kevan07
Aquarium Advice Regular
I made a post on here a few days ago about sick platies. Well, three of them died and the fourth one got ich but with the temperature of the tank raised the platy now has no ich (however, I am still keeping the temperature raised for several more days and continuing to change the water so as to make sure it is actually gone).
The point of the platies was to cycle the tank. Well, ever since last Tuesday (a week ago) when I got the platies I have been testing the water every single day and my results were always 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrites. I did not see how this was possible and since my test kit is 8 years old and has been both moved over a 1000's miles and stored in a basement for an extended period of time I assumed it probably just got old and hence was not working properly. So I ordered myself a new API Freshwater Test Kit complete with a Nitrate test. I just got the kit today and tested my water and below (see picture) are the results:
To me it looks like it is still reading as 0ppm for ammonia, 0ppm for nitrites, and possibly somewhere between 0ppm and 5ppm for Nitrate (water looks like it has a slight orange tinge). I am so lost on the pH I always thought my pH was over 8.8 but looking at this test the color is more pinkish purple and doesn't seem to match anything...
So my question is am I reading this wrong/what am I doing wrong? I have had the tank set up with water and a filter since last October but no fish were added till this past Tuesday (2/4/14). I really don't see how it cycled itself on its own or is it not cycled at all?
Help please.
The point of the platies was to cycle the tank. Well, ever since last Tuesday (a week ago) when I got the platies I have been testing the water every single day and my results were always 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrites. I did not see how this was possible and since my test kit is 8 years old and has been both moved over a 1000's miles and stored in a basement for an extended period of time I assumed it probably just got old and hence was not working properly. So I ordered myself a new API Freshwater Test Kit complete with a Nitrate test. I just got the kit today and tested my water and below (see picture) are the results:
To me it looks like it is still reading as 0ppm for ammonia, 0ppm for nitrites, and possibly somewhere between 0ppm and 5ppm for Nitrate (water looks like it has a slight orange tinge). I am so lost on the pH I always thought my pH was over 8.8 but looking at this test the color is more pinkish purple and doesn't seem to match anything...
So my question is am I reading this wrong/what am I doing wrong? I have had the tank set up with water and a filter since last October but no fish were added till this past Tuesday (2/4/14). I really don't see how it cycled itself on its own or is it not cycled at all?
Help please.