Haven't cycled a tank in a year... so quick question

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aviva90

aviva90

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I am doing a fish-in cycle (please no haters) with 2 giant danios in a 46g tank. I began cycling last Wednesday, the 12th. I tested last on Tuesday (wasnt home yesterday) the ammonia was a 1.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0. I thought it was just cycling slow, which surprises me because I added some plants and I had some damp gravel that I added from a previously cycled tank (although it had been sitting around for a couple months, stayed damp but no new food, so I didn't know if any bacteria survived). Now today I wake up and the ammonia is between .25 and .50ppm, still 0 nitrites, and nitrate is between 0 and 5 ppm. I'm confused... when I've cycled all my other tanks I did fish-in and it was the usual ammonia spike, nitrite spike, cycled. Now there's lowering ammonia, no sign of nitrites, but there are some nitrates... any ideas? I believe my test kit is expired but I wasn't sure if that was a marketing thing so you would throw out half-used kits and spend money on brand-new ones, or if the chemicals actually do expire...
 
jpappy789

jpappy789

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Check the lot# to make sure it isn't expired. Most of the test reagents are good for about 3-5 years, but more info is below...

API Expiration

As for the cycle, make sure you do NOT let either ammonia or nitrite spike via water changes. Fish-in cycles are different in that you need to keep both lower (essentially un-measurable) because of how hazardous spikes are to the fish.
 
aviva90

aviva90

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Thanks for the link. And yea, I've done lots of fish-in cycles before. I'm wondering why the ammonia is dropping but there's no sign of nitrites but there is of nitrates. Since usually once the ammonia drops nitrites rise before there's a sign of nitrates. And yea my tests are expired, I was just wondering if any chemists out there knew if the chemicals actually went bad because I know sometimes companies add expiration dates to sell more, not because the product actually expires.
 
mpmistr

mpmistr

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Do you have any used media to jump start the cycle? I start off all my new tanks with old media without any real issues.
 
aviva90

aviva90

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mp: The first post explains what I used as media. I added some plants and I had some damp gravel that I added from a previously cycled tank (although it had been sitting around for a couple months, stayed damp but no new food, so I didn't know if any bacteria survived).
and jpappy: thanks, I'll get new ones today and post what results are
 
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BettaFishMommy

BettaFishMommy

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the gravel that sat for two months most likely had no surviving bacteria in it. the plants would bring in very little bacteria when compared to what a dirty filter sponge or gravel directly from an established tank would.

i would consider this tank 'brand new' and not factor in the small amount of bacteria that came in on the plants.

get that new test kit, and in the meantime, do large daily water changes to keep the unknown ammonia and nitrite levels from spiking. use Prime for dechlorinator, and overdose it to ensure it is covering that ammonia and nitrite that you cannot accurately test for right now.
 
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