Help With Water Results With Api Master Test

[Aqua Tom]

not long until phase 2

 

[rsturbo666]

What's phase two

 

[Gvilleguy]

Phase 2 is simply when your ammonia bacteria have developed to a good point, and your nitrite bacteria are starting to grow.

 

[rsturbo666]

lots of water changing latley and now ammonia is 0-0.25 nitrite 0.25 nitrate 0 hows it looking

 

[waterdrop]

You're doing the right thing, just keep hanging in there.

You know the end of a fish-in cycle is near when you can go two days with double zero readings (NH3 and NO2) without having to change water. Then if you can get it to do that for a week, you are cycled and ready to wait a couple weeks before your first fish addition. Fish additions should then be 2 or 3 medium/small fish with a couple weeks between so that the bacteria have lots of time to build back up after the new fish introduction.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

You are now entering the second phase of a cycle where you are processing the ammonia fairly well but the nitrites are building up instead. Be aware that you may need to do water changes for twice as long as it took for the ammonia part of the cycle just to keep the nitrites in line.