What reading of nitrite does this appear to be?

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I think it's much lighter than readings I got and judged to be 2ppm or 2+. So I'd say it's more likely 0.5ppm-1ppm.

I wish they had a digital reading I hate the guesswork.

Ah yes, thank you! I have had some results get that deep intense magenta/purple pink, today's is definitely lighter than that, seeing yours helps, thanks

Hopefully it being lighter than before means the bacterial colony is finally starting to catch up.
Might have to start photographing each days results so I can compare.

Really, the actual number isn't that important. It isn't the sky blue I'm used to seeing that means zero nitrites, so as long as it's not that light blue, I'll be doing water changes. I've just been confused by how high the nitrites have been getting within 24 hours of a large water change, and why it's taking so long for this mini-cycle to finish. The last mini cycle I went through when I set up the tank only took four days to be back to fully cycled again, and nitrites never went over 0.25ppm then.

 

[Spalders]

On my monitor it looks around 2ppm but that's the issue, everyone's monitor could show a difference depending on their settings.

 

[Ch4rlie]

That’s quite a good little read about different lighting affecting the test results of colour matching.

That is pretty much why I recommend using the same lights for every test colour result readings, whether it’s kitchen lights, unit kitchen unit light or even desk lamps, anything as long as it’s bright and stays consistently the same.

Even if it has a slight yellow or blue hue or even pure white light, what is important is that for the tester it’s the same light every time so they get a better idea if things in water parameters colours have changed or not.

The API FWMTK (I stole that shortened version from the link, should have thought of that ages ago! ) are not the most accurate kits anyway, it’s very good as a guide as long as these tests are carried out to the letter every time with clean vials and caps etc etc

The nitrate test is the least accurate test out of all the ranges of the API tests anyway, and I for one never really unduly worry about nitrate.

Nitrate is the least toxic for livestock out of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate elements and imho anything under 30-40ppm is fine, over that number especially around the 160ppm numbers that when I’ll do a big water change and try to investigate why nitrate was so high.

But I have personally only ever seen that reading at over 160ppm just once with livestock and plants in the tank, it was the tap water suppliers changing mains pipes outside the flat during that time when I saw that reading so I kinda knew something might happen with the water.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Still struggling to get this tank to cycle
75-85% daily changes, changed 85% yesterday, and today, here are my test results before yet another 80% water change.

Nitrites:

The nitrite tests from the last few days:

Ammonia still zero, but here are the nitrites and nitrates, and just to show it isn't my testing method or the kit, far right is the nitrite test from my oto tank:

This is the tank, taken today post water change:

15.5 gallons, four adults guppies (one of those isn't even full size yet)
eight young-ish fry, coming up on two months old, so perhaps they're larger and producing more of a bioload than I'm giving them credit for? 25 ish (guesstimate) red cherry shrimp, a few MTS that have just produced young MTS.

I've been feeding really lightly. I can't stop altogether because of the young fish, but I am feeding far more lightly than I usually do.
Tank set up August 25th. Had a double sponge filter on at first that had been established for a year, and did go through a mini cycle then, but nitrites never went above 0.25ppm and after four days of daily water changes, it was fully cycled again, ammonia and nitrites staying at zero, and nitrates between 5-10.

4th September I switched filters around on tanks to make more space in this one. Removed double sponge filter, and replaced it with this single sponge filter that was relatively new, but had been cycling on a 12 gallon tank and was cycled. Also added a small all ponds solution canister filter that has been established for more than a year and was on their previous tank.

Tank parameters remained stable, 0/0/5

Ended up removing that canister filter because shrimp deaths spiked and it seems that canister was contaminated by the pesticides, so pulled that canister filter on September 14th, leaving the single sponge filter. Fully expected to experience a mini cycle. Sure enough it did showing nitrites, so large daily changes started on the 15th.

New canister arrived and added 21st September. Tried to seed it by squeezing the single sponge filter into it several times. So it's been two weeks of a mini cycle, a full week with the addition of a brand new canister filter, and you can see I have nitrates, so I have to assume both kinds of bacteria are present. Why on earth is it taking so long to stablise? Any ideas, any! Very welcome, since these large daily changes are getting to be a lot when I also have three other tanks and elderly parents to look after. @Ch4rlie ? @kwi ? @mbsqw1d ? @essjay ?

