Ammonia and Nitrites Decrease but no Nitrates

[Knoll]

Hello! I'm currently trying to cycle my first 10 gallon and I'm still in the cycling stage. The tank has sand substrate, some driftwood, a small java fern, and some flame moss so far. I added Fritz Turbostart 700 to the tank about two weeks ago and have been dosing it with pure ammonia. The past week I've noticed when I dose to 2 ppm ammonia, I get a nitrite and ammonia spike that will be noticeably lower the next day, but I still haven't had any nitrates show up when I test. I don't know what else is lowering the nitrites if not nitrates but my test has never detected any. Do nitrites lower on their own in only 24 hours?

[Aiken Drum]

Nitrite will lower by turning to nitrate. If nitrite is dropping but you arent seeing any nitrate either something is wrong with your test or something is consuming nitrate. The plants you mention arent going to make a dent on the nitrate, so the likely issue is your nitrate test.

What test kit are you using? Are you sure you are doing the test correctly?

[Knoll]

I'm using the API Freshwater Master Kit. I think I'm doing it right. I add the first drops, shake it, and then add the second drops. I heard that sometimes you really have to shake it to get it to read correctly and so I spend well over a minute shaking it. The fish store near me does water tests so I may just have to have them test it to see if my nitrate kit is defective.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by Knoll

Hello! I'm currently trying to cycle my first 10 gallon and I'm still in the cycling stage. The tank has sand substrate, some driftwood, a small java fern, and some flame moss so far. I added Fritz Turbostart 700 to the tank about two weeks ago and have been dosing it with pure ammonia. The past week I've noticed when I dose to 2 ppm ammonia, I get a nitrite and ammonia spike that will be noticeably lower the next day, but I still haven't had any nitrates show up when I test. I don't know what else is lowering the nitrites if not nitrates but my test has never detected any. Do nitrites lower on their own in only 24 hours?

Unless you are using any ammonia or nitrogen absorbing products in your filter, the Turbo start is what's causing your ammonia and nitrite to go down overnight. That's a good thing. That you aren't getting a nitrate reading is the problem because the bacteria in the Turbostart is converting the nitrites into nitrates ( as Aiken said) so most likely you are either not testing properly, your nitrate reagents have gone bad or something in your tank is absorbing them as fast as they are being created.
I'd take a sample of your water to your LFS to have tested and bring along your test kit to verify.

[Aiken Drum]

You also have to shake bottle #2 before adding drops from that bottle and shake the heck out of it, like bang it on the countertop.

I recently got a new nitrate test and it didnt read as high as i knew i had in the tank. Shaking bottle #2 just wasnt enough. I twisted the bottle to distort it, banged it on the countertop, all to make sure reagent stuck to the inside of the bottle was released into the liquid. Worked fine after that.

If that still doesnt produce nitrate get a 2nd opinion.

[Knoll]

Thank you both for the advice! I'll try to shaking the bottle and then if that doesn't work I'll take it to my LFS. Thanks again.

[Knoll]

Shaking the bottle did the trick. Looks like my nitrates are actually quite high (around 40 ppm). I'll do a water change and hopefully the tank will be ready in a couple days. Thank you again!

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by Knoll

Shaking the bottle did the trick. Looks like my nitrates are actually quite high (around 40 ppm). I'll do a water change and hopefully the tank will be ready in a couple days. Thank you again!

Glad we got that solved. Your new reading makes sense
Nitrate reagents in the API kits have a history of going bad faster than their expiration date or the reagent's contents drying in the bottle. You really have to shake the crap out of them for an accurate reading. Thankfully that's not the case with the other reagents in my experience.