Cycling Question

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Hi, I'm after some advice on where to go next with my tank.

My leevls this morning are... Nitrite is now down to 0ppm and nitrate is at 20ppm

I dont know what the ammonia level is, someone on here recommended a better test kit that does ammonia too, which i ordered off ebay last week and it still hasn't arrived! So I've just sent my friend out to buy me some ammonia tests.

Do I continue with water changes still? I'm not sure where the nitrAte level should be?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

nitrate is least important as long as it's under 40ppmish, test your tap water for nitrate as well as some people have it out of the tap at 40ppm so obviously water changes won't bring it lower than that.

As the ammonia is an unknown quantity i would say you continue with the water changes to be on the safe side, you only know you're safe to stop the water changes when you can confirm via good test kit readings (using a liquid based test kit, i assume you've ordered the API kit?) that ammonia and nitrite hold steady at 0,0 by themselves.

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

nitrate is least important as long as it's under 40ppmish, test your tap water for nitrate as well as some people have it out of the tap at 40ppm so obviously water changes won't bring it lower than that.

As the ammonia is an unknown quantity i would say you continue with the water changes to be on the safe side, you only know you're safe to stop the water changes when you can confirm via good test kit readings (using a liquid based test kit, i assume you've ordered the API kit?) that ammonia and nitrite hold steady at 0,0 by themselves.

I've just tested the tap water, both are at 0. Yes its the API kit I've ordered, I am using API atm, but its only the 5in1 test strips, so I've got the better one on the way. As I said since its not turned up yet my friend has gone to the LFS to get me something to test the ammonia with in the mean time, so I should have a reading in the next couple of hours when he gets back!

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Right, funilly enough the postman has just turned up with my API master test kit!

So, I've tested the tank water.. results:

PH 7.6 so I tested with the high range, and it was 7.4
Ammonia 0.50
Nitrite 0 - 0.25
Nitrate 10

And I've tested my tap water.. results:

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 - 10

These levels are after 3 days with no water changes, I've not done a water change for 3 days now due to personal circumstances.

 

[SharonCC]

I'd do a water change now, with the Ammonia reading at .5ppm. Sounds like the cycle may soon be finished, as you are getting Nitrates.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

right ok, well with a trace of ammonia in the tap water while you're cycling the best you can hope to achieve with water changes is ammonia 0.25ppm and nitrite 0ppm so those are your targets, do another 40% water change now then an hour later re-test ammonia and nitrite to see how much difference it makes.

then just keep monitoring daily and anytime the levels get higher than in your tap water you do a water change, it does sound like you're getting there to only have a rise of 0.25ppm of ammonia in 3 days so you're obviously on course, just got to keep it up now.

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Thanks for that.. all looking good then! 2 weeks ago I was sure the levels would never drop and I was about to loose all my fish!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

cycling with fish is a long and frustrating process! along with the fact that it's safer for the fish this is one of the reasons why we always reocmmend a fishless cycle where possible!

You'll get there, none of us can guarantee that all the fish will make it, we can be optomistic but have a responsibility to be realistic as well, it is a dangerous process for the fish. But you do sound like it's making good progress so just keep up the hard work and we've all got our fingers and toes crossed for you.

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Thanks miss wiggle, I think they would all have died by now if it wasn't for the helpful people like you! It's really satisfying to finally see some progress being made now!

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Well, did a water change 3 hours ago... obviously the tap water as we know has ammonia level of 0.25 and nitrate of 5 - 10. I've just tested the water again and amonia is now down to 0.25 and nitrate down to 5, nitrite still at 0. Definate good sign that the nitrate is lower than the tap water level, right?

 

[waterdrop]

Oh the poor boy friend, out there searching for some weird thing called an ammonia test and meanwhile the postman drops off the real thing back at the house.

Wonder if the 0.25 ammonia in the water is just chloramines after breaking apart? Might be interesting to know how a bucket of tap water reads an hour or two after its drawn.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Ha, he was a bit gutted when he got back... cost £10 for the lil tube with a few ammonia strips in it aswell!!!

I'll go get a bucket of tap water and try that..

 

[waterdrop]

fine, no rush on that, may not really tell us anything

You seem to be doing the right things for your fish.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[heavenly_d3vi1]

Just out of interest... I'm about to go and pick up a new tank to put my fry in, I'm not sure how big it is, but its described as small. I've got 2 filters running in my tank, would it disrupt my cycle if I put one in the new tank?

 

[waterdrop]

Usually when you have two filters running on a tank, the bioload is evenly divided between them. Moving one away will halve the bacterial colonies in your main tank, meaning ammonia and nitrite will be less processed and your fish-in cycle will again go back to requiring more and/or larger water changes in order to maintain the below 0.25 levels. The filter that is moved will also require an ammonia source if there are not fry immediately ready for it.

~~waterdrop~~