RangersFanDave
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4
I purchased a 36 gallon tank a few weeks back and I was told by PetsMart that I needed to by some Safe Start bacteria supplement and that I could add fish in 24 hours. So I took their advice and stocked my tank with fish. I now realize that a lot of people are recommending a fishless cycle, but since I already have fish, I'm just trying to keep them healthy while the tank cycles.
My tank has been set up now for almost 4 weeks and I do have some ammonia in the tank. This started a couple of weeks ago. At first I was managing the ammonia by doing water changes, but I finally bought some of the API Ammo Lock which detoxifies the ammonia. API recommends using their product every other day and doing a water change once per week until the tank cycles. So for the last 6 days, that's what I have done. Tomorrow I will do a water change.
Since the Ammo Lock only detoxifies the ammonia but doesn't remove it, I am still getting a reading of ammonia in my tank and of course that all makes sense. But my question is why I have not seen any nitrites or nitrates? I have added the bacteria supplement from API several times and I've even gone through what appeared to be a bacterial bloom for a few days.
Is it normal for ammonia to exist for such a long time without being converted to nitrite and then on to nitrate? Is there anything that I should be doing that I'm not doing currently?
My tank has been set up now for almost 4 weeks and I do have some ammonia in the tank. This started a couple of weeks ago. At first I was managing the ammonia by doing water changes, but I finally bought some of the API Ammo Lock which detoxifies the ammonia. API recommends using their product every other day and doing a water change once per week until the tank cycles. So for the last 6 days, that's what I have done. Tomorrow I will do a water change.
Since the Ammo Lock only detoxifies the ammonia but doesn't remove it, I am still getting a reading of ammonia in my tank and of course that all makes sense. But my question is why I have not seen any nitrites or nitrates? I have added the bacteria supplement from API several times and I've even gone through what appeared to be a bacterial bloom for a few days.
Is it normal for ammonia to exist for such a long time without being converted to nitrite and then on to nitrate? Is there anything that I should be doing that I'm not doing currently?