Leeore's Fish-in Cycle Thus Far!

[Leeore]

Here is my cycle log since I got my API master kit...starting testing about 2 and a half weeks after I set up the tank. I have 2 mollies, 1 platy. Tank is kept at 78 F. Freshwater. 10 gallon. I have a .25 ppm ammonia reading in my tap water, thus the constant ammonia reading's Let me know how she looks!



JULY 28TH - 1st test!

12:35 PM

Ammonia: 1.0 ppm
NitrIte: .25 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

Did 2 50 % changes to get the ammonia under control

NitrIte: 0 ppm
Ammonia: .25 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

JULY 29TH. Day 2 of testing.

12 pm
Fed fish

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: 0 ppm
NitrAte: 0 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

7:30 pm

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: 0 ppm
NitrAte: 0 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

JULY 30TH. Day 3

11:03 pm

Ammonia: .50 ppm
NitrIte: .25 ppm
NitrIAe: just under 5 ppm?
PH: 7.6 ppm

40% change

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: 0 ppm

JULY 31ST. Day 4

10:24 am
Fed fish

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: .25 ppm
NitrAte: Just under 5ppm...again
PH: 7.6 ppm

20% change

AmmoniaL .25 ppm
NitrIte: 0 ppm

AUG 1ST. Day 5.

2:28 pm

Ammonia: .50 ppm
NitrIte: .25 ppm
NitrAte: 5 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

50% change

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: 0 ppm

Went away for the weekend. Left dad with instructions on what to do. Unfortunatly he didn't record anything for me. Came back to a surprise - HUGE NitrIte readings. And some NitrAte!!! is this the turning point I wonder? lol. il be doing more frequent testing/changing now that I noticed the NitrIte rise. AUG 4TH.

5:44 pm

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: 1.0 ppm!!
NitrAte: 10 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

70 % change

Small amounts of NitrIte left...didn't have time to change it

AUG 5TH.

2:30 pm

Ammonia: .25 ppm (although it's starting to look more yellow now)
NitrIte: 1.0 ppm
NitrAte: 10 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

Fed fish, shortly after did 80 % change

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: Between 0 and .25....ugh

20% change

10:30 pm

Ammonia: 0 ppm (...)
NitrIte: .25 ppm (It won't go down!)
NitrAte: 5 ppm (####?)

Noticed a strong...gross smell coming from tank. Totally confused right now with the readings and smell

AUG 6TH

5:00 pm

Ammonia: .25 ppm
NitrIte: .50 ppm
NitrAte: 5 ppm
PH: 7.6 ppm

50% change. Confused why I lost NitrAtes.

NitrIte: Looks to be just under .25 ppm.


And that's that thus far. I will keep updating it as the days pass. I noticed that since the NitrItes starting going outta whack my platy seems to be acting odd. She's usually the most active of the three, but the last few days she has had clamped fins most of the time, heavy breathing, dosn't respond as fast to food, and just kinda chills in the one bottom corner. She seems bloated? (Or maybe she just got fat ) Also ( see picture) the light brown spot on top of her head seems to fade during the night and come back when I turn the lights back on. Could there be anything wrong?

Thanks for looking!!

 

[jmkgreen]

Heavy breathing is a classic sign of something bad. May be suffering burns or something as a result of high nitrites.

You're unlucky to spot .25ppm of ammonia in your tap water if that is true... You tested more than once?

 

[Leeore]

Heavy breathing is a classic sign of something bad. May be suffering burns or something as a result of high nitrites.

You're unlucky to spot .25ppm of ammonia in your tap water if that is true... You tested more than once?

Yes, a few times

 

[Leeore]

Bumpity

 

[OldMan47]

You have some of the same problem that I do but my tap is at about 1.0 ppm of ammonia. You need to do enough big water changes to get the nitrites under control and in the process your ammonia will stay at the minimum that you can achieve. I find that once my tank's filters become established, the ammonia in the tap water goes away very quickly in my tank so I just stopped worrying about it. A fish-in cycle is always a challenge when you have ammonia because the best you can ever do is get down to what is in the tap water.