I thought i was cycled...please help

[EKap]

a few days ago i tested the aquarium water. I got ammonia 0 nitrites 0 and nitrates unreadable, over 160ppm. I added between 1 ppm and 2ppm ammonia. i checked the tank about 18 hours later Ammonia 0 nitrites 0. Then i did a 90% water change. The nitrites were still unreadable. I waited about an hour and i did another 50% water change. That got the nitrates down to about 20 ppm. i dosed very little ammonia about .50ppm. The next next day i tested the water again. And it reads 0 Ammonia 0 nitrates and still 20ppm nitrates. I did another water change about 30% that got the nitrate down between 5 and 10 but more on the 5ppm side. I dosed another small amount of ammonia to keep the bacteria alive. The next day in the morning i tested the water and it was reading .25ppm ammonia 0 nitrites and almost the same in nitrates. Later that night i tested again for ammonia and it was still at .25ppm. This morning i tested ammonia again and i still have the same reading.25. I waited about about 10 hours and tested again and the reading is still .25ppm

Did i do something wrong. I really want to get fish already. I cant sleep at night haha

 

[librarygirl]

What test kit are you using?
So you've been dosing ammonia every 24 hours and all the ammonia is usually consumed but now it's stuck at .25, right?
Have you tested PH?

 

[EKap]

What test kit are you using?
So you've been dosing ammonia every 24 hours and all the ammonia is usually consumed but now it's stuck at .25, right?
Have you tested PH?

yes my ph is at 7.6

 

[armymp327]

Do you use prime by chance? It can cause a .25 ammonia false reading so if that's the case then you are probably at 0 ppm

 

[librarygirl]

Well your PH is fine. What test kit are you using? Strips aren't very accurate.

Did you remove anything from the tank or do anything to the filters? Did you remember to add dechlorinator when you did those water changes?