Ammonia drops quickly to 0 but trAtes and trites are off the chart

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wolf0311

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
26
Location
California
i didnt know about the nitrogen cycle so i added a bunch of fish and they all died after a couple of weeks. im starting a new tank the right way this time, but i dont understand how my ammonia could drop in a matter of hours but nitrAtes and nitrites could be off of what the test kit can show me. im adding 4ppm of ammo every time it drops to zero. someone please help!!
 
The beneficial bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrItes are different than those that convert nitrItes to nitrAtes. The second kind take longer to build up. So you are still at a point in the cycle where the bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrAtes are there but haven't built up enough yet. Don't worry, this is normal, you are on the right track.

Edit: Fishless cycling FAQ http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1298738
 
thank you so much!! i was really worried that i was doing something wrong or having fish previously in my tank messed up the cycle :lol:
 
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