Ok, so this is in reference to my main tank, which is, I believe, a 55 gallon. I purchased this tank online from a free ad site, so it was used. It was cleaned before use, but I never really cycled it, because I've never concientiously cycled any tank I've had, and things have been fine. Also, I never really ever gave testing the water much thought in the past, and things were fine. Maybe back then I was very lucky, I dunno, but now that I am trying to pay attention to water levels things are frustrating. So here goes:

I was having a problem with sudden fish die off not too long ago. By then I've had the aquarium about 2 or 3 months. With fish in it. So, I performed a water test using a master test kit, which was included with my purchase of the tank set up. The results were as follows:

Date: 5/6/08
PH 7.6
Ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0.80 ppm
Nitrate: 160 ppm

I was floored. So, I scooped out the fish, and performed an emergency water change. I drained out the tank completely, doing a thorough siphoning. Changed the filters.

I am currently using a Top Fin 60 HOB filter. I, personally, do not like them, but its hard convincing brad that we need something we can actually allow to run if having to medicate the tank. It is set up with pre-filled activated carbon filter cartriges that you just take and toss. For a little while, I also used the pre-filled biological filters along with a carbon cartridge. The "bio filters" are prefilled with carbon and zeolite. It also has a reuseable blue sponge that supposedly creates a home for the beneficial bacteria. The sponge is about 6 inches long, 3 inches wide, and less than 1/4 inch thick.

Ok then, so I did the water change, refilled the tank, added Top Fin Dechlorinator, Top Fin Water Conditioner with Stress Zyme and Tetra Easy Balance with Nitraban. Waited a couple weeks (and used Nitraban weekly as per the instructions) and this is what I have now:

Date: 5/20
PH 7.4
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0.25 ppm
Nitrate: 160 ppm

So it seems everything is stabalizing, at least going down. But why hasn't my Nitrate changed and I know I should have a reading of 0 ppm for the Nitrite... is there anything I am overlooking?

I just performed a 25% water change yesterday as well

Maybe your nitrate test kit is bad or the test was performed incorrectly. You said "master test kit" but didn't specify the exact manufacturer or whether you thought the kit might be old (just thinking if it was a used set from online or some situation where you are not as sure..) As you may know, many of the liquid-based nitrate test require some pretty carefully timed shaking etc.

lol! So funny you mentioned that. Yes, the kit is used, came with the whole aquarium set up. Dr Wellfish Brand or something, and it is the liquid drops. So, I took a sample over to Petsmart, and she said that everything is actually within the norm. So I was very relieved. Next on my shopping list: a new test kit. Thank you so much though for taking the time to read this and offer some input. I was getting ready to blow up the aquarium lol (not really) She did say my nitrite was in the caution zone, on the highest end of the norm, but since I just did the partial water change yesterday, and the complete a couple weeks ago, she said it more likely due to my tank recycling (same for the cloudiness) than anything and not to bother with a new test for about 4 weeks, to be sure the tank has fully cycled.

This post has been edited by Fins N Fur: May 21 2008, 03:55 AM

LOL, "don't test it for about 4 weeks" now there is some slack advice!

*You* are the one on the right track, not her! You should be looking for a nice new liquid-reagent based test kit. I use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which was recommended to me by many here on TFF and which has been great in my opinion. There are other good kits too, so not saying you should lock into a particular one. The most important tests of course are the Ammonia and Nitrite and pH, but it will also be good to have Nitrate and in a few cases people need a KH kit, but that is yet to be determined later in your case.

You should use the kit with the goal of seeing what type of water change pattern will help you accomplish the lowest steady state of ammonia at 0.25ppm or 0, and nitrite at 0.25ppm or 0. You may very well need more than one water change a day at first to get this, then dropping to one a day or eventually less. But because you are taking the hard road of cycling the filter with fish in there, you will need to keep this up. Most say it takes about 4 weeks to "fish-in" cycle a filter. Once you start to get strings of two or more days where ammonia and nitrite are at zero, then you know the filter is doing it for you and you can back off the water changes and just keep testing to make sure your assumptions are correct.

~~waterdrop~~