Whoa, what happened?

[Fish noob]

I was pretty sure my tank has been cycled for the last two days. I dosed to 4ppm ammonia yesterday morning and checked it again this morning. Ammonia/nitrites were zero. Nitrates 20

So today I do a 40% water change to drop the nitrates. After I did the pwc, I checked the levels again. Ammonia was zero, but Nitrites were around 4ppm?!! I doubled checked and got the same result

I checked the remaining salt water I had bought from the lfs and it was zero nitrites.

What could have happene in the 8 hours I checked it this morning?!!

 

[Sniperhank]

How long as your cycle been going on? Bacteria that consumes nitrites take longer to get going than those that consume ammonia, it might just be that you don't have enough of them yet.

 

[Fish noob]

Its been cycling 2 1/2 weeks, but my ammonia/nitrites have been at zero the last two days, so I was thought it was cycled

They nitrites actually went UP after the water change.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, you still have some time left in your cycle. Not sure on this specific event, but you are def close.

 

[Fish noob]

When I have conducted the nitrite test in the past (API kit), the water will turn purple after I pour in the solution, but during the course of the 5 minute wait it woul turn light blue.

Is that usual, or should it never turn purple at all?

 

[Hondatek]

I have seen that happen on my freshwater back in the day . I didn't trust it at all and waited . If its cycled it will stay blue the whole time .

 

[Sniperhank]

I haven't tested nitrites in awhile, but both nitrites and nitrates tell you to wait 5 minutes after shaking it up for the results. Even when I tested nitrites after cycling, it was blue after shaking it and blue after 5 minutes.

 

[Fish noob]

Well, this sucks. I guess I'm not cycled after all. I wonder if the LFS will let me return the red carpet anemone, 2 clownfish, achiles tang, and clown tang I just bought since I thought I was cycled. J/K. Luckily, all I bought today was 25 gallons of water for a PWC.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well save the water for now. No need to do a pwc while cycling. Wait til you're done to drop your nitrates.

 

[Fish noob]

I already did the change. I tested the numbers after and thats when I noticed it.

I had a few gallons that I didn't use. That water tested fine so I guess I'm still cycling.

Hopefully that won't delay things even more