Hooray!

[eaglesaquarium]

Good stuff.  I'd still wait until the weekend though before adding fish.  Give the cycle a chance to stabilize.

 

[Mikeco]

Thats what I will do then. Thanks again.

 

[Mikeco]

Due to my schedule I can only test once a day. I have been getting zero on ammonia and waiting on the nitrites to follow suit. For the last two days my nitrite has finally shown zero however the ammonia does not quite get to zero. Maybe between .25 and .5. Is this a concern? Today I tested for nitrate and it shows zero. Just keep going as I have been?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nitrate is zero?  Are you using the API test kit?  You need to really shake the 2nd bottle, if so.  It has two reagents and one of them often "falls out of solution".  Its a powder and needs to be thoroughly shaken to mix it up.  Also be sure to shake the crap out of the test tube as well.  Both need to be vigorously shaken to get a result.
 
 
As far as the ammonia, are you using Prime?  This can sometimes show a false reading, and you can also see more of a tinge of green if not viewing the test tube in natural light.
 
 
Testing every 24 hours is fine.  I'd just be a bit more conservative in my initial stocking.

 

[Mikeco]

I just re tested the nitrates after shaking the heck out of it. It is reading between 20 and 40. I have not put anything other than ammonia in the tank, no prime etc. Is it possible that I may be adding too much ammonia? I am adding aprx 6ml's to a 39 gallon tank. Thanks again, your shaking suggestion was spot on.

yes that is API test kit numbers.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

No worries then.  1ppm ammonia (ion reading) turns into 3.6ppm nitrate (ion reading) for the API kit.  So, getting a reading of 40ppm nitrate means that you've fully processed about 10-12ppm ammonia...

 

[Mikeco]

One more question and I will leave you alone. Every since the nitrites have been going back to zero, the ammonia is reading around 1.0. The ammonia was reading 0 before the nitrites started reading 0. Is this okay or am I still not done. Here is all my results.

Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate >20 but <40
PH 6.8

Thanks so much for your help and putting up with my dumb questions!

Mike.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Not dumb questions at all...  The Ammonia bacs can sometimes get a little "finicky" for a while like this...  I think at some point they put some more effort into building a biofilm than just processing ammonia.  Remain patient, you are very close.  
 
What dose of ammonia are you giving the tank daily?

 

[Mikeco]

Aprx 6ml of ammonia (39 gallon tank). It brings the level up to aprx 2-4 ppm.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd drop the ammonia dose for the next few days to 4-5ml and see how that gets on...  Ultimately, are you planning to stock fully at the beginning or are you going to build up more gradually?

 

[Mikeco]

Probably gradually. I dropped the dose down to 4ml today. I am only going to have like neon tetras and fancy guppies. Nothing exotic.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

They are quite exotic...    Just because something is common in the trade doesn't mean that it isn't exotic.  Think about where they come from, and whether you would consider that location to be an exotic vacation spot... if so, then they are exotic fish.  Not to mention that the reason they are so popular in the trade is because of the amazing colors of these fish.
 
These guys can both be a little sensitive, so I'd be very patient in adding them.  Keep the flow fairly low to allow the guppies an easier time swimming.  I wouldn't suggest getting either group though, until the ammonia and nitrite are both coming up zeros in 12 hours...  The dose can be lower, say even 3ml, since you will be stocking more slowly.

 

[Mikeco]

Thanks again. I will drop the dose to 3ml and continue to monitor it.

 

[Mikeco]

Ok, I am starting to think I should have got a bird instead of an aquarium. Of course I am kidding. Here is my latest problem. The ammonia has stopped going to zero. The nitrites are reading zero and the nitrates are reading about 20. I got to thinking, where is the nitrite? It (nitrite) always reads zero now. Shouldn't there be some munching on the ammonia that I should be able to read before it goes to zero? I haven't put any ammonia in in a couple of days now and it is reading 2 or maybe slightly higher. Please help. Thanks, Mike.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

A water change is often the easiest solution to a stalled cycle...  What's your pH?  Sometimes the pH will drop, which the bacteria don't generally like, and will stop processing ammonia at the same rate...