cycling 20g long fishless

[sillygirl423]

How long between nitrItes showing and nitrAtes showing up. Had 1 no2 yesterday, atleast 2 this morning (looks darker than that but the purples are so hard to tell) so I checcked no3 and it looks like 10 to me. I haven't been checking nitrAtes cause I didn't think I was supposed to have them yet. Also got some seeded material from a friend could that give me a nitrAte reading?

 

[sillygirl423]

Maybe someone elses eye is better than mine, what does this look like?

 

[librarygirl]

How long has the cycle been going on? Sorry, I can't remember offhand. Your nitrites look like at least 2 to me, too. Is your ammonia going to 0 every day? Your nitrites will probably rise more (the nitrite spike) and it can take a while, the nitrite spike can be the longest part of the cycle. Eventually they'll go to 0 and then your tank is cycled. Could be some lag time before you start seeing nitrAtes but you might be seeing some (I think above you said they are at 10?). Things seem to be progressing nicely, just have a bit more patience. Keep checking every 24 hours and if ammonia is at 0 then keep redosing.

 

[sillygirl423]

Ammonia keeps going down to about 1 and I dose it back up to about 4. Been cycling about 2 weeks but just added seeded material tuesday so I know I have a little bit to go. I just didn't think the nitrAtes would show yet. Does the color go really dark purple when its off the chart or just look like 5?

 

[jetajockey]

Looks like a 2 to me also, but im terrible at color shade ID :]

I believe that it gets darker when it goes beyond the 5. Nitrite spikes this high don't typically happen with fish-in cycles so I don't have much experience with it.

 

[sillygirl423]

Today the nitItes look a little darker and nitrAtes look to be 20!! Will my nitrAtes still go up real high with plants in the tank?

 

[sillygirl423]

Today nitrAtes look between 40-80. When will the nitrItes start going down? Is that after the pwc?

 

[Hondatek]

Yes your nitrate will need to be removed with water changes. But i would wait until the trites go to zero first

 

[Coursair]

I'm too impatient. I throw in plants and cycle in a week. But that's me

 

[sillygirl423]

Ahahahahaha!! Finished and fishies!!

 

[sillygirl423]

Just in time for more fry!!

 

[eco23]

Looks great

Congrats!

 

[librarygirl]

Awesome, congratulations!