Please help me decipher my readings

[boozybears]

Hi everyone,

5 weeks ago I purchased a 25 gallon tank and, since I hadn't found this forum yet, have been cycling using fish. I know it can take a while for the tank to cycle but my test results are really confusing and I was hoping someone out there might be able to assist.

amonia- .5-1.0 (this is as accurate as my test gets) My tank has stayed at this level for as long as I've been testing it... which is about 1 week into the process

nitrite - levels had been consistently reading .3 but have just risen to 1.6 in the last few days

nitrate - for the past 2 weeks nitrate levels have been steady at 10 but in the last few days this has also risen to approx 40

I thought that as the nitrate levels increased the nitrite and amonia would bottom out. Is this normal? We are currently doing 15-20% water changes at least every 2 days and using a biocycle product as well.

After losing some guppies and my male molly earlier on my remaining fish have been doing really well until the last few days. Now 2 of my platties are beginning to hide all day long and their colour is a little off. I'm worried about them and don't want to lose them (I've become way too attached)

thanks in advance for all your help!

Val

 

[tstenback]

Sometimes the ammonia can be very stubborn. It should have bottomed out just after the nitrites started to spike. It sounds like you are having a nitrite spike now and this is probably why the platies are a bit off. Keep up with the water changes but not quite as often unless the nitrite or nitrate readings get too high. For nitrite that IMO would be greater than 1 and for nitrate over 30. Whenthis happens i do a 20% change and I also do a weekly of 15% anyway(regardless of the readings when i cycle with fish). I think perhaps the nitrates are coming from all of the biocycling product if it is being added with each water change.
My best guess right now is that you are heading for 0 ammonia and you are in the nitrite spike right now. HTH

 

[Bol]

Hi, boozy.

First off, you're doing the right thing with very frequent water changes. And, as tstenback mentioned, I agree that you're probably right in the middle of the cycle (where nitrites peak). As far as what's normal, it's tough to say, because tanks vary so much. In general, though, I've found my cycles mostly follow the graph shown in Figure 2 of this article (the peaks are not to scale, vertically, in that graph).

Next, I would suggest testing your tap water, if you haven't done so already. Usually it's "clean", but some peoples' tap water does contain measureable amounts of toxins, particularly nitrates. Also, this is sort of a long shot, but if your water has chloramines in it, and your dechlorinator only neutralizes chlorine (and not chloramines), then you can get positive readings for ammonia. But, pretty much all dechlorinators also neutralize chloramines.

So, frequent water changes (like you're doing) and thorough testing are probably your best route right now. It may also help if you put an airstone in the water.

 

[Sheila]

boozybears,
You've gotten some great advice...I would just suggest that the quicker you can get some gravel or media from an established tank, the better off your tank will be. My nitrite spike lasted almost 4 weeks, but went to zero 2 days after adding gravel from my LFS. My tank is doing great now.

Sheila

 

[boozybears]

thanks guys! i really appreciate the advice and support! I'll try get some media from my local store tomorrow.

Val