OK, where did my ammonia go?

laurabb

laurabb

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Jan 7, 2007
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We're 8 days into a fishy cycle, and I've been testing the water at least twice a day. I've been doing daily water changes of about 40%, and sometimes twice daily changes when the ammonia hits .25. For nearly 3 days now, no ammonia is showing up in the tank. Nitrites are still 0. I'm using the AP master test kit. Does this typically happen in a cycle? The fish (betta) looks fine.
 
What are your nitrates and what size tank do you have? It is possible that seeing how you have a small bioload, that will depend on what size tank you have, you are going through an almost silent cycle.

Blue
 
It's a 2.5 gallon tank. I just tested the water again - ammonia is still 0, nitrites are 0, and nitrates are 0. There's no way this tank could have cycled - I've been testing for nitrites all along, and they haven't shown up at all yet. I'm really surprised at the lack of ammonia, because yesterday I crumbled a bit of freeze-dried brine shrimp into the tank, and the betta spat them out, and the bits sank to the bottom of the tank.

I have added 1-2 drops of Prime during each water change, but ammonia has always shown up before. What's going on?
 
Nope, no live plants.

The ammonia reappeared this morning, a shade under .25. That was a relief! I did a 40% water change - can't believe that I actually like to do PWCs! Still no nitrites or nitrates. But I'm still curious as to why I didn't see any ammonia in the tank for 3 days.
 
maybe you're starting to grow a bacterial colony. not all the ammonia is converted in nitrite - just like any food, some of it is reserved for the growth of the organism. so even if they are eating the ammonia, not enough of it is there to eventally produce a reading on your nitrite test.
 
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