On December 31 my aquarium was set up with filters running and water heated to 87F. I calculated the dose of ammonia for the strength of ammonia and added 4 PPM. Double checked it one hour later with API Master Kit and it was perfect. I added Tetra AquaSafe Plus. I added 16 drops of PH Down as advised by "Tips and Tricks For Your Fastest Fishless Cycle!" Added a small amount of fish food and seeded the aquarium by taking the sponge out of my AquaClear 20 filter on my 10 gallon tank and squeezing it and swishing it around in the 50 gallon and then putting it in one of the AquaClear 70 filters I have on my 50 gallon.
On January 4 the ammonia was somewhere between 1 PPM and 2 PPM, the Nitrites were 0 PPM and the NitrAtes were 0 PPM
48 hours after that(Today), the ammonia remains the same(somewhere between 1 PPM and 2 PPM, the Nitrites remain at 0 PPM but the NitrAtes are somewhere between 0 PPM and 5.0 PPM...leaning closer to the 5.0 PPM. The PH is about 7.9 which double checking my 10 gallon and my tap water it is the same, 7.9.
The only other thing I have done other that test the water is add approximately and additional 3-4 gallons of conditioned water from a bucket that was lost due to evaporation.
So my question is... Am I doing this right? Should the ammonia have dropped slightly in the last 48 hours?
Thanks.
On January 4 the ammonia was somewhere between 1 PPM and 2 PPM, the Nitrites were 0 PPM and the NitrAtes were 0 PPM
48 hours after that(Today), the ammonia remains the same(somewhere between 1 PPM and 2 PPM, the Nitrites remain at 0 PPM but the NitrAtes are somewhere between 0 PPM and 5.0 PPM...leaning closer to the 5.0 PPM. The PH is about 7.9 which double checking my 10 gallon and my tap water it is the same, 7.9.
The only other thing I have done other that test the water is add approximately and additional 3-4 gallons of conditioned water from a bucket that was lost due to evaporation.
So my question is... Am I doing this right? Should the ammonia have dropped slightly in the last 48 hours?
Thanks.