Darn it! 10g wont finish cycling.

[shellieca]

6 wks of fish in cycling a 10g:
Ammonia .5
Nitrites .5
Nitrates 20
1 Male Betta, 1 Mystery snail. Water changed on Tuesday = ~90%.

46g, 5 wks fish in cycling, 3 female Bettas, CAE's, 2 Mystery snails:
Ammonia .25
Nitrites 0
Nitrates ~40
last water change on Tuesday ~80% to bring down the nitrates.

These readings are almost exactly what I had 2 days ago for both tanks. API Master Test Kit. Yesterday everything was good. Anything I should do differently? Is this the norm at this phase?

 

[librarygirl]

It's hard to tell....have you noticed ammonia rising more slowly? Is this the first time you're seeing nitrites in the 6 gal? Did you already get a nitrite spike in the 46? What test kit are you using? Have you tested your tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? What's your PH in both tanks?

 

[Nimo]

Sounds like you are getting very close to the end of cycle just be patient a little longer. My fish in cycle took almost exactly 8 weeks.

 

[shellieca]

It's hard to tell....have you noticed ammonia rising more slowly? Is this the first time you're seeing nitrites in the 6 gal? Did you already get a nitrite spike in the 46? What test kit are you using? Have you tested your tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? What's your PH in both tanks?

API Master kit. I had nitrites early on in the 10g but hadn't seen any for about a month until this week. Ammonia had been staying around .25 until this week. The 46g showed nitrites last week once. Tap had ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 10-20 (can't remember for sure on nitrates, been a couple weeks since I tested it). Ph hasn't been tested since beginning the cycles because I've been doing 50% +|- water changes about every other day so I figured it was staying pretty stable. I haven't done anything with the filters except a couple weeks ago I swished the 10g in used tank water, nothing done to 46g filter since installed.

 

[Nimo]

API Master kit. I had nitrites early on in the 10g but hadn't seen any for about a month until this week. Ammonia had been staying around .25 until this week. The 46g showed nitrites last week once. Tap had ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 10-20 (can't remember for sure on nitrates, been a couple weeks since I tested it). Ph hasn't been tested since beginning the cycles because I've been doing 50% +|- water changes about every other day so I figured it was staying pretty stable. I haven't done anything with the filters except a couple weeks ago I swished the 10g in used tank water, nothing done to 46g filter since installed.

What kind of water conditioner are you using?
Are you using ammo loc?
I always recommend Prime water conditioner. And do not use ammo loc.
Prime detoxifies the ammonia and nitrites while still letting the cycle do its thing. The ammo loc will stall the cycle some times.

 

[shellieca]

What kind of water conditioner are you using?
Are you using ammo loc?
I always recommend Prime water conditioner. And do not use ammo loc.
Prime detoxifies the ammonia and nitrites while still letting the cycle do its thing. The ammo loc will stall the cycle some times.

I use Prime & nothing else.

 

[Nimo]

I use Prime & nothing else.

Good deal! Just continue what you are doing. I know it gets frustrating and sometimes it seems you will never reach the end but it looks like you are getting real close.

 

[shellieca]

Good deal! Just continue what you are doing. I know it gets frustrating and sometimes it seems you will never reach the end but it looks like you are getting real close.

Thank you. Just when you think you're there BOOM you're not. LOL.

 

[Nimo]

Thank you. Just when you think you're there BOOM you're not. LOL.

Yep. Lol I felt the same way.

 

[shellieca]

10g had <.25 nitrites, <.25 ammonia, 10 nitrates. The nitrites & ammonia had just slight tinges of color, but were obviously not 0. Maybe I need to cut back on feeding. Hmmm. Going into week 7 of cycling.

46g ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates ~20 going in to week 6 of cycling. Happy with this one, we'll see what tomorrow brings.