Recent content by Zia

Well, I did a final test this morning before breaking down the tank, and now everything is reversed -- NH3 .75, and nitrIte 0 (!?!?) I did not break down the tank yet and add the TSS, though I told my daughter we'd be getting fish tomorrow. Now it's my NH3 that's stuck, in a strange turn of...

I did the water change because I heard it helped with a stalled cycle. Because I had the flu and a 102 degree fever and couldn't think clearly after being with my children all day. Because I really want to get the tank cycled so I can enjoy it with my daughter instead of constantly being...

Day 45... during which I inadvertently slay my cycle This morning, ammonia down to .25, nitrIte at .75, pH an 8 This evening, NO CHANGE So, I do what I always do in times of being stuck... my 50% water change. After the water change, ammonia RISES to .5 and nitrIte to 2 (!!!). Note: tap...

Ah. So that may be why my NH3 is still at .25 this morning -- 24 hours after my last addition! Argh! Nitrite has returned to the ever-constant 1... no permanent damage done, hopefully. It was worth a try. :shifty:

Oh, so good to hear you mention an NH3 stumble. I never heard that before, and just encountered it in my own tank today!

Hmm, no this wasn't the product with heterotrophs. It was bacteria-only. In that spirit, I did drop in a couple of live plants. They are not dead yet. Give them time, though. My track record with plants is no better than with fish! Today's morning readings: unremarkable. Around noon, I dropped...

Well, I have been out cold (or, errr, hot) with the flu, but there's not much to report. My readings really haven't changed much. But, I did find a little $4 bottle of Nite-Out at a LFS. Ingredients: Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrospira sp. and Nitrobacter sp. Yes, I know I am going to get scolded...

Well, I'm definitely using Ammonium Hydroxide, but this morning woke up to... NH3: .25 (not processed overnight as previous 2 nights) NitrIte: 1?, as indistinguishable as always Because of the unprocessed chloride, I dipped a quick strip and found Chlorine: ~1 Treated with 1 tsp AquaSafe...

Day 41. Yawn. No change since yesterday. My NH3 continues to drop to 0 after 12 hours, and I am no longer taking an evening reading. As for my nitrItes, no change there, either, unless I try reading the card under different lighting for fun. Here they are in the morning: And underneath...

OldMan47, thank you! This was part of what I was trying to understand. And then the lower KH would lead to the pH crash I had, which in turn slows down nitrIte processing. Still trying to understand why I'd see traces of chlorine during those crashes (and I'm not alone; I've seen mention of this...

Thanks for the encouragement, waterdrop. I need it right about now. I guess I was hoping to be a fast cycler... alas. I know the test strips are wildly inaccurate, but even so, I'm definitely seeing a trend with a KH drop immediately preceding my nitrItes flying off the charts. While the...

Day 38: frustrating testing session -- fool me once, fool me twice I have a bad feeling about the direction my tank is heading. After once again thinking my NitrItes were dropping to .5, tonights testing has brought a reality check: they are once again off the charts. And along with that --...

Hmmm, I saw in another thread that waterdrop said, " 84F/29C is the best temp." I've seen that in other places, too. I just raised it, and things definitely seem to finally be picking up. Thoughts?

Fishy, I had the same problem with my NitIte drops -- it took me weeks to realize I was actually off the charts, rather than at .5. I'd heard the drops would turn green, but mine always changed to a gray color by 5 minutes, and I just assumed I was a "weak" .5 -- ha. I did a 75% water change...

Also: should I add a little baking soda to bring my pH up to 8? I had a big KH/pH crash before...