Starting from scratch

[Kerrbear]

Cleaned out my tank, re-filled and started my cycle from scratch. I think I have everything I need now - bubble stone, heater, API test kit, ammonia, seeding material (poly fill from a filter in an established tank) from my lfs. Boy, Petsmart was NOT helpful in starting up the first time around. I wish I had read these forums before getting my first fish.

Dosed to 4 ppm about ten days ago and I just started to see some nitrites yesterday. My ph is 8.0 to 8.2 - is this normal? How long before I see nitrates?

Ammon - between 2.0 and 4.0
Nitrites - between 2.0 and 5.0 ppm
Nitrates - 0 ppm

Temp - 85

 

[RussellC]

The nitrite -> nitrate conversion part of the cycle generally takes longer than the ammonia -> nitrite portion. Cycling times can vary from tank to tank, but if you're just beginning to see nitrites, it could be a few weeks -- though since you used seeded media, it's possible for this to be considerably quicker.

I wouldn't call your pH abnormal. What's the pH of your tap water? The best way to test this is to gas off the tap water first -- you can use an air stone for a couple of hours, or just let the tap water sit for a day or so, then test. In all probability, your tap water's pH is in this range, so it'd be normal for your tank's water to be as well. For the vast majority of fish, this range is just fine provided that it is stable.

Good luck!