Fishless Cycle - Stubborn Ammonia Readings

[nehpets81]

Hi All,

After taking advice on this forum, I started my fishless cycle about 2 weeks ago but I am a bit perplexed about the Ammonia readings. So far, it has gone as follows:

Dechlorinated Tap water:
Temp: Cold
PH: >7.6 (only had lower level PH tester at this point - doh!)
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15ppm

Day 1:
Temp 24
PH 7.9
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Added ammonia to 4ppm

Day 6:
Temp 29
ph 8
Ammonia 4ppm

Day 7&8:
Same as day 6

Day 9
Temp (always 29 from now on)
ph 8.2
Ammonia 3
Nitrite 1

(This was a very exciting day!)

Day 10:
ph 8.2
Ammonia 2
Nitrite 1.5

Day 11:
ph 8
Ammonia 1
Nitrite: 1?

Day 12
Ammonia : 0.4

Day 13:
ph 8.1
Ammonia : 0.25

Day 14, 15 & 16:
Ammonia : 0.25

Day 17:
ph 8.1
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 4?

So, there it is - time constraints have meant I did not measure most things except Ammonia for a while, but I am now back in to it. I find the Nitrite numbers quite hard to determine above about 1ppm..

Anyhoo - is the Ammonia plateau normal at 0.25? It seemed to be coming down so quickly and then just stop - I hope I am reading it right, it is definitiely slightly green still so is not at 0ppm.

 

[Uriel]

Are you reading the test under fluorescent light rather than day light. This can make the test seem slightly green when it's actually yellow. I would test again under daylight both your tap and tank water. I would also dose the tank back up to 4ppm after you have tested.

Also make sure test tube ect are clean, although the light is more likely.

 

[Skins]

Are you reading the test under fluorescent light rather than day light. This can make the test seem slightly green when it's actually yellow. I would test again under daylight both your tap and tank water. I would also dose the tank back up to 4ppm after you have tested.

Also make sure test tube ect are clean, although the light is more likely.

+1, when reading your results don't place the test tube flush up against the api results card, instead place about 1-1.5cm in front of.

Keith.

 

[nehpets81]

Thanks for that, all the readings were taken in artificial light as it is dark by the time I get home - I will try again in the morning...

 

[waterdrop]

Have you added any more ammonia? Sometimes when it gets that low and seems to stick it's better to just go ahead and re-dose back up to 4ppm or so and see what then happens. It's a great sign that you are now seeing some nitrite, means things are progressing.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[nehpets81]

Have you added any more ammonia? Sometimes when it gets that low and seems to stick it's better to just go ahead and re-dose back up to 4ppm or so and see what then happens. It's a great sign that you are now seeing some nitrite, means things are progressing.

~~waterdrop~~

Yeah, that's what I thought - the nitrite readings suggest that there does seem to be bacteria processing the ammonia. I checked again this morning in natural light and there was still a definite greenish tinge that looked like 0.25ppm still. In any case, I added some more ammonia to bring it up to 2ppm to see what happens. Hopefully it will come down again, seems strange that the last 0.25ppm didn't want to come down, could the yellow colour be literally 0ppm, and any trace ammonia (like 0.000001ppm or something) gives it a green tinge? Or perhaps I'm colourblind

 

[waterdrop]

If you were using a fluorescent for the test lighting, it can give a very slight greenish tinge, as compared to incandescent (my favorite for testing) or sunlight (varies though.) WD

 

[nehpets81]

Another thing has just occured to me... I have a fluvial U3 filter and along with the foam cartridges, it also has something called Poly/carbon cartridges. Having read a few other posts on this forum, it seems that that people are bing advised to remove the carbon filtration - this is probably a really stupid question but is this what these poly/carbon cartridges are and should I take them out of my filter?

 

[Skins]

Another thing has just occured to me... I have a fluvial U3 filter and along with the foam cartridges, it also has something called Poly/carbon cartridges. Having read a few other posts on this forum, it seems that that people are bing advised to remove the carbon filtration - this is probably a really stupid question but is this what these poly/carbon cartridges are and should I take them out of my filter?

I would be inclined to leave your filter media alone now that you are 2 weeks+ into your cycle, removing it could set you back. Carbon(chemical media) does serve a purpose when wanting to remove old meds, Tanins and unwanted odors from your tank water. If left in any filter, bacterias will put there mark on it but no way near as much as on sponge(mechanical media) or bio-rings, ceramics, noddles(biological media).

Keith.