dragon14
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hello everyone,
I am using API Testing Kits (where you use the test tubes and water, I read to not use strips somewhere, so I bought the liquid test kits).
I am on day 6 of a Fishless Cycle for a 10 gallon freshwater tank and right now:
* ammonia is at about .25 -.5 ppm.
* nitrites I think are off the card. It's really hard to tell, it goes from 2 to 5 on the card, no in between. They're definitely over 2, maybe under 5, may be over 5.
* Nitrates are at about 10ppm. This is the FIRST day we measured Nitrates.
From the beginning of my cycle:
Day 1:
1 tsp ammonia added, it read at about 3-4 ppm.
Day 3:
ammonia borderline at about 2ppm
Day 4:
Ammonia between .5 - 1ppm.
added 1/2 tsp ammonia, then it was at about 2-3ppm after waiting about 30 minutes to test.
Day 5:
* the ammonia was 1ppm
* nitrite was high, around 5 probably. We added a 1/2 tsp of ammonia, and I added a pinch of ground up fish food after testing.
Day 5 is the FIRST day we measured nitrites, since I read that it takes up to a week to see anything. Maybe I should have tested sooner, but I did not.
My question is, considering everything above and the fact that my ammonia is low and the nitrites high, is this about normal?
Should we do about a 25% water change since the nitrites are high and then maybe add some ammonia too?
Or should I add some more ammonia and NOT do a water change?
Anything else that I may have forgotten to ask?
Please let me know if you need any more information Thanks in advance for helping! I want to make sure we do this right and that it is going well. I was SO SO excited when I got a nitrite reading last night!
I am using API Testing Kits (where you use the test tubes and water, I read to not use strips somewhere, so I bought the liquid test kits).
I am on day 6 of a Fishless Cycle for a 10 gallon freshwater tank and right now:
* ammonia is at about .25 -.5 ppm.
* nitrites I think are off the card. It's really hard to tell, it goes from 2 to 5 on the card, no in between. They're definitely over 2, maybe under 5, may be over 5.
* Nitrates are at about 10ppm. This is the FIRST day we measured Nitrates.
From the beginning of my cycle:
Day 1:
1 tsp ammonia added, it read at about 3-4 ppm.
Day 3:
ammonia borderline at about 2ppm
Day 4:
Ammonia between .5 - 1ppm.
added 1/2 tsp ammonia, then it was at about 2-3ppm after waiting about 30 minutes to test.
Day 5:
* the ammonia was 1ppm
* nitrite was high, around 5 probably. We added a 1/2 tsp of ammonia, and I added a pinch of ground up fish food after testing.
Day 5 is the FIRST day we measured nitrites, since I read that it takes up to a week to see anything. Maybe I should have tested sooner, but I did not.
My question is, considering everything above and the fact that my ammonia is low and the nitrites high, is this about normal?
Should we do about a 25% water change since the nitrites are high and then maybe add some ammonia too?
Or should I add some more ammonia and NOT do a water change?
Anything else that I may have forgotten to ask?
Please let me know if you need any more information Thanks in advance for helping! I want to make sure we do this right and that it is going well. I was SO SO excited when I got a nitrite reading last night!