Has My Tank Cycled?

[eschaton]

I've been using Ammo-Lock, but I've also been getting infusions of bacteria from the LFS. My test kit can't tell the difference between Ammonia and Ammonium.

Readings are:

Ammonia/Ammonium: 2 (significantly lower than yesterday, but I did a water change tonight)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

I'm not entirely clear if the bacteria can convert ammonium to nitrite. I know the ammonium will slowly convert back to ammonia on its own accord however. So if they can't use the ammonium the tank is essentially okay and the readings should eventually return to zero for the first test, right?

The alternative is that the fully-developed bacteria community I introduced on Monday managed to fix all the nitrites but haven't worked their magic on all the ammonia compounds. I would think if this was the case however there would be *some* trace nitrite in the water.

So what is it? Developed, or still developing? If my tank is essentially stabilized now I'd really like to get an otto or two over the weekend, because the tank is cloudy and disgusting with algae (my pleco and algae eater died almost immediately, and the snails are only doing so much).

Edit:

My second tank, which I started a week later, for comparison, has Ammonia .25, Nitrite .25, and Nitrate at around 7.5. Never used ammo-lock, but have had to use antibiotics because two of my fish got pop-eye I'm trying to treat.

 

[mr.dark-saint]

Anytime one uses a product "Ammo-LocK" and the likes will make the true reading immpossible. Then combine that with a water change forget it since you're just wasting testing kit and bottles of "juice". Best I can tell you is to not to do a water change or add juice in to the tank for a few days (3 or so days) then take a test. Just remember water changes and juice just retards the cycle .

 

[Pheonix]

id wait a bit longer on the cycle on that tank id much prefer your stats 2 say

ammonium 0
nitrite 2
nitrate 5

as you are probably more than well aware ammonium is by far the most toxic to your fishy friends

patience is a virtue

the stats on your other tank are much better

 

[Silverlady]

id wait a bit longer on the cycle on that tank id much prefer your stats 2 say

ammonium 0
nitrite 2
nitrate 5

as you are probably more than well aware ammonium is by far the most toxic to your fishy friends

patience is a virtue

the stats on your other tank are much better

I think you mean Nitrite 0
Higher Nitrate is ok.

 

[Pheonix]

i only said would prefer it if it said that hehe

i wouldnt do anything with it personally until it was

ammonium 0
nitrite 0
nitrate .1 or less

but then i am a saltie

 

[eschaton]

Thanks for the responses so far guys.

I was under the impression while ammonia was highly toxic, ammonium wasn't bad for the fish.

And what I'm most confused with about my readings is how there can still be significant ammonia/ammonium, but not be at least some nitrites in the tank. Everything I've read suggests there ought to be a Nitrite spike following the ammonia spike, and the ammonia spike has surely happened.

But yeah, I think i'm fine with not using the ammo-lock, though not doing water changes until the cycle finishes goes against everything I've read about what's good for the fish.

 

[wendywc]

I was under the impression while ammonia was highly toxic, ammonium wasn't bad for the fish.

I believe that's right; Ammolock advertises it turns the toxic ammonia into nontoxic... whatever that's called.

But yeah, I think i'm fine with not using the ammo-lock, though not doing water changes until the cycle finishes goes against everything I've read about what's good for the fish.

If you have fish in there, you do need to lower the ammonia for the sake of the fish. You should ideally cycle tanks without fish... but we're past that now if there are fish in there. With fish, I would continue using ammolock or ammochips (which I have used in the past and it does truly reduce ammonia and won't give false-positive/confusing readings). The cycling will take longer but be less harmful to your fish.

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

Nitrate can be ok up to 20ppm, some people are ok even higher but I'd say 20 and below is great.