gh and kh?

[epjan7]

Been cycling for 6 weeks now. 20 gallon tank.
2 weeks fishless cycling.
Ammonia has been 4ppm nitrites 0ppm nitrates around 5 since I started.

Added gravel from established tank and tetra safestart 4 days ago...

Tested yesterday:
Temperature- 85°F
Ammonia- Around 4ppm
Nitrites- 0ppm
Nitrates - 10ppm
pH- 8.2
KH- 71.6ppm
GH-125.3ppm

Could I have missed the nitrite spike? or is this from tetra safestart? Do my levels look good...

 

[Rare]

Test your tap water for nitrate

 

[epjan7]

Test your water for nitrate

I did my tap has like less than 5 and my tank is at 10 or more

 

[Rare]

With ammonia still at 4ppm since you started...has it gone down? If the answer is no, then you havent missed it. Ammonia will go down & you need to dose it back up. Since that hasnt happened yet you still have more to go.

 

[epjan7]

With ammonia still at 4ppm since you started...has it gone down? If the answer is no, then you havent missed it. Ammonia will go down & you need to dose it back up. Since that hasnt happened yet you still have more to go.

Im not sure if its at 4ppm.. its hard to tell between 4 and 2ppm. Im going to give it another check today. But I think when I started it was a little higher than 4ppm. So if its going down do I add more or wait for it to get to 1 or 2ppm? This thing needs to hurry l

 

[RyanBenson]

Im not sure if its at 4ppm.. its hard to tell between 4 and 2ppm. Im going to give it another check today. But I think when I started it was a little higher than 4ppm. So if its going down do I add more or wait for it to get to 1 or 2ppm? This thing needs to hurry l

Wait for it to go down to 1 or 2. Patience is key for a healthy bio filter. I've heard many stories of people using the bacteria in a bottle, or in this case, safe start, and later their bio filter crashes and they get a spike in their levels. I would recommend staying away from that stuff! Waiting sucks, I know it does, I've done it 3 times already, but once you start putting fish in your tank, and they are all happy and have healthy water, it'll be worth it!

 

[epjan7]

Wait for it to go down to 1 or 2. Patience is key for a healthy bio filter. I've heard many stories of people using the bacteria in a bottle, or in this case, safe start, and later their bio filter crashes and they get a spike in their levels. I would recommend staying away from that stuff! Waiting sucks, I know it does, I've done it 3 times already, but once you start putting fish in your tank, and they are all happy and have healthy water, it'll be worth it!

Okay its been 6 weeks lol

 

[Rare]

Give it another 6 weeks lol

I know it sucks waiting for the cycled to end.Like RyanBenson be patience on this part as this needs to be done right the first time or face problems down the road.

Do this next time you test. When you test for ammonia don't throw it out. Keep it in the test tube. After 24hrs take a new test tube and test it. Now take both test tube side by side and see if you see a change. If you do, then you can pin point the color better & also where it is at. If still the same clean out the test tube from the first test and keep the other...24hrs later repeat.

 

[Fishfur]

Also, take the test water from deep in the tank not the surface. Sometimes you will get different readings that way. And also, always look at the colour charts in the same light. Daylight is best, next best is under some 6500 K bulbs. The colour changes in different light, so it can look as if the reading is different too and if you are checking under different light sources, it makes it harder to see the changes.

If at all possible, if there is anyone you know with a cycled tank, see if you can get some media or just the rinsings from the filter. Seed yours with it, it will cycle it almost instantly.