Water parameter question

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zimmermanst

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 3, 2009
120
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ohio
Like the title says i have a question, how can my ammonia be 0ppm nitrates about 10ppm but my nitrates are pretty high 2-5ppm is this bad and how does this happen, it is a new tank but has been cycling over a month now with my Gar in it.

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Do you mean that your ammonia is 0ppm, nitrAtes is 10ppm & nitrItes is 2 to 5ppm?

When was your last water change? How much are you changing and how often? and are you making sure that when you clean any filter media, you are doing it with tank water & not tap water?
 
The cycling process is gradual and a 3 stage living process, as ammonia fixing bacteria convert it to nitrite, nitrite fixers convert nitrite to nitrate and nitrate fixers gradually increase. In just one month, the process of cycling is not complete. This process can take 2 months to come to total equilibrium.
In your post, you also used the word nitrate twice, I assume one was meant to read nitrite.
While bacteria divide quickly, they do not complete their populations instantaneously.
 
Sorry about the stupid autocorrect nitrites 2-5, i usually just clean my fx5 and leave the sump alone, and i only clean the sponges in the fx5 and leave the bio alone, i clean the filter every two weeks and do a 50% wc every week so about 100 gallons, do you think Im near the end of the process, to the point where the nitrites are becoming nitrates?

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Not stupid, just a typo, very easy to do.
You "are close" to the end because nitrates have started to rise, sounds like you have a good routine going.
But don't add a bunch of fish yet, wait until all ammonia and nitrite are used up before complete stocking.
 
Meh, no worries about the autocorrect, it's why I asked about it in my first post just to be certain (and the levels made sense that way lol).
 
Thanks, I'm not adding any fish right now but in a couple of weeks I'm supposed to be getting a large tire track eel and two kelberi Bahia that are about 6". I guess I'll just keep changing water and checking the parameters.


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Are you cleaning your filters during the cycling process, or do you have a good surface for beneficial bacteria? I made that mistake when I got my first tank. I kept killing the beneficial bacteria during my weekly filter cleaning. THere are also products that help establish a tank. 10 bucks typically, works amazing!
 
I have a ~20 gallon sump that has probably 10 gallons of bioballs in it which i never touch. The fx5 is loaded with pot scrubbies and filter floss i only change the floss and the clean the sponges that came with it.

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