yesterday's test versus today's test

[drm315]

Getting close now...

About a week and a half in....putting that piece of driftwood in from the lfs DID help tremendously. I'm almost to the point of doing the 50-60% water change and then it really won't be long! Woohoo!

 

[toolman]

Good to hear it!

 

[drm315]

Does this mean what I think it means?

Please confirm if I'm correct. This mornings water testing is interesting. Please see above picture, as that is what they looked like 24 hours ago. When I tested this morning ammonia has come down and nitrates have come WAY down, but nitrites still remain the same. I have done no water change, etc. (I did just add some more ammonia to get it back up to around 4 ppm) Is it now time to do my 50-60% water change, as per directions in the fishless cycle instructions? I sure hope so!

 

[drm315]

Trying another thread to see if this gets seen quicker this way. Todays' test, done 24 hours after yesterday's test shows almost NO nitrates. Nitrites still look the same, but ammonia was slightly reduced. I did no water change between yesterday and today, but I did dose with a little more ammonia to get it up to around 4 ppm. Question is: Is it time, in the fishless cycling, to do the 50-60 water change or have I hit some problem/stall in my cycle? Thanks for any who respond!

 

[Fresh2o]

That's a good question about the water change in response to a stalled cycle. I've often wondered that myself. For a refresher, how long ago did you start this?
The nitrite might be off the charts actually. If you dilute it 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 with DI water, you might get the same dark purple result. Water changes will reduce the amount of nitrite so that when conversion starts, you will see the changes. For instance, let's say that the nitrite is more like 15 and over time the BB reduce it to 10. Both readings are beyond the charts range so you will only see 5+ and think that there is no progress. If you do a water change, it will bring down the levels and you might be able to see a reduction in nitrite and increase in nitrate through testing.
There is no need to add more ammonia unless it drops to below 1 ppm. Adding more won't speed up the cycle.
The nitrite-to-nitrate conversion can be painfully slow. We are talking several weeks or more. If I am reading the results correctly, the first pic has about 40 ppm nitrate and the second about 5 ppm nitrate. Is the first pic from the day before and the second today?

 

[drm315]

That's a good question about the water change in response to a stalled cycle. I've often wondered that myself. For a refresher, how long ago did you start this?
The nitrite might be off the charts actually. If you dilute it 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 with DI water, you might get the same dark purple result. Water changes will reduce the amount of nitrite so that when conversion starts, you will see the changes. For instance, let's say that the nitrite is more like 15 and over time the BB reduce it to 10. Both readings are beyond the charts range so you will only see 5+ and think that there is no progress. If you do a water change, it will bring down the levels and you might be able to see a reduction in nitrite and increase in nitrate through testing.
There is no need to add more ammonia unless it drops to below 1 ppm. Adding more won't speed up the cycle.
The nitrite-to-nitrate conversion can be painfully slow. We are talking several weeks or more. If I am reading the results correctly, the first pic has about 40 ppm nitrate and the second about 5 ppm nitrate. Is the first pic from the day before and the second today?

Just to be clear - I have NOT done a water change at all since starting the cycling process. Yes, one test was yesterday (the darker color tests) and the other is from today. So, given that info, would you suggest that I do a water change to see if it affects the test readings?

 

[drm315]

I just did a 50-60% water change and these are my readings....

 

[Fresh2o]

Regarding the first two pics, i would throw out the results of the lighter (~5 ppm) nitrate reading. It does not make sense that overnight it would go from 40ish to less than 10. The nitrate test procedure requires thorough mixing of the reagents. The most recent nitrate reading looks consistent with the first one.
Honestly, I would just leave it alone. If you have another tank running, perhaps place some of the media from that filter into the new one. That's what I did for my last fishless cycle. Total time took 15 days: 9 days of running the new filter with mixed media (some new, some old) in the existing tank then 6 days of running the new filter in the new tank.

 

[drm315]

Still confused....

Please see my above posts from 05/20/17 and 05/21/17 regarding my water test readings and compare to today's readings. Today is 05/25/17 and my water readings are still showing a VERY LOW reading of nitrAtes, when I had a reading on 05/20/17 of about 30-40. I have tested every day since then and I always get a reading of 5-10. I've read online that having even a moderately planted tank can make nitrAte readings go down. Do you think that is what's going on after looking at my plant picture? I am meticulous when it comes to following the nitrAte test also and have been since I started testing for them. I still have a high reading of nitrItes and between 1-2 ppm of ammonia. I'm about 2.5 weeks into my fishless cycling, and I understand that the cycle can take 4-6 weeks, but I'm just really confused as to why I HAD nitrAtes showing up and then all of a sudden they all but disappeared. Please advise if you can....

