Have My Nitrites Dropped?

[Leitch]

Well i read in the fishless cycling thread that if the nitrite testing liquid turns purple at the bottom of the tube then the nitrites were still off the scale. And sure enough, i shook the tube up, and 5 minutes later the tube was a deep purple.But today, when i put the test liquid in, it...i dont no...but it just didnt seem to turn as deep purple at the bottom of the tube, and after i shook it and left it for 5 minutes, my nitrites were a very light purple, indicating 0.5ppm Nitrites.Is it possible they have dropped? Even tho they turned purple in the tube at the start, but after a shake&wait, turned a lighter purple?


EDIT: Okay...after i made that post i went to cheak it again and the water was perfectly clear. I think im going crazy. Did i ever really test it? xDRe-testing now

 

[Leitch]

Right im certain that my Nitrites are at 0.5, but how can this be?? My nitrates are only around 20!?

 

[doresy]

Hi, how long have you been cycling and what is your history?

 

[Leitch]

Been cycling for about 2months, cause i mucked up a bit at the start.

Ammonia has been retuning to 0ppm from 3-4ppm for about 1-2weeks.

Im not too sure of the history of nitrates because i wasnt doing the test right at the start (not enough bottle shaking) But ive recorded them correctly the last 5 or so days and they went from 5 to 20.

Im going to retest everything in the morning, but im 99% certain that all my testing has been correct, but im tired and so i dont want to get over exited, just incase something isnt right.

 

[rabbut]

Supprising as it sounds, nitrAtes at 20ppm at the end of a cycle is quite possible. If you had a good seed, or if you only had to add ammonia a few times after a seamingly slow start, the ammount of ammonia processed to complete the cycle could be low enough to keep the nitrates in the safe range, despite the inevitable nitrite spike.
As dorsy says, we need to know your tank history to deturmin if the 20ppm nitrate is realistic. I am not formiliar with the API test kit enough to comment on whether the nitrite reading is accurate, so wait for another members coments on this.
HTH
Rabbut

 

[Leitch]

Supprising as it sounds, nitrAtes at 20ppm at the end of a cycle is quite possible. If you had a good seed, or if you only had to add ammonia a few times after a seamingly slow start, the ammount of ammonia processed to complete the cycle could be low enough to keep the nitrates in the safe range, despite the inevitable nitrite spike.As dorsy says, we need to know your tank history to deturmin if the 20ppm nitrate is realistic. I am not formiliar with the API test kit enough to comment on whether the nitrite reading is accurate, so wait for another members coments on this.HTHRabbut

That bit ive highleighted describes my tank perfectly.

EDIT:I might wait until morning before i re-test, but i dont think ill be able to sleep without knowing if my tank is almost cycled or not.Raise your hand if you think i should retest everything now?

 

[doresy]

Ok, if your ammonia is returning to zero from 4 or more for a couple of weeks then at some point your nitrites should have spiked. It sounds very much like your nitrites are now being well processed but you have a little way to go yet.
Keep your ammonia topped up to 4-5ppm each time they zero out and test for nitrite including the mixing. The test for nitrite needs to be light blue (if memory serves me right). Nitrates will go higher but no concern at this time.

Bottom line is fish are not an option untill ammonia and nitrite are at zero in under 12 hours from adding ammonia, then this should be kept up for a further 2-3 days then a complete water change and FISH!

keep going, nearly there

 

[Leitch]

Thankyou Dorsey.

Im going to retest it all now to make sure i havent just dissapointed myself.

And yes, my nitrites were very much spiked.

 

[doresy]

That sounds a good idea, we'llwait for the results with baited breath

 

[Leitch]

Ok the result are in

Ammonia : 0ppm

Nitrite : 0.50ppm

Nitrate : 10ppm

I dont see how this is possible

I am using an API LIQUID MASTER TEST KIT, reccommended to me by forum members. This is NOT a faulty test kit and i am 100% sure that i am doing the tests correctly.

Hoping to see the light blue tomoro morning

 

[Leitch]

And another thing that puzzles me;

My tank is spotless,

 

[rabbut]

Ammonia : 0ppm

Nitrite : 0.50ppm

Nitrate : 10ppm

I dont see how this is possible

There has to be an error somewhere. Are you convinced that you are holding the sloution bottles perfectly verticle, as tilting them slightly will add different sized drops. Cirtain the correct number of drops are added each time? The light the test results are under at reading, will also make a difference. For best accuracy, view the kits in natural sunlight, when the sun is out. Aretificial light will distort and lack the true colours in the test visal, nulifying the test, by making incorrect colour "appear" within the visal.

This is NOT a faulty test kit and i am 100% sure that i am doing the tests correctly.

If you genuinely ciratain the test is beeing carried out correctly, is there anyone else with a test kit, from whom you may get to run a seporate test for you. This is confirm the results of your own test, and sho the true results
HTH
rabbut

 

[Leitch]

Sorry, no-one else with a test kit.

Another peice of useful advice:

2 months ago i added a HUGE amount off amonia, and when nothing happened i changed the water and started again. Maybe some Nitrite proccessing bacteria was still there, lying un-detected until now?

 

[doresy]

I am probably missing something here as I am a little tired

Are we concerned about the very low nitrate here?

You have been cycling for a while now, ammonia is returning to zero and nitrites, after a spike, are almost gone. All this is text-book right.

(BTW, keep adding ammonia so it is never left at zero for any length of time.)

So that brings us back to the low nitrates which we would expect to be much higher.

May I suggest a further nitrate test as there is a little more to it than the other tests. The timings and shaking is VERY important in the API Nitrate test.

If this offers no change in the results I just would like to add that a low nitrate result is NOT impossible.

 

[Leitch]

Thannks again Dorsey.

Ill test my nitrates one more time then.

And after that ill stick more ammonia in.