Masha
Aquarium Advice FINatic
tl,dr version - I think I've been adding too much ammonia to my fishless cycle because of a faulty test kit.
I've been doing a fishless cycle on my new tank for almost three weeks. Things have been going pretty well (I thought) - adding ammonia, it reduces gradually, nitrites started showing up, then nitrates.
Then I had a problem -- my ammonia test kit ran out and there seems to be some problem with the suppliers as all the petshops in my area were out of stock. So for a few days, I could not test.
I found a test kit, (different brand) and tested again. I also got a PH test kit (which I'd not had up to now). But the levels of ammonia I get with the new test kit seems to suggest that the previous kit was old/faulty so I'm a little lost now, not knowing if I can count on those results.
My numbers were like this:
(I don't have a proper test kit for nitrates, am using one of those dip strips since that is all I have access to, a "Tetra 5-in-one" test. Which is why I'm not giving numbers for the nitrates)
Tank size: 24 gallon
I added 2 tsp ammonia
test using old Nutrafin ammonia kit:
ammonia 0.6 (this seemed low to me, but from the previous time I did a cycle with another tank, the amount of ammonia worked so I did not add more)
Day 3 - ammonia level started going down a little: 0.3
Day 5 - ammonia 0.3, nitrites 0.1
Day 7- ammonia 0.3, nitrites 0.3 (added 2 tsp ammonia)
Day 8- ammonia 1.2 nitrites 0.8
Day 10- ammonia 0.6 nitrite 1.00
(guessing nitrite reading, the colour seemed between 0.8 and 1.6 colours on the chart)
Day 13- ammonia 0.2 nitrite 3.3 some nitrates
Added 2 tsp ammonia
Nutrafin Ammonia test kit used up
Started with Tetra Ammonia testkit
Day 18 - ammonia 0 nitrite 3.3 high level of nitrates
Did a 50% water change as I think the nitrites are higer than 3.3, that is the top of my colour chart.
Added 2 tsp ammonia and tested again immediately - got ammonia 5.0, nitrate 3.3
So the old kit showed me 0.6 for 2 tsp ammonia, and new kit showed 5.0
Tested the water with my new PH test kit - PH reading 8.0
Tested tap water after dechlorinating - PH [[6.8]] Edited I made a mistake - this value should be 8
So looking at this - I think my old ammonia test kit was showing me the wrong numbers, resulting in maybe higher nitrite levels than I should have to get the second stage of the cycle going?
Is that high PH in my tapwater a problem?
Possible red herring: I think the gravel may have some bits of shell in it. It's mostly little round pebbles, but here and there I see some rounded white things that look like shell shards to me. I really don't want to remove it as that will be a pain but I know - I'll have to do it if I have to.
Any help and advice much appreciated
I've been doing a fishless cycle on my new tank for almost three weeks. Things have been going pretty well (I thought) - adding ammonia, it reduces gradually, nitrites started showing up, then nitrates.
Then I had a problem -- my ammonia test kit ran out and there seems to be some problem with the suppliers as all the petshops in my area were out of stock. So for a few days, I could not test.
I found a test kit, (different brand) and tested again. I also got a PH test kit (which I'd not had up to now). But the levels of ammonia I get with the new test kit seems to suggest that the previous kit was old/faulty so I'm a little lost now, not knowing if I can count on those results.
My numbers were like this:
(I don't have a proper test kit for nitrates, am using one of those dip strips since that is all I have access to, a "Tetra 5-in-one" test. Which is why I'm not giving numbers for the nitrates)
Tank size: 24 gallon
I added 2 tsp ammonia
test using old Nutrafin ammonia kit:
ammonia 0.6 (this seemed low to me, but from the previous time I did a cycle with another tank, the amount of ammonia worked so I did not add more)
Day 3 - ammonia level started going down a little: 0.3
Day 5 - ammonia 0.3, nitrites 0.1
Day 7- ammonia 0.3, nitrites 0.3 (added 2 tsp ammonia)
Day 8- ammonia 1.2 nitrites 0.8
Day 10- ammonia 0.6 nitrite 1.00
(guessing nitrite reading, the colour seemed between 0.8 and 1.6 colours on the chart)
Day 13- ammonia 0.2 nitrite 3.3 some nitrates
Added 2 tsp ammonia
Nutrafin Ammonia test kit used up
Started with Tetra Ammonia testkit
Day 18 - ammonia 0 nitrite 3.3 high level of nitrates
Did a 50% water change as I think the nitrites are higer than 3.3, that is the top of my colour chart.
Added 2 tsp ammonia and tested again immediately - got ammonia 5.0, nitrate 3.3
So the old kit showed me 0.6 for 2 tsp ammonia, and new kit showed 5.0
Tested the water with my new PH test kit - PH reading 8.0
Tested tap water after dechlorinating - PH [[6.8]] Edited I made a mistake - this value should be 8
So looking at this - I think my old ammonia test kit was showing me the wrong numbers, resulting in maybe higher nitrite levels than I should have to get the second stage of the cycle going?
Is that high PH in my tapwater a problem?
Possible red herring: I think the gravel may have some bits of shell in it. It's mostly little round pebbles, but here and there I see some rounded white things that look like shell shards to me. I really don't want to remove it as that will be a pain but I know - I'll have to do it if I have to.
Any help and advice much appreciated