Hi everyone...new to the hobby. Just got my new Fluval Flex 9 gal tank a few weeks ago and I think I'm at the tail-end of my fishless cycle and I got some weird test results tonight. For the past couple of nights, my Nitrites have been sitting at 0.0 (or less than .25) ppm as well as my ammonia. Tonight my Nitrites were back up to 2.0 ppm. Had a little issue with my pH dipping down but chalked it up to the fact that I've been dosing 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride since my tank has been pretty much cycling it out in a 24-hr period. I'm posting my cycle journal below to see if anyone has any insight. I apologize in advance for the long post. I tried to keep detailed notes in my logs.
5/27/18
Set up new tank, aquascaped tank using corkscrew vals, microswords, crypts (undulata and wendtii bronze), java fern and el nino ferns. Added ferts and ammonia.
5/28/18
Ammonia - 2.0 ppm
pH - 7.2
Nitrites - 0 ppm
Nitrates - ferts added 5/27/18
Added biomax from established 29 gal tonight.
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
5/29/18
Ammonia - 3.0 ppm
Nitrites - 0 ppm
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
5/30/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 1.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
Added a rock and piece of driftwood from established 29 gal tank
5/31/18
Ammonia - 8.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Performed 50% water change
Added 2 caps full of Stability and 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
Dosed ferts
Ammonia (post-water change) - 4.0 ppm
6/1/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
pH - 7.4
Nitrites - .75 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Trimmed melt off of corkscrew vals and microswords tonight
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter and Stability
6/2/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
pH - 7.4
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - *5.0 ppm
Added one cap full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter and Stability
6/3/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0 ppm
Added one cap full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter and Stability
6/4/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0 ppm
6/5/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0 ppm
Nitrates - 10.0 ppm
Performed a 20% water change
Added one cap full of Stability
6/6/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 3.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Performed a 50% water change
6/7/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Performed a 20% water change
6/8/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
6/9/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Performed 50% water change; added water from established filter sponge from 29 gal
6/10/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Nitrates - 60.0 ppm
Performed 50% water change; dosed 1.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/11/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Nitrates - 120.0 ppm
Performed a 60% water change; dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/12/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Nitrates - 20.0 ppm
pH - 6.2
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Added aragonite to tank
6/13/18
Ammonia - .50 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - 10.0 ppm
pH - 6.0
Added pH regulator, dosed enough for 5 gallons
6/14/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
pH - 6.7
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Added macros liquid ferts
6/15/18
Ammonia - <.25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.0 ppm
Nitrates - 20.0 ppm
pH - 6.6
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Cleaned out some of the hair algae
6/16/18
Ammonia - < .25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.0 ppm
pH - 6.4
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Added 1 mL of pH regulator
6/17/18
Ammonia - < .25 ppm
Nitrites - .25 ppm
pH - 6.6
Performed 50% water change
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/18/18
Ammonia - < .25 ppm
Nitrites - < .25 ppm
pH - 6.8
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/19/18
Ammonia - 0.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - 20.0 ppm
pH - 6.6
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
My boyfriend has a 29 gal that's been established for just over a year now so he's been helping me with the cycle (adding biomax from his tank into mine, adding some bacteria-laden water from his filter sponge, dosing my tank with ferts, etc.). When he saw the Nitrite result tonight, he wasn't quite sure why it came up so quickly. He quickly directed me to you guys, saying that someone would know what's going on.
Thanks in advance for any help you all might be able to give!
P.S. Yep...I have pest snails, courtesy of my beautiful microswords...didn't know they were there until it was too late. Going to be getting rid of them soon.
5/27/18
Set up new tank, aquascaped tank using corkscrew vals, microswords, crypts (undulata and wendtii bronze), java fern and el nino ferns. Added ferts and ammonia.
5/28/18
Ammonia - 2.0 ppm
pH - 7.2
Nitrites - 0 ppm
Nitrates - ferts added 5/27/18
Added biomax from established 29 gal tonight.
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
5/29/18
Ammonia - 3.0 ppm
Nitrites - 0 ppm
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
5/30/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 1.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
Added a rock and piece of driftwood from established 29 gal tank
5/31/18
Ammonia - 8.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Performed 50% water change
Added 2 caps full of Stability and 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter
Dosed ferts
Ammonia (post-water change) - 4.0 ppm
6/1/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
pH - 7.4
Nitrites - .75 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Trimmed melt off of corkscrew vals and microswords tonight
Added 2 caps full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter and Stability
6/2/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
pH - 7.4
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - *5.0 ppm
Added one cap full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter and Stability
6/3/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0 ppm
Added one cap full of ReadiStart Bacteria Starter and Stability
6/4/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0 ppm
6/5/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0 ppm
Nitrates - 10.0 ppm
Performed a 20% water change
Added one cap full of Stability
6/6/18
Ammonia - 6.0 ppm
Nitrites - 3.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
Performed a 50% water change
6/7/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Performed a 20% water change
6/8/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
6/9/18
Ammonia - 4.0 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Performed 50% water change; added water from established filter sponge from 29 gal
6/10/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Nitrates - 60.0 ppm
Performed 50% water change; dosed 1.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/11/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Nitrates - 120.0 ppm
Performed a 60% water change; dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/12/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 5.0+ ppm
Nitrates - 20.0 ppm
pH - 6.2
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Added aragonite to tank
6/13/18
Ammonia - .50 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - 10.0 ppm
pH - 6.0
Added pH regulator, dosed enough for 5 gallons
6/14/18
Ammonia - .25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.0 ppm
Nitrates - 5.0 ppm
pH - 6.7
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Added macros liquid ferts
6/15/18
Ammonia - <.25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.0 ppm
Nitrates - 20.0 ppm
pH - 6.6
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Cleaned out some of the hair algae
6/16/18
Ammonia - < .25 ppm
Nitrites - 0.0 ppm
pH - 6.4
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
Added 1 mL of pH regulator
6/17/18
Ammonia - < .25 ppm
Nitrites - .25 ppm
pH - 6.6
Performed 50% water change
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/18/18
Ammonia - < .25 ppm
Nitrites - < .25 ppm
pH - 6.8
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
6/19/18
Ammonia - 0.0 ppm
Nitrites - 2.0 ppm
Nitrates - 20.0 ppm
pH - 6.6
Dosed 2.0 ppm of ammonium chloride
My boyfriend has a 29 gal that's been established for just over a year now so he's been helping me with the cycle (adding biomax from his tank into mine, adding some bacteria-laden water from his filter sponge, dosing my tank with ferts, etc.). When he saw the Nitrite result tonight, he wasn't quite sure why it came up so quickly. He quickly directed me to you guys, saying that someone would know what's going on.
Thanks in advance for any help you all might be able to give!
P.S. Yep...I have pest snails, courtesy of my beautiful microswords...didn't know they were there until it was too late. Going to be getting rid of them soon.