More cycling troubles.

[Keedee]

I really can't figure out what's going on with my cycling. I add ammonia - test it to make sure it's the right level then check it every day. After a while it reads zero (or close to zero) so I also check Nitrates and Nitrites - but both of them read zero too, like the ammonia just evaporated. I'm not sure what to do but I added more ammonia again.

(this is a 5 gallon, planted tank that I hope to put some shrimp in)

Thanks!

 

[Mebbid]

The most likely cause of this is performing the nitrate test incorrectly. If you don't do it properly it will give you a false negative reading. You basically have to exactly follow the directions

1. Put 10 drops of bottle 1 into a vial of water filled to the fill line
2. Shake vial vigorously for 5 seconds
3. Shake bottle 2 vigorously for 30 seconds
4. Add 10 drops of bottle 2 to the vial
5. Shake the vial vigorously for a full minute
6. Wait 5 minutes before reading

You have to time the shaking properly or else the testing liquid won't be suspended properly.