I have had a 29 gallon tank running for 4 weeks now. It is our first tank so while I have done a lot of reading I still have some questions. I have 6 fish in our tank as recommended by the local aquarium store - 3 White Cloud Mountain minnows and 3 black skirt tetras. I just bought an API liquid test kit last week, so prior to that I was relying on the dip tests done by the aquarium store, which never showed anything. In the last week with the liquid test kit I have had readings of ammonia = trace-.225 ppm (because my kids think it looks yellow but I think there is a slight green tinge to it - we can't agree), nitrite = 0, and nitrate increasing from 5ppm - between 10and 20 ppm today. My question: I have never seen a positive nitrite reading for my tank. Is it possible to have nitrates rising without nitrite being converted? How can I tell if my tank has already cycled, if it is almost done, or if it hasn't even started yet? I wish I bought the liquid test kit sooner! Thanks for all of your help. I add nothing to the tank except the tap water conditioner and fish food. We have live plants. I was doing a small water change every 3 days, but in the last week I waited a full week after detecting virtually nothing toxic in the tank. Thanks!
Jennifer
Jennifer