FC week 3

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Sibley

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
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Location
DC
Not that anyone responded to last week's entry, but I figured having information out there and sharing my experience with fishless cycling can help someone else.

So, I'm on day 2 of week 3. My ammonia is consistenly at 0 when I check it in the morning and I dutifully add 10 to 20 drops to the tank each morning. It seems as though my NitrItes are dropping. Again, the similarities between the colors of 1ppm and 5ppm are irritating, but I'm pretty sure that I'm now at a 1ppm reading. My NitrAtes are going up. Not quite to 10ppm yet, but definately more orangey than a pure 5ppm reading. Today's had more orange in it than yesterday so I'm calling it 8ppm or 5ppm++.

At least when I get a 0 NitrIte reading it will be a clear cut reading. So, I'm just waiting for that to happen.
 
I hear you on the colors,
Not just the nitrite either.
I hold the tube in the light and compare then hand it to my wife or one of the kids for a second opinion. LOL
 
Day 3, Week 3 - the NitrItes are getting lower (between .5 and 1ppm) and the NitrAtes are just about at 10ppm.

I've been losing water due to evaporation. I'm debating whether to add more or not; I don't want to stall my cycle. If it gets so low as to affect my filter I'll add more, but my numbers have been decreasing in such a way that I'm hopeful that I'll be fully cycled in a max of 5 more days.
 
End of week 3.

Ammonia - still at 0
NitrItes - still hovering between .5 and 1ppm.
NitrAtes - took a HUGE jump from 8-ish ppm up to 40ppm.

I'm thrilled with how this is going and just a tiny bit frustrated that my NitrItes don't seem to want to go to 0 yet. Oh, please, little Nitrites, go to 0! Please?

I'll be entering week 4 tomorrow. Hopefully it will be the last week of my cycle. My NitrAte jump makes me feel like it will be.
 
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