Oh, also no deaths in the tank, have searched carefully for dead shrimp too, unless one has died inside the holes in the dragonstone, nothing in the tank is dead and producing ammonia.

 

[EllRog]

Also tank is heavily planted, plants growing well, even newborn fry alive and well in there.
I'm going to keep up with the water changes of course, until this reads at zero, I'm just confused about continuing to get high nitrites day after day, with a relatively light bioload and I'm feeding really lightly, no dead or dying plants, no dead fish or shrimp in there, substrate is clean.

Stock: four adult guppies, eight 2 month old fry, red cherry shrimp.
Took these photos right after taking this sample. These guys aren't stressing or reacting
View attachment 117894View attachment 117896View attachment 117897View attachment 117898View attachment 117899

Fixed your camera?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Fixed your camera?

I think so! Do these look better?

 

[EllRog]

I think so! Do these look better?

Much better, its actually focussing on what you're trying to capture

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Much better, its actually focussing on what you're trying to capture

That's definitely an improvement

I don't even really know how I fixed it, just messed with some likely settings and it started working better again. Apparently there's a way to 'lock' the settings in case you accidentally nudge the wrong button, will have to look that up again.

Any ideas about my weird tank problem?

 

[EllRog]

That's definitely an improvement

I don't even really know how I fixed it, just messed with some likely settings and it started working better again. Apparently there's a way to 'lock' the settings in case you accidentally nudge the wrong button, will have to look that up again.

Any ideas about my weird tank problem?

Just whack it and threaten to throw it out of the window, usually works, frowned upon with children though.

Weird tank problem? Am I supposed to read?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Just whack it and threaten to throw it out of the window, usually works, frowned upon with children though.

Weird tank problem? Am I supposed to read?

Yes, you are!!

Please, I'm so confused. You can just read my last comment I made today, sums it all up

 

[EllRog]

Yes, you are!!

Please, I'm so confused. You can just read my last comment I made today, sums it all up

I'll try, aslong as there isn't any big words

 

[Spalders]

[QUOTE="AdoraBelle Dearheart,
Any ideas about my weird tank problem?
[/QUOTE]

Might be a loooooong looong shot.....but how old is your test kit? My daughter has quite an old kit that was registering high ammonia. Bought her a new one and readings are now perfect.

I know that high nitrites can stall a cycle but water changes should be helping. Have you tried a water conditioner?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

[QUOTE="AdoraBelle Dearheart,
Any ideas about my weird tank problem?

Might be a loooooong looong shot.....but how old is your test kit? My daughter has quite an old kit that was registering high ammonia. Bought her a new one and readings are now perfect.

I know that high nitrites can stall a cycle but water changes should be helping. Have you tried a water conditioner?
[/QUOTE]
Not a long shot at all, kits do get old! Mine is only a little over a year old though, stored in a cool dry fish cupboard when not in use, and isn't due to expire until 2024. Plus I'm still getting good and normal readings in my other tanks, like my oto tank. I can only conclude that this one is going through a reallllly long mini cycle, but I still wouldn't expect nitrites and nitrates to get so high within 24 hours between such large water changes, you know?

I do use water conditioner, same one on all of the tanks.

It's weird, right? lol

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Reading the API test kits is hard, but they're still way better than test strips. Here's how I read them:
Nitrite: Purple=bad.
Nitrate: Red=bad. Dark orange=sorta bad. Light orange=OK.
Ammonia: Any hint of green=very bad.

On the other hand, their hardness kits are very easy to read.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Reading the API test kits is hard, but they're still way better than test strips. Here's how I read them:
Nitrite: Purple=bad.
Nitrate: Red=bad. Dark orange=sorta bad. Light orange=OK.
Ammonia: Any hint of green=very bad.

On the other hand, their hardness kits are very easy to read.

Any idea why I'm still getting such high nitrites despite huge daily water changes for two weeks though? In a relatively lightly stocked tank? Bewildered by this