Can Anybody Figure Out These API Levels?

[bjbass]

I can't ever figure out which color these things are in my API Master Freshwater Kit. Any tips on how to read this thing? That Nitrite level on my picture doesn't match any of those colors!

The Nitrate levels on the right are 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160ppm.

The PH looks like 6.6 to me. The Ammonia looks like 0 or .25. The Nitrate looks like 40ppm.

 

[jcardona1]

nitrates look pretty low to me. nitrites are off the charts! you in the middle of cycling your tank? if so, they should drop down to 0 any day now, almost over night

 

[bjbass]

nitrates look pretty low to me. nitrites are off the charts! you in the middle of cycling your tank? if so, they should drop down to 0 any day now, almost over night

Yes, I am in the middle of a fishy cycle. I have been doing partial water changes to 50% water changes every couple days. The nitrites have been like that for a number of days and won't go away! I thought they were off the charts too. It is a 210 gallon aquarium, so the water changes are arduous at times even with the Aqueon water changer.

I use Prime every day or every other day to detoxify the ammonia and nitrite. I don't know why the nitrites have not dropped yet.

 

[fox3]

nitrItes take like forever to drop. But they do. Keep up with the WC's as too high a trIte reading causes it to take longer to drop to zero.

 

[bjbass]

nitrItes take like forever to drop. But they do. Keep up with the WC's as too high a trIte reading causes it to take longer to drop to zero.

This must be my problem. I can't seem to shake that nitrite!

 

[scorp]

You are keeping fish in this poison????

O M G !

 

[bjbass]

You are keeping fish in this poison????

O M G !

Yeah, I know. I feel awful about it!

It is a long story, but I will make it short. I am new to the hobby and I have been doing constant research and posting on here to figure this whole thing out. I started out with a fishless cycle with Stability. My whole intention was to cycle the tank fishless, but I wanted to try and speed up the process a little. From doing research I thought that Stability was the way to go. After a bunch of posting on their website with tech support and dropping a ton of money, I basically gave up on that stuff. Their tech support told me that I needed a bio load. I then added some minnows and crayfish. Then they tell me that the bio load isn't large enough, so I add more fish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, SMB). I finally started to see nitrites and nitrates, but I ran out of Stability after about three weeks and gave up spending money on that stuff. Ever since I have been relying on Prime every day and water changes. I don't know what else to do and I am extremely upset for my fish, but they seem to be ok with the various things I am doing for them (water changes, prime, aquarium salt). I am doing everything I can from my limited knowledge, but it definitely isn't that I didn't do my research. I researched everything for months and months and did what I thought was best. It turns out I just didn't have the best information.

 

[scorp]

OK, so as usual, companies trying to make money...

I've never used anything to cycle in more than 20 years, except used filters, decoration and water from my other tanks and never had any bacteria bloom, high nitrites/nitrates or anything.

Patience! The keyword for happy fishkeeping. Give it a couple of weeks in the beginning and never worry about it again.

 

[fox3]

Go get yerself a bottle of Tetra SafeStart for a 75G tank and drop that in the tank ASAP. I did this with a 210 RR AGA and added 14' worth of haps and mbuna the same day. Never saw a spike of either ammonia or nitrItes. HTH

 

[scorp]

Go get yerself a bottle of Tetra SafeStart for a 75G tank and drop that in the tank ASAP. I did this with a 210 RR AGA and added 14' worth of haps and mbuna the same day. Never saw a spike of either ammonia or nitrItes. HTH

and here we go again...

Not a decent advice, seriously! That's hit and miss nothing else, do some research please.

bjbass, here's another thread for advice:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119963