Fishy cycling 2 weeks, no ammonia/nitrites/nitrates -- could Prime alter readings?

[gingerinaustin]

Hi all! I'm trying to cycle a new 55 gallon freshwater tank with 3 mollies and 3 platies. Decor includes fake plants, regular ol' white aquarium gravel, glass and black rocks and a big hunk of driftwood. Filter is a Penguin BioWheel 350 power filter with two of their standard filter cartridges. Tank temperature is maintained between 78-79 degrees. Everything was up and running for about two days before I added fish. The LFS gave me some mucky 'squeezins' from one of their filters to seed the tank (they were out of BioSpira) which I poured directly into the BioWheel. I'm feeding flake food, trying extremely hard not to overfeed the fish (they're like puppies!).

I used Prime as a water conditioner. Admittedly, I dosed the heck out of the tank with Prime before realizing I had the wrong type of ammonia test kit. Since LCRA (water mgmt co here in Central TX) reportedly dumps boatloads of ammonia and chlorine in the water supply after a heavy rain, the LFS recommended a double dose of Prime anyway (it was pouring hard the day I bought and set up the aquarium), but I think this tank got 3