question about tank water test-Nitrate

[wildroseofky]

I have been cycling my 29 gallon tank for 21 days. Started with seeding material from my 10 gallon. I have been following the fish ess cycle instructions from this website. Three days ago I got my first zero ammonia reading after dosing the day before. The next day same thing after dosing up to 4 ppm. So I did a massive water change of 25 gallons. Rinsed the filter out in tank water. I added 6 java fern that I had just gotten and checked the water again. Got a .25 ammonia reading, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0. Before the water change my readings where 0 ammonia, Nitrite 5 ppm, Nitrate 160 ppm. I freaked out and rechecked the Nitrate level gathering water that was coming directly out of the filter and got a reading of 20 ppm. I know that the bacteria lives on the filter and tank decor not in the water itself so I figured everything was okay. I added my ghost shrimp. I should add that my tap water was reading .25 ammonia before I conditioned it to add to the tank.

Today I checked and the ghost shrimp are fine. My water tests today showed Ammonia .50, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0. I redid the Nitrate test gathering water sample from filter flow. 0 Nitrate again. What is going on? Did I kill my bacteria colony somehow? I treated the water with a chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metal water treatment. The cycling instructions said that a massive water change at the end of a cycle was a good thing so what happened? I was planning on moving my two Mollies over and putting my 10 gallon filter in the 29 to keep the bacteria alive but now I don't know what to do. I am going to a pet store tomorrow and wanted to buy more fish to quarantine so I can start stocking my 29 gallon tank.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

It sounds like when you added the 4ppm of ammonia it was to much for your tank to handle that quick and it restarted your cycle.

 

[wildroseofky]

Well I guess it is back to the beginning. Here is the steps I followed to cycle.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html

STep G. says to dose up to 4 ppm and that is what i did. I followed each step and thought I was good to go. So the article is wrong?

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Hmm, beats me.

 

[jlk]

You mentioned that your amm was zeroing out but then you said before your water change, your nitrite was5ppm. So, even though your amm was zeroing, your tank was not done cycling. Your amm and nitrite need to zero in 24hrs. Also, do not touch the filter media until your tank is well established unless its absolutely necessary (ie, water is no longer flowing through it). Did you treat your water before adding it or after adding itwhen you did the wc ? Right now, it sounds like your cycle (which was not finished) took a hit. If you have a cycled tank you can move the shrimp to, I would do this and finish the cycle on this tank. Otherwise, your looking at a fish-in cycle.

 

[Scottyhorse]

I also think the water change was too soon and too much. You need to do the big water change after ammonia and nitrites are 0.

 

[wildroseofky]

I did treat the water before adding it. I have been using a water conditioner I get at Walmart that takes chlorine, chloramine and metals out of water. I will be purchasing some Seachem Prime tomorrow. My tap water tests .25 right out of the faucet. If it sits in a bucket for two days the ammonia tests .50. That is without fish or anything in it. Just clean water in a bucket. My 10 gallon hangs around .25 during the morning and zeros out by evening to climb back up to .25 by the next day. No idea why. It was cycled 6 months ago with fish. Didn't know about cycling when I jumped in to getting fish.

I jumped the gun and went ahead and broke down the 10 gallon. I took the fake plants, gravel placed in a stocking, some seashells, and my 10 gal. filter and put them in the 29 gallon and transferred my two fish. My tests are showing ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate just slightly orange. I will test again later and go from there.

 

[wildroseofky]

Did another water test.
PH 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

I will do twice daily water checks and do pwc as needed. My Mollies are doing fine. So are the ghost shrimp. The Mollies have already pooped the sand full. I over feed them the other day by accident trying to shake a small amount of flakes out and a lot fell in. I got what I could out but they had gobbled up a lot. They are on fast for a few days.