Betta Tank Has No Ammonia, Nitrite Or Nitrate

[GuppyGoddess]

My betta is in a 5-gallon tank, filtered, heated, etc. He was brought home in August and put in his larger tank a few months later (Early October). His tank is still not cycled.

I had been doing regular 25-30% water changes with vaccuming his gravel 2X per week and slowly his fins have been damaged by the ammonia, so I feared him becoming sick and kept up that amount of water change.

Recently, I decided to cut back on the water changes and not vaccum his gravel hoping his tank would finally cycle. Last major 30% was 8 days ago. Then five days after that he had a 10% change. I tested his water on Friday and he had .25 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate. I did NOT do a water change and expected the ammonia to rise. Instead it's now at 0 and nitrite and nitrate are at 0 too.

Any idea what is going on? (none of my other tanks have cycled either and I think it's because I've changed too much of their water/plus cleaned the gravel)

Thanks.

 

[fishyfeet]

yes it is becaused you changed water during the cycle, you are supposed to cycle the tank before adding fish by using ammonia instead of fish waste (same thing really) once the bacteria has established both sets of colonys then they just need a regular amount of ammonia every day to keep them alive, this generated by the fish. di

 

[GuppyGoddess]

yes it is becaused you changed water during the cycle, you are supposed to cycle the tank before adding fish by using ammonia instead of fish waste (same thing really) once the bacteria has established both sets of colonys then they just need a regular amount of ammonia every day to keep them alive, this generated by the fish. di

Yeah, I understand that. The question I have is WHY are the levels at 0, 0, and 0 with my fish in there when I haven't done a significant water change in 8 days.

 

[chrisbassist]

well ammonia and nitrite being at 0 is a good thing,that would indicate that the tank has finally cycled.

the presence of no nitrate though confuses me. once ammonia gets turned into nitrite, and that gets turned into nitrate, nitrate should stay in there until you do the water change.

this would tell me either the nitrite or nitrate test isn't working properly. what tests are they? how long have you had them?

you should have at least one of them showing. try taking your water to a LFS, see if they can test your water for you.

if the nitrate test is the one not working, then fine, a weekly 25% change will do for now until something changes...

if the nitrite test isn't working then you will need to do something about it, carrying on with daily changes. and in you situation someone saying you're supposed to do a cycle beore adding your fish is kinda useless advice (although keep it in mind for your next tank) whatever test isn't working, replace...

 

[MewMew42]

hmmm

I think your tank is cycled but is your tank really heavily planted using real plants? and whats your nitrate reading form the tap? also which test kit are you using?

 

[chrisbassist]

hmmm

I think your tank is cycled but is your tank really heavily planted using real plants? and whats your nitrate reading form the tap? also which test kit are you using?

yeah, heavily planted would also explain the lack of nitrate since plants will take that in.

 

[Truck]

Plants use ammonia also, even more so than nitrate as it requires less energy to extract the nitrogen.

Plants would be a reason, as would anaerobic bacteria living in the substrate, using the nitrate and changing it into nitrogen gas.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

All the test kits are the liquid API brand one and the nitrate was purchased less than six months ago and the nitrite one was purchased back in August. Should that nitrite kit be replaced/is it too old? There are no live plants in the tank. They're all silk.

I'll take the water in to be tested by the LFS and see what they come up with.

Thanks!

 

[Gilli]

Just a thought - are you doing the nitrate test correctly? You have to add the drops from the first bottle and shake for 30 secs then add the second bottle and shake for one minute - if you dont do this correctly the reading will be 0.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Just a thought - are you doing the nitrate test correctly? You have to add the drops from the first bottle and shake for 30 secs then add the second bottle and shake for one minute - if you dont do this correctly the reading will be 0.

I just retested just to be sure I am doing it correctly and it still came back as 0. The other day, I put a new female in an uncycled tank and just tested her water using my ammonia kit and it came back positive for ammonia, so that kit is working.