New Fish Tank Help!!!!

[librarygirl]

I'd get a liquid test kit, like the API Master. The strips aren't very accurate so it's possible you may have overdosed ammonia (which is easy to do) or your PH might be lower than what the strips are saying in which case that could be stalling things too.

In the meantime, do a 50-60% water change, wait a few hours and then see what the ammonia reads. Unless it's 0, which it shouldn't be, leave it alone, don't add more and test again in 24 hours. Don't forget to dechlorinate the water.

 

[atrbigred95]

Okay so a few changes today. I bought an api master test kit. Ammonia is reading from 4pp to a little less. Nitrites are at 3 to 4 ppm which is an increase from yesterday. Nitrates have shown up and are from 5 to 10 ppm.

I am alot happier with the nitrites rising and the nitrates showing up but ammonia is still up and I still dont think it has dropped. This is really confusing me. Any more suggestions. I really dont think I overdoesed the tank with it from that reading. Does anyone think I should do a small water change to maybe get it to switch up some?

 

[librarygirl]

Nitrites and nitrates are a good thing; some conversion is happening at least. You could do a 50% water change to try to get ammonia down more and restore some of the minerals, etc in the water and see what happens.

 

[atrbigred95]

So once I change the water and the ammonia goes down should I dose it back up to around 4ppm? Also will the water affect my nitrates and my nitrites that are forming?

Im really nervous about doing the water change because it just seems like everything is going good in this cycle except for the ammonia and I dont want to turn one problem into two problems.

 

[Teakwood]

So once I change the water and the ammonia goes down should I dose it back up to around 4ppm? Also will the water affect my nitrates and my nitrites that are forming?

Im really nervous about doing the water change because it just seems like everything is going good in this cycle except for the ammonia and I dont want to turn one problem into two problems.

If your ammonia is at 4ppm leave it alone and let it do its thing, if its super high you could get it down to a readable level then wait for that ammonia to be gone and start dosing back up again. If ammonia is at 4ppm then let that be consumed once it gets down to 1 or 0 the redoes back up to 4ppm. When you can dose 4ppms and in 24 hours all ammonia is gone you are don't cycling. Then do a huge 90% water change to get nitrates down(because by then they will be really high) and then you can start adding fish.

 

[atrbigred95]

So teakwood you think I should just let it keep going the way its going right now and just keep testing even though ammonia is not changing. It is reading around 4ppm still.

 

[Teakwood]

So teakwood you think I should just let it keep going the way its going right now and just keep testing even though ammonia is not changing. It is reading around 4ppm still.

How many days has it been unchanging? Since you were using the strips before it may have not been as accurate as your API test kit so something may have been off. You could do a 50% water change to get it down to 2ppms then wait till those lower and re-dose to 4...

 

[atrbigred95]

I put the first dose in on december 5th and has not went down since then

 

[rilesjr44]

All I can say is be patient this hobby is all about patience if ya don't have it this hobby is not a good one to start lol. Keep testing it will turn all is a sudden also do u have live rock in the tank while ur cycling.

 

[atrbigred95]

No I dont. All I have is a bubble wall, gravel, and the active sponge filter from angel plus.

 

[foster53]

I put the first dose in on december 5th and has not went down since then

You put the ammonia in on Dec 5th if I read this right. That is only 11 days, not even two weeks yet. Cycling a tank can sometimes take up to 4 or 5 weeks, maybe even longer depending on ph, and other variables. It will cycle in time. Adding a seasoned sponge as you did will HELP, not make an instantly cycled tank. What can sometimes help a little is a temp of around 80 degrees. Helps speed up the developement the bacteria needed to cycle the tank. Be patient, and just test each day or two. When your ammonia does drop to around 2 ppm, then carefully redose to NO MORE than 4 ppm. Once the ammonia drops from 4ppm to 0ppm in 24 hrs consistently for a few days in a row your tank is cycled. Do a large water change(90-100%) Add the fish of your choice and enjoy your aquarium. Most of us have been where you are now, and we all succeeded. You will to

