Question about Nitrates

[Mike2112]

Right now im cycling my 36 gallon (fishless) I started off adding to 4ppm of ammonia, about a week and a half ago the ammonia started to disappear, so I continued to dose to 4 ppm. As of today I started to dose to around 2-3ppm, in hopes of getting some nitrates going.

So my NitrItes have been well over 5ppm for over a week now, and my nitrates have been at around 5. Now im wondering about this, when I start my test for Nitrates, before when I would add the drops from bottle 1, the water would just be yellow. Now when I add drops from bottle 1, the water in the tube becomes a dark reddish color, sorta like a reddish/brown, then after I shake and shake and shake bottle 2, I add that and shake the tube up, the color becomes a yellow/very light orange color???

Now I know its supposed to go: Yellow->Orange->Red
But my tests are showing: Red->Orange->Yellow ? ? ?
(Tests aren't expired, I know the test works, i tried it on a friends tank and it showed 40ppm of Nitrates)

I've searched the site for this but can't find anything.. I even retested thinking Im doing the test wrong.. but always get the same result (I shake and beat the brakes off the #2 bottle usually for more then 30 seconds) I'm puzzled... should I do a water change or something, cuz I havent done a water change in about 2 weeks.

I'm about 18 days into the cycle.

 

[Berylla]

I brought out my test kit to ensure that I remember how I performed the tests last month. Shake both bottles of 1 and 2 very well. Then add 10 drops of #1 and then 10 drops of #2. Shake for 30 seconds. The color should be an orangey yellow which is a positive for nitrates.

 

[Mike2112]

Ok, so ive been doing... add 5ml tank water to tube->add drops #1->invert 5 times->shake bottle 2 vigorously->add drops from #2->shake tube vigorously.

If im not mistaking thats how the instructions described it... so the instructions in the book are incorrect?

 

[spiketooth]

Ok, so ive been doing... add 5ml tank water to tube->add drops #1->invert 5 times->shake bottle 2 vigorously->add drops from #2->shake tube vigorously.

If im not mistaking thats how the instructions described it... so the instructions in the book are incorrect?

You are right, Berylla is thinking of ammonia instruction were you dont have to invert after adding the drops from the first bottle

 

[Mike2112]

You are right, Berylla is thinking of ammonia instruction were you dont have to invert after adding the drops from the first bottle

Thanks, well im assuming the tube is turning red after adding drops from the first bottle because of nitrItes. I can't really think of another reason other than the nitrItes are so high that its affecting the nitrAte test somehow.

I think my cycle stalled, i've read that when nitrItes are that high, that it can actually stall a cycle.. So I did a 90% w/c yesterday, which still didnt get the nitrItes in readable range, but atleast the drops arent turning purple instantly then going gray, and the nitrAte test isnt acting all funky now so hopefully im on track. Also added a few pieces of filter media from my 10 gallon, so I hope im cycled soon, frustrating to sit and watch an empty tank.

 

[spiketooth]

I never do a fishless cycle, not my thing. All my tanks have plants except my hillstream loach tank. I just had my light running all the time do grow algae then put the hillstream loaches in. Have not lost one sense. plants help keep the level down a little, then add fish little by little. Checking my levels everyday to make sure theres no spikes. This takes longer to cycle but i have never had a spike in any levels. I dont buy cycle fish, always fish i want for the long hall. I also use media from a full cycled tank as well. This is just me. I have 5 tanks, 95 gal, 75 gal, 40 gal, two 15 gals like i said before i have not lost a fish during the cycle process.

 

[Mike2112]

i've read about that to, adding plants then being able to stock right away (slowly of course). So for example, your 40 gallon. How did you start with that tank, how many plants/fish/substrate/filter?

 

[spiketooth]

This is a picture of my 40 gal.

 

[Mike2112]

Nice tank! I like the density, thats the way i plan to have mine.

 

[Berylla]

This is a picture of my 40 gal.

View attachment 170963

Gorgeous tank. You can also cycle a tank with plants and no fish. Put a few stones at the bottom of a 3" to 4" wide ceramic plant pot. Pour some organic potting soil, and insert plant. Cap the top with sand. Place the pot into your tank and light bulbs that are suited for plants - 5600K to 6000K. Wait 3 weeks. If you tank is large, put a couple of pots in your tank. When your cycle is complete, you can take the plants out.

 

[spiketooth]

Thank you. Cant remeber how long i spent setting this one up. The cycle i do is called a silent cycle

 

[Mike2112]

Gorgeous tank. You can also cycle a tank with plants and no fish. Put a few stones at the bottom of a 3" to 4" wide ceramic plant pot. Pour some organic potting soil, and insert plant. Cap the top with sand. Place the pot into your tank and light bulbs that are suited for plants - 5600K to 6000K. Wait 3 weeks. If you tank is large, put a couple of pots in your tank. When your cycle is complete, you can take the plants out.

Thanks for that idea, I think im going to try that. I put a couple plants in the tank already, but all I have is sand for substrate, and a couple root tabs, but I'm wondering if that will be enough. So I think im going to use a ceramic pot.

Thank you. Cant remeber how long i spent setting this one up. The cycle i do is called a silent cycle

Ok cool. I'm going to do a little more research on that type of cycle.

One question I still have is. I never got an answer as to why my nitrAte test was changing to a different color with bottle #1... So like the NitrIte test, when the levels are spiked, the drops go to the bottom of the tube and instantly turn purple. I understand that part... My question is, why is my NitrAte drops turning my water a deep red when I add drops from bottle #1 when usually the tube is supposed to be yellow after adding drops from bottle #1...??? Why is it doing this? I mean is something wrong with my tank/cycle, has anyone ever experienced this?? I've searched but I find nothing about it.

 

[Berylla]

The drops are made to be used in combination of the two bottles and should be read as so. The final color of the two chemicals together is what your water tests as. Your final color should be a light orangey yellow. Anything darker means that your nitrates are high.

 

[spiketooth]

Try getting a liquid test that messures in dkm. So each drop equals 10 ppm.

 

[Mike2112]

Ok, i just wasnt sure because i know with the nitrIte, when the water instantly turned purple, i would wait 5 mins then my water would be greyish/bluegreenish, which i knew meant that the levels were so high that it actually confused the test. Even though the color of the tube nearly matched 0ppm of nitrIte, the levels were actually through the roof. I just didnt know if that same rule applied for nitrAte or not. So thanks for clearing that up

As for the drops, ill check my lfs and see what they got going. Thanks alot