New Tank Cycle Questions...help Plz!

[Deisler]

Hi all,

I am new to fish keeping recently.

Last week, I bought a 120L fish tank with all other stuff (ornament+heater+filter...) and start the cycling...

Then when I went to LFS two days ago the staff there told me that without NH4+ the cycling wont start. Then I bought three little Zebra Danios from him.

After I moved my fish in, I started to measure the aquarium parameters very carefully by API master kit.

1st day, Amonia 0 (this is really an estimation I found no color chart from the kit I bought so I do it with online pic from googlepic..) Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0..

2nd day, Amonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0

3rd day, same thing...

But when I checked out some posts here, most ppl got readings on Amonia since the first day. Mine has nothing even on the 3rd day!

What happened? Is that normal? Or I have to feed them more frequently so they can produce Amonia? (Now I am feeding them once every two days)

Help needed... Thank you guys.


BTW: How can I get the color chart of API test kit... THere wasnt one in the kit I bought....

I forgot to mention that I made 15% water change on the first day and no more water change after that

 

[CezzaXV]

I wouldn't worry about it. If you have fish in there they will be producing ammonia, but perhaps not enough for your test kit to detect yet. The bacteria will grow with very very small amounts of ammonia, so be thankful your weeks of daily water changes havent started yet.

 

[Deisler]

I wouldn't worry about it. If you have fish in there they will be producing ammonia, but perhaps not enough for your test kit to detect yet. The bacteria will grow with very very small amounts of ammonia, so be thankful your weeks of daily water changes havent started yet.

Thanks for your reply.

The ammonia level is still very low (non-readable from test kit)... Fourth day already.

I will keep doing 20% daily water change anyway