 

[atrbigred95]

You put the ammonia in on Dec 5th if I read this right. That is only 11 days, not even two weeks yet. Cycling a tank can sometimes take up to 4 or 5 weeks, maybe even longer depending on ph, and other variables. It will cycle in time. Adding a seasoned sponge as you did will HELP, not make an instantly cycled tank. What can sometimes help a little is a temp of around 80 degrees. Helps speed up the developement the bacteria needed to cycle the tank. Be patient, and just test each day or two. When your ammonia does drop to around 2 ppm, then carefully redose to NO MORE than 4 ppm. Once the ammonia drops from 4ppm to 0ppm in 24 hrs consistently for a few days in a row your tank is cycled. Do a large water change(90-100%) Add the fish of your choice and enjoy your aquarium. Most of us have been where you are now, and we all succeeded. You will to

Thanks. I was just getting a little worried how I had the nitrites and nitrates forming but no drop in ammonia because I thought that ammoina had to drop before nitrites could form. I guess I will just try to be patient. lol

 

[Teakwood]

Thanks. I was just getting a little worried how I had the nitrites and nitrates forming but no drop in ammonia because I thought that ammoina had to drop before nitrites could form. I guess I will just try to be patient. lol

If I recall ammonia drops because the bacteria that eats it is converting it into nitrites so you wont see a significant drop in the ammonia until there is a significant amount of ammonia processing bacteria. Seeing nitrites is a good sign!!!!

 

[atrbigred95]

Okay so today I have seen a significant drop in ammonia. It is down to around 1 to 2ppm. Nitrites have now gone off my charts and nitrates are at about 20ppm.

So should I redose ammonia now or let it get a little lower? Also when I redose the ammonia should I see it go away much faster? Then about how long will it take nitrites to start lowering?

 

[foster53]

Redose to 4ppm ammonia. Keep testing every day now, to see how fast the ammonia drops. Keep dosing ammonia until 4 ppm are gone in 24 hrs consistenly for several days. What is the nitrite reading. It will take several days for the nitrite consuming bacteria to populate enough to reduce nitrite levels. Once they start going down, they should reduce quite rapidly. You are in the home stretch now. I would say within another 2 weeks your tank should be cycled.

 

[atrbigred95]

My nitrites are way over 5ppm. Like I said it is much darker than any color than my test kit can read. Also i put 8mL of ace ammonia to get the ammonia to read 4ppm last time so about how much would you suggest this time? about 3mL maybe? I really dont want to overdose and screw up after getting this far.

 

[librarygirl]

My nitrites are way over 5ppm. Like I said it is much darker than any color than my test kit can read. Also i put 8mL of ace ammonia to get the ammonia to read 4ppm last time so about how much would you suggest this time? about 3mL maybe? I really dont want to overdose and screw up after getting this far.

Actually let's wait another 24 hours and see if ammonia drops more.

 

[atrbigred95]

Actually let's wait another 24 hours and see if ammonia drops more.

Alright. How long do you estimate it will take to see nitrites start going back down?

Also just another curious question. Does nitrites go down by the bacteria that produces nitrates like ammonia goes down by the bacteria that produces nitrites?

 

[Teakwood]

Alright. How long do you estimate it will take to see nitrites start going back down?

Also just another curious question. Does nitrites go down by the bacteria that produces nitrates like ammonia goes down by the bacteria that produces nitrites?

A week, 2 maybe at least. And yep.

 

[foster53]

once nitrites are present, another type of bacteria forms to consume the nitrites. It takes this bacteria a while to establish itself in numbers large enough to comsume the nitrite. as said it will take a bit. You can wait until tomorrow to see if the ammonia level drops, but personally I would redose to 4 ppm. If you decide to, put a tiny bit of ammonia in at a time. wait a few minutes for it to circulate then test again. Just keep going until you are at 4 ppm. Sorry if this is confusing you, everyone has their own methods that work for them. The main thing is you end up with a cycled tank!!