 

[Fresh2o]

Hard to say why there is a drop in nitrates. Yes, plants consume nitrate but it's my understanding that ammonia/ammonium and nitrite are preferred and nitrate is secondary (I could be wrong).
This is a head scratcher.

 

[drm315]

So, how do you know if you have a stalled cycle? My tests today have been exactly like yesterday's (posted above on 05/25/17), except MAYBE a slight decrease in ammonia - and I mean maybe and only slightly, to possibly .50 reading. NitrItes still way high and still only about 5 ppm on nitrAtes. I would think that at this point in my cycle (going on three weeks) I would be seeing a more drastic fall in ammonia in a 24-36 hour time frame. Is that not how it's supposed to work? If I am stalled, then what do I do to get "unstalled"? Also, since my ammonia seemed to be at only .50 this afternoon, I dosed it with ammonia back up to 1 ppm - hope this was the right thing to do....

 

[toolman]

Not unusual to take 4-6 weeks for cycle, and everyone's experience can be different because there are so many variables. I don't think you stalled, has anything changed recently?

 

[drm315]

Not unusual to take 4-6 weeks for cycle, and everyone's experience can be different because there are so many variables. I don't think you stalled, has anything changed recently?

I posted an update with pictures yesterday. I have not been able to get any nitrAtes to show up again, since 5/20/17. They were there and then they disappeared and for the last six days I have been getting a super small reading of nitrAtes. Ammonia isn't disappearing very fast either. Went from about 1 ppm yesterday to .5 ppm today. And my nitrItes are still WAY high. It make more sense if you go back and look at the pictures I posted yesterday- not sure if I'm explaining it well. I appreciate any help/advice though! Thank you!

 

[toolman]

Just be patient, I know it's hard, and see if it changes in the next few days. I wish you the best, sometimes it just looks like the cycle is stopped because they take awhile to work.

 

[drm315]

Think I may be cycled...

This is today's water test - my nitrItes and ammonia are now at zero after adding ammonia yesterday (24 hours ago). I realize the ammonia looks light green, but that is also what it looks like straight out of my tap, so that's why I'm reading it as zero for my tank.

Now my question is this: My lfs wasn't ordering fish today due to the holiday, so she won't be ordering again until NEXT Monday and I will get my fish on Tuesday afternoon - so we're talking 8 days away. Do I need to keep dosing ammonia every day until that last huge water change the day I get the fish? And, if so, how many ppms do I need to dose up to?

Thanks to all who have been patient with my questions and answered me, even though I'm sure these are pretty routine questions for most of you.

 

[drm315]

So - again, 24 hours from yesterday, my readings are exactly the same. After yesterday's testing, I did dose ammonia back up to about 1 ppm. It's back to 0.50 today, but remember that is exactly what I get from my tap, so I am assuming that equals 0 in my tank? So, am I cycled? I never did receive an answer after yesterday's post, so I'm going to have to figure that I am cycled and can order my fish next monday from the lfs. I will go ahead and dose the tank back up to 1 ppm of ammonia today and see if it disappears again in a 24 hour period.

 

[toolman]

When your properly cycled your tank should have 0 ammonia as the bacteria should convert in to nitrate. The only time you should show ammonia is when you add water, would age it in a bucket or something with prime overnight or a day before adding.

Even though ammonia in the tap bacteria should convert it just like it was fish waste.

 

[cbjfan75]

So - again, 24 hours from yesterday, my readings are exactly the same. After yesterday's testing, I did dose ammonia back up to about 1 ppm. It's back to 0.50 today, but remember that is exactly what I get from my tap, so I am assuming that equals 0 in my tank? So, am I cycled? I never did receive an answer after yesterday's post, so I'm going to have to figure that I am cycled and can order my fish next monday from the lfs. I will go ahead and dose the tank back up to 1 ppm of ammonia today and see if it disappears again in a 24 hour period.

I would think no. The bacteria should take all ammonia to 0 regardless of your tap water.

 

[drm315]

So, from what you are both saying my tank is NOT cycled yet? But, I'm down to zero nitrItes. Why would I now have zero nitrites, but still have a reading for ammonia?

 

[TMaier]

The bacteria should be working so well that ammonia and nitrite are 0. All you should see are nitrates.