I know I am impatient re cycling, but gheesh!

[jenelle]

I don't mind doing the water change at all. I was just worried a water change might wipe out the nitrate, the reason being about a week into the tank I had a faint nitrate reading, did a water change with prime and I didn't get another nitrate reading until yesterday, 2 weeks later.

You are right - I don't think the ammonia alert works. It should be reading ammonia if my pH is over 7 and it's not. The pH alert didn't work either. Waste of money.

Anyways this morning the pink on the nitrate test is getting a bit darker, but the ammonia is still between .5 and 1.

Can do water change (25%?) if suggested.


15 gallon, planted, still cycling!

 

[Mebbid]

Nitrate and nitrite is a sign, but its still not a good thing Dont be worried about water changes. They aeent going to hurt anything unless the tap water is terrible.

 

[jenelle]

Still spinning my wheels... I've done two 25% water changes in two days with basic water conditioner (not Prime). I'm getting to be a water change expert now (I've done many over the past 3 weeks.)

This morning:

Ammonia - .5 (still!)
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - Just over 5

I didn't think the Ammonia would last so long now that I've had 3-4 days of nitrate readings. As I am now at 21 days and have had low grade ammonia readings for about 18, I fear the damage to my fish.

If I add Prime and it kills off the Nitrate then I'll be back to square one.

 

[Luv4dan]

Nitrate is the end product of the cycle and it's okay to have nitrate as long as it's under 30ppm. The bacteria doesn't eat nitrate so if you take it out it won't hurt anything and the only way to get rid of nitrate is with a water change. However, live plants do use nitrate as a macro nutrient so I recommend having some for them. What I did with my tank when I had .5 ppm of ammonia was use prime to give the bacteria time to eat it up and after two days id do a water change if it was still there. Sometimes I'd re dose prime instead and go another two days then do water change. I didn't lose any fish this way.


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[Sillyfishies]

Prime doesn't get rid of anything. Just detoxies ammonia for a short time.

 

[jenelle]

Today, some interesting developments!

Ammonia 0 (Hooray!)
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 10 to 20

Also, I was checking the fishies this morning and you can imagine my surprise when a tiny fry swam by. Tiny! It must be that my platy was pregnant when I brought her home. I went to get my son to show him and I couldn't find the little guy again and I haven't seen any others. I fear he was gobbled up the moment after I saw him.

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[jenelle]

Oh, and I did a 25% water change with Prime.

 

[Fresh2o]

Congrats on the cycle and the new additions!


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