Another nitrite question...
- Thread starter alysha
- Start date
I will do this when I do the large water change tomorrow, will definitely make life easier than using buckets that's for sure.
I just wanted to make sure I wasn't adding anymore stress to the fish since they are new and just had undergone shipping and a new environment etc
Thanks for your help
I looked back and you started the fishless cycling ~11/6. On 11/20 you reported that you already had nitrate readings.
That's very confusing to me since nitrates normally take a long time to develop from scratch. Did you start with mature media or did you add bacteria to your tank? If not, I can't understand the nitrate readings.
The only other idea I have is that your tap water has nitrates in it. (Some people do and in fact in some places it's quite an issue.) If that's the case, you may be far from cycled, (although it doesn't really square with a nitrate reading of 80 ppm.) I agree with Pops that the test kits may not be giving accurate results.
In essence, the nitrates are false indicators of a cycled tank, and that you instead have yet to develop a bacteria to eliminate nitrites.
That's very confusing to me since nitrates normally take a long time to develop from scratch. Did you start with mature media or did you add bacteria to your tank? If not, I can't understand the nitrate readings.
The only other idea I have is that your tap water has nitrates in it. (Some people do and in fact in some places it's quite an issue.) If that's the case, you may be far from cycled, (although it doesn't really square with a nitrate reading of 80 ppm.) I agree with Pops that the test kits may not be giving accurate results.
In essence, the nitrates are false indicators of a cycled tank, and that you instead have yet to develop a bacteria to eliminate nitrites.
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What nitrite readings were/are you getting? I know you mentioned high, but didn't list the results. What size is your tank/water volume currently? Relatively to how much ammonia you used, I just wanted to get an idea of how quickly before you saw nitrates.
With that API Kit, make sure you follow exactly, including all the "vigorous shaking" that is instructed.
With that API Kit, make sure you follow exactly, including all the "vigorous shaking" that is instructed.
So using the color chart with the api master kit it's hard to discern. I'm getting a very bright magenta color that doesn't really match any number, using a test strip it came to around 3ppm so I'd say it somewhere around there.
It's a 40 gallon tank and I was dosing around 2ppm ammonia everyday it's started off around 4ppm though initially.
So I used some bacteria additives, fritzyme turbo start my lfs said that can help cycle a new tank. My tap is zero for nitrate and nitrites
