Nitrite test turns clear.

[Chino1130]

I think my fish less cycle is almost complete. My nitrite tests having been showing the light blue (0ppm) for several days now after adding ammonia less than 24 hours before. When I test my nitrites, the tube is a dark purple after the initial shake, and during the 5 minute waiting period I can see it get lighter and lighter (usually turns blue). There are a few instances however where the mix has gone from a fairly dark purple to crystal clear within 3-4 minutes. Anyone else ever come across this?

 

[LyndaB]

What are your ammonia and nitrate readings?

You should go by the color that's after the 5 minutes. It doesn't matter what appears after that. I couldn't tell from your post if you meant that the color was changing within the 5 minutes or after during that 3-4 minute timeframe.

 

[eco23]

API Master Kit? Any way maybe the pH and no2 bottles are getting mixed up? I'd be a bit cautious before calling it cycled just in case. I know mine starts baby blue and stays that way for the 5 minutes if the reading is truly zero. Personally I'd run a sample to the LFS to get a confirmation on the test results. If after 24 hours of adding the ammonia the readings really are zero ammo, zero no2 and some degree of nitrAtes...than I agree it's cycled

 

[Chino1130]

@ Lynda

My ammonia will go from 6ppm to 0 in a 24 hour hour period. My nitrates have been holding at 10-20 ppm for almost a week now. My nitrites have been doing very well. If I test the water 12 hours after adding ammonia there are small traces of nitrites present (a light purple). If I wait 24 hours they are consistently at 0-.25 ppm. After I shake the test the mixture starts as a dark purple and during the 5 minutes the color gradually lightens and eventually indicates 0 or just barely above. There have been a few times where the the mixture will turn completely clear after 3-4 minutes and remain clear from that point on. Make sense?

@ Eco

I am using the API test kit. I am certain I am not mixing up the bottles. This turning clear thing has only happened 3 times out of 16 tests. When I test the next time everything is cool.

 

[eco23]

Thats definitely odd. I'd personally take a sample to the LFS to get confirmation on your levels. Also, the no3 should steadily be rising. I'd also check your pH to make sure it didn't crash which might cause the no2 to stop converting (assuming the no3 test is being done correctly...it's tricky).

 

[Chino1130]

Thats definitely odd. I'd personally take a sample to the LFS to get confirmation on your levels. Also, the no3 should steadily be rising. I'd also check your pH to make sure it didn't crash which might cause the no2 to stop converting (assuming the no3 test is being done correctly...it's tricky).

My ph has been a steady 6.4-6.6. I didn't start testing (probably stupid of me) until after I hooked up my DIY co2 system. It had a one day spike of over 7 when I did a 30% water change, but dropped back down within hours.

The nitrate test is a pain, but I usually will run that test twice just to varify. Only once did I find back to back tests not match. I shake both bottles for good minute, as well as bang them on hard surfaces. I then shake the test mixture for 75 seconds just in case. I do have a decent number of plants, but they are all pretty small with the exception of one. I was ready to pull it out because it looked like it was dying, and after I added the co2 it started turning green again is now growing pretty rapidly.

 

[eco23]

I'd just want to be cautious because the last thing you'd want to do is have a faulty test, stock the tank, and have the fish going into 5+ppm water since you might have a crazy test resut.

My vote would be...
- Do a large water change (they never hurt and will refresh anything used up by the bacteria)
- Add 3-4ppm of ammonia
- The next day test again, and bring a sample to the pet store to confirm
- If it's zeroed out...go ahead and stock

I'm just concerned because the normal reaction is for the no2 test to initially be blue...them steadily turn purple over the 5 minutes if no2 is present...I've never seen or heard of it being the opposite.

 

[Chino1130]

Thanks. That's probably what I am going to do. And the timing if I do that tonight will work out perfectly with my college schedule. One other question I had on my mind. I made the Co2 system mainly to help my plants take off before the cycle was finished. I made a strong mixture that cranks out a surplus of Co2 just for the cycling phase. The tank seems to be cycling way faster than I thought. Seeing as I only work 20 hours a week while in school, I can't afford a $300+ Co2 system at this time. I know Co2 can affect ph levels. Since the Co2 output of a DIY system is hard to regulate ( starts high and slowly depletes ), should I continue with my intentions of putting in a less potent yeast mixture, or would it be a good idea to just do away with it completely before adding fish?

 

[eco23]

Co2 is a foreign language to me...that I can't help with at all. I think you've got a good plan though. You should be able to tell soon if you're cycled

 

[librarygirl]

Just to add my two cents: I've heard of the nitrite test doing that when nitrite is crazy off-chart (it'll start off purple and then turn a clear or greyish color). Doing a water change(s) until your nitrites can be read on the chart (shoot for <2 ppm) would be ideal, then we'll know for sure. In other words, do what Eco said.

 

[Chino1130]

Well that would be a major bummer, lol. That would mean that the journal I'm keeping is filled with faulty data. The only thing though is this has only happened three times, and took place after I saw my nitrites spike and then start falling. I have seen the light blue on numerous occasions, as well as seen insanely high nitrite levels during the early stages of the cycle (a purple much darker than the darkest one on the test sheet) so I'm hoping that that isn't the case.

I did not mention this before, nor do I include it in the three instances stated above, but I have seen it turn clear a few times after seeing it at the light blue color. There have time I tested, got a <.25 reading on nitrites, but didn't clean out the tubes immediately. After sitting there for a good while (one time over night) after getting a light blue result, the test turned clear.

*edit*


just found this on another forum. Describes what's happening to me perfectly .

"I'm assuming your doing a fishless cycle and that your ammonia has been dropping to zero in 24 hrs or less. If the nitrite test drops go to the bottom of the tube and are purple before you even shake it, then your nitrite is high off the chart, and it will turn a very light blue or greenish blue after 5 minutes. Mine even got almost clear. I had this same result when I cycled my 1st tank. If the nitrite doesn't start to come down, try doing a water change to get it down to a readable level, 5ppm or less I think is on the API card. You should also be showing some nitrate at this point in the cycle. I'm guessing that you are real close to completion. Your nitrite may stay high, but then it will suddenly drop to 0, almost overnight. After that,IMO, I would keep dosing for another week, kind of a verification period, because it can bounce a bit for a day or two. Hope this helps, good luck."


That just ruined my day...

 

[Chino1130]

Update :

I got home from class and took an ammonia and a nitrite reading (5:30pm). Last night my ammonia was 4-5ppm at 10:45. Fast forward to now, my ammonia was at 0ppm and my nitrite reading was the same as it has been for the last week, which I am now assuming to be off the charts.

Now for the real head scratcher. I just did a 90% water change and retested. I probably waited 5 minutes after turning the filter back on to test my water again. My ammonia reading was still 0 (expected) but my nitrites are still in the dark purple. Now, when I put the nitrite mix in the tube, it started as a light blue and quickly changed to purple, even before I shook it. This is apposed to having the drops immediately turn purple upon dropping them in. This leads me to believe that nitrites did in fact drop. My nitrates dropped from 20ppm to just above 0ppm.

Now for the million dollar question. I tested water right out of my tap and got no nitrites. Could my nitrites have been so high that the 10% old water in the tank still yields a result of high nitrites?

 

[librarygirl]

Update :

I got home from class and took an ammonia and a nitrite reading (5:30pm). Last night my ammonia was 4-5ppm at 10:45. Fast forward to now, my ammonia was at 0ppm and my nitrite reading was the same as it has been for the last week, which I am now assuming to be off the charts.

Now for the real head scratcher. I just did a 90% water change and retested. I probably waited 5 minutes after turning the filter back on to test my water again. My ammonia reading was still 0 (expected) but my nitrites are still in the dark purple. Now, when I put the nitrite mix in the tube, it started as a light blue and quickly changed to purple, even before I shook it. This is apposed to having the drops immediately turn purple upon dropping them in. This leads me to believe that nitrites did in fact drop. My nitrates dropped from 20ppm to just above 0ppm.

Now for the million dollar question. I tested water right out of my tap and got no nitrites. Could my nitrites have been so high that the 10% old water in the tank still yields a result of high nitrites?

Short answer is yes. When nitrites are that high it can take more than one pwc to get them down to readable levels. If you can break the buckets out one more time and do another massive pwc and then test and see where they are.

 

[Chino1130]

Ugh. Just did a 70% water change and the nitrites look exactly as they did after the 90% change. I'm getting really discouraged riht about now...

 

[jlk]

Dont get discouraged!!!! I just finished cycling my new 50gal last wk using ammonia. I had a similar situation where my nitrites were off the chart and i started doing crazy water changes and they were STILL off the chart!!!! It was back-breaking doing this (i had to use a small plastic cup to get the water down to the gravel) and it took hours and hours and hours. I was ready to give up!!!! BUT, after (finally!) getting the nitrites readable (@2ppm), it only took a few days before my nitrites read ZERO!!! You are almost there if you can get through some more water changes!!!!!

 

[Chino1130]

Just did an 80% change. Im pretty tired from lugging these five gallon buckets around. My nitrites are finally down around 2-5 ppm. I'd do one more water change, but I'm beat. I'll do it tomorrow. My nitrates are at 0ppm. Now, regarding ammonia... Should I dose back to 4ppm, or will that just continue build up excess nitrites? Maybe just to 2ppm to keep the bacteria going? Should I sit tight on adding ammonia for a few days?

 

[jlk]

As i learned (check my post-fishless cycling uncertainity), you will be okay if you dose the ammonia lower for a day or two (1-2ppm). The water changes (yes, the AWFUL bucket! ive got 1 too!) are what seemed to do the trick for me. The crazy nitrite levels seem to be the culprit in stalling the cycle and keeping things from moving forward. Back-breaking, yes, but it worked for me!

 

[jlk]

Heres a trick i learned to figure out how much water i needed to change. Test your nitrites. Set tube aside. Fill tube up only 1/2 way to line then add tap water (whatever water you use for pwc) for the other 50%. Test this and see how it compares to the 1st tube. Then only fill 25% of tube and add tap water for the other 75%. Test this and see how it compares to the 1st tube. You should get a readable result at either 50% or 75%, if not, test 10% to 90% tap. This will give you a fairly accurate idea on how much water needs to be changed before you do it! Hope this helps!

 

[Chino1130]

Heres a trick i learned to figure out how much water i needed to change. Test your nitrites. Set tube aside. Fill tube up only 1/2 way to line then add tap water (whatever water you use for pwc) for the other 50%. Test this and see how it compares to the 1st tube. Then only fill 25% of tube and add tap water for the other 75%. Test this and see how it compares to the 1st tube. You should get a readable result at either 50% or 75%, if not, test 10% to 90% tap. This will give you a fairly accurate idea on how much water needs to be changed before you do it! Hope this helps!

I was actually experimenting with that like 5 minutes ago. Thanks for the tip.

 

[jlk]

Anything that helps! Dont give up yet!!