Day 3 fish-less cycle parameters

[debow]

I was wondering if you guys could tell me how my parameters are looking in my day 3 of a fishless cycle and what to change.
Ph:7.4
Ammonia:4
Nitrite:2
Nitrate:20

 

[Dan_P]

I was wondering if you guys could tell me how my parameters are looking in my day 3 of a fishless cycle and what to change.
Ph:7.4
Ammonia:4
Nitrite:2
Nitrate:20

What was the starting ammonia level? Are you using Dr.Tim’s?

 

[debow]

What was the starting ammonia level? Are you using Dr.Tim’s?

It was pretty low around 0 and I’m using bacterstartxlm and pure ammonia

 

[Dan_P]

It was pretty low around 0 and I’m using bacterstartxlm and pure ammonia

Clarifying questions…

When you first added ammonia, what was the level on day 0?

What is pure ammonia?

 

[debow]

Clarifying questions…

When you first added ammonia, what was the level on day 0?

What is pure ammonia?

Yes

 

[brclark82]

When you dosed the ammonia what level did you take it to? He is trying to figure out how much of a reduction, if any, 4 is from where you started. I assume it is at least a bit lower since you have some nitrite available but it may help figoure out how much longer you have

 

[brclark82]

Also, you can stop testing for nitrate while you have nitrite present it isn’t accurate

 

[debow]

Also, you can stop testing for nitrate while you have nitrite present it isn’t accurate

Also, you can stop testing for nitrate while you have nitrite present it isn’t accurate

I only added the recommend 4 drops per gallon and I tried to use a little less then what they told me and day 1 when I first measured before adding anything ammonia was close to 0

 

[brclark82]

Did you test sometime after those 4 drops? Has it ever been higher than the current reading of 4?

 

[debow]

Did you test sometime after those 4 drops? Has it ever been higher than the current reading of 4?

Yesterday day 2 it was around .5 - 1 area
The photo is attached is from day 2 which was yesterday

 

[Spare time]

Yesterday day 2 it was around .5 - 1 area
The photo is attached is from day 2 which was yesterday

That pretty much indicates things are good to go. Just do a water change before you add the first fish. Note that QT-ing the fish or buying from a QT vendor will save you a ton of time and headaches down the road.

PS nitrite will go down by the time a fish goes in

 

[debow]

That pretty much indicates things are good to go. Just do a water change before you add the first fish. Note that QT-ing the fish or buying from a QT vendor will save you a ton of time and headaches down the road.

Awesome thank u

 

[brclark82]

Yesterday day 2 it was around .5 - 1 area
The photo is attached is from day 2 which was yesterday

Your ammonia went up from .5-1 yesterday to 4 today? Have you been adding more ammonia?

 

[debow]

Your ammonia went up from .5-1 yesterday to 4 today? Have you been adding more ammonia?

No i havent ,i will test it again tonight and send a picture

 

[brclark82]

No i havent ,i will test it again tonight and send a picture

Well it should never be higher than it was about 30 mins after you added the ammonia on the first day…it will gradually decrease while the nitrites increase until the ammonia hits zero and then you are good to add livestock while the nitrite continues to be broken down into nitrate…if your ammonia is increasing something is wrong and you have an additional ammonia source other than the drops you initially used…that or your test is inaccurate

 

[brclark82]

That pretty much indicates things are good to go. Just do a water change before you add the first fish. Note that QT-ing the fish or buying from a QT vendor will save you a ton of time and headaches down the road.

PS nitrite will go down by the time a fish goes in

I think you missed the part where he said it was 4 ppm today after being .5-1 yesterday

 

[debow]

I think you missed the part where he said it was 4 ppm today after being .5-1 yesterday

 

[debow]

This is the most recent test

 

[brclark82]

This is the most recent test

Then you need to figure out where that ammonia is coming from becuase if you think your only source was the drops 4 days ago and it was 0.5-1 yesterday you’re wrong

 

[debow]

Then you need to figure out where that ammonia is coming from becuase if you think your only source was the drops 4 days ago and it was 0.5-1 yesterday you’re wrong

Gonna assume it’s my sand because I only have sand and rock in there as of now is there anything I should do besides wait