Nitrite Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test...

[melissa1977]

Hi,
I am currently going through a fishless cycle using household ammonia for my 20g tank. I started about 8 days ago. A quick questions about nitrite test...

I am using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals tests kits... I am having a hard time with the reading. My test comes out in some kind of light grey, very close to transparent...?

It seems that there is nothing on the color chart that is close to grey ?!?! 8O

Could it be because the nitrite concentration is peaking ??

This is the test kit im using ...
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19383;category_id=3111;pcid 1=3233;pcid2=

[TankGirl]

Sounds more to me like you don't have any nitrite yet. Assuming you are putting ammonia in every day you should start to see some nitrite here in the next day or so.

To be certain, take your water sample to your LFS and have them test for nitrite so you can check it against your kit.

[melissa1977]

The test card say that when there is no nitrite the color should be light blue. When I started the cycle the nitrite test was light blue.

The Nitrite went up slowly to finally reach 7-8 (purple) and the next day it was grey (it's been grey since 2 days now)...

I had an ammonia peak already (at about 5-6) and it is down to 0.15 now.

Nitrate is getting higher and higher... it's now at 6 (i have a planted tank).

[techiegirl]

Originally Posted by melissa1977

The Nitrite went up slowly to finally reach 7-8 (purple) and the next day it was grey (it's been grey since 2 days now)...

I would think that means it is off the chart and should return back to card reading levels soon.