 and 0.25.
But nitrate should have gone down with a water change - unless you have grown a lot of nitrite-eating bacteria which are busy turning nitrite into nitrate.
Since your nitrite is now nice and low I would add a 3 ppm dose of ammonia and test after 24 hours. If both ammonia and nitrite are zero, the tank is cycled. If one or both are not zero, continue testing every day - without adding ammonia - until ammonia is below 0.25 and nitrite is below 1.0, then add another 3 ppm ammonia and test again next day. Continue with this pattern until you do have 2 zeros.
I have heard too about false low readings with nitrate test if it's not shaken well enough? I don't know if that only applies to readings of zero, but would it be possible that I had a higher reading of nitrates, but did not adequately shake test bottle 2, or the tube?
It's definitely possible to get a false low reading on your nitrate, especially if (a) you haven't tested in a while, or (b) you have never fully shaken the second bottle of reagent. the reagent is a powder and drops out of the solution quite quickly. Despite the instructions saying shake for 30 seconds, in my experience you need to shake for a couple of minutes, banging the bottle on a hard surface a couple of times if necessary. It's possible the powder has all but solidified in the bottom of the bottle if it's been sitting around for a while.
The low readings will show whether you have a reading of zero or anything above, if the reagent is not mixed into the solution.
The low readings will show whether you have a reading of zero or anything above, if the reagent is not mixed into the solution.
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