Tank Cycle Question

[throttlethumb]

OK.... I have set up many tanks but never got readings like this on the 4th day. Here is a little background on the setup. I have a 30 gallon tank that was set up friday night. I conditioned the water with Marineland Bio-Safe and let it sit for 24 hours. After the 24 hour period, I added Bio-Spira and a few hours later 2-2" fantails (definately not overstocked) The readings as of this post are as follows

Ammonia .25ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates 5.0ppm
ph 7.6
temp 74.2 degrees

What happened to the Nitrite portion of the tank cycle Did I miss it in the past couple days? Does Bio-Spira have such an impact as to convert Nitrite into Nitrate that fast? I have never seen a tank do what mine just did. I dont want to do a water change just yet for reasons of the bacteria from the Bio-Spira establishing and I want to see if that .25ppm ammonia reading will eventually turn into some sort of a nitrite reading. Imm not sure why it went from an ammonia reading to no nitrites to a nitrate reading. BTW, I have the temp up a bit to accelerate the bacteria growth.

 

[karlp]

Bio-spira is one of very few products that actually does contain live nitrifying bacteria as well as bacteria to deal with the ammonia, so if you've added enough bio-spira you could have the results you've got. I would normally expect a mini-cycle with bio-spira, so a small ammonia peak and then a small nitrite peak a few days later, probably all over in about a week. It may be that you are still to have your small nitrite peak, so monitor it over the next few days.

 

[Squid]

Thats what i was gonna say... Fishy Mad just said it better...

but anyway.. i agree if that counts for anything.

Squid

 

[Squid]

sorry.. must have been an echo.

 

[throttlethumb]

That was how I understood it also. The piece of this cycle that boggled my mind is why a NITRATE reading? Doesnt there have to be a Nitrite presence for Nitrate to form?

 

[Squid]

That was how I understood it also. The piece of this cycle that boggled my mind is why a NITRATE reading? Doesnt there have to be a Nitrite presence for Nitrate to form?

Are there nitrates in your tap water? try testing it straight from the tap.

 

[throttlethumb]

Thats it.... 5.0ppm straight from the tap. I guess I should start salting the tank? What effect will salt have on the cycling and will it hurt the bacteria colony that is forming from the bio spira? Maybe just leave it alone until I get Nitrite readings.

 

[Squid]

5ppm of nitrates is no problem..... not sure what you mean... what do you mean by salting the tank? im new to this..

 

[throttlethumb]

From what I understand, Adding salt (im not sure of the dosage) will lower your nitrate levels. Please dont take this as gospal. Its been a long time since I have been in the hobby. From what I remember, Salt will lower the nitrate level but the downside is that it will reduce a slime coat barrier on the fish possibly promoting disease. I believe that is why salt is good in a quarintine tank. It reduces slime coat for medications to do their job. Please correct me if I am wrong. Like I said, I forgot more than I know at this point. I havent set up a tank in almost a decade.

 

[karlp]

5ppm of Nitrate is not harmful to the fish. Don't worry about it.

I wouldn't add salt for freshwater fish personally.

Thats what i was gonna say... Fishy Mad just said it better...

Great minds think alike