Cycling questions!

[picture_117]

I'm cycling my 20 gallon tank and on the 9th ammonia was 4ppm. Nitrites at around 7 or 8, and nitrates at 100. The 10th ammonia dropped to .50 ppm Nitrites at 8, and nitrates still at 100. Today the 11th ammonia was gone so I added more, nitrites are still the same if not higher, but nitrates are gone! It went from bright neon red and 100ppm to yellowish at 5ppm. I thought nitrites were to drop first?

 

[librarygirl]

Do you have live plants in the tank? As far as I know, nitrates are only removed through water changes or live plants using them, they shouldn't drop on their own. Are you doing the test correctly? I did the test one day and thought I did it correctly, timed the shaking, etc. but nitrates were 0 and the day before they were high. I redid the test and nitrates read again. If you can bang the second bottle on a table while you're shaking it it can help loosen up the reagent powder. Try doing the test again, really shake the bottles and tube for the full time, and see if it reads the same. If your ammonia is staying at 0 after each redose then that's good; nitrites just need to catch up, shouldn't be too much longer. Not sure about the nitrate thing, though.

 

[picture_117]

I don't have any live plants in the tank.
Okay so I redid the test and it's back to it's bright red color. Wonder what went wrong the first time!
When nitrites do start falling do I keep adding ammonia?

 

[brittanykluss]

Im pretty sure you keep adding 4ppm ammonia untill it fully drops to 0 in 24 hours, then just dose it to 1ppm or keep it at 1ppm untill the night before you put fish in your tank...

 

[picture_117]

I dosed it to 3ppm and it's all gone now! I just added again. Hopefully it's gone by morning, it all happened so quick!

 

[brittanykluss]

Lol when did you add the 3 ppm and when did you notice it was at 0 again? Your nitrites going down yet?

Maybe its time for a pwc? but dont do it yet because im not 100% but thats what I would be guessing if the nitrites and nitrates are too high.. im sure someone will reply giving you the right answer.

 

[picture_117]

Right after I wrote that second post about 10 am. I did my nightly check at 11pm and it was gone. Yeah I don't think it's there quite yet, nitrites still not completely gone but they're falling, nitrAtes are still very high though, but I guess PWC would fix that lol.

 

[brittanykluss]

im pretty sure when ammonia falls at 0 withing 24 hrs and your nitrite and nitrate levels are high, you need to do a pwc. atleast 50% i believe..... did you re look at the fishless cycling guide?

 

[picture_117]

Yes and I do need to do a PWC when nitrites are high, but I didn't see anything about nitrates? And I thought they appeared until the very end of the cycle, mine showed up early and very high.

 

[alex07]

Yes and I do need to do a PWC when nitrites are high, but I didn't see anything about nitrates? And I thought they appeared until the very end of the cycle, mine showed up early and very high.

If you are showing nitrites start tested for nitrates. Once both nitrites and nitrates are off the charts you do a 50% water change. Also continue testing for ammonia and try no to let it drop below 1.

 

[picture_117]

Okay I will do a PWC tomorrow, thank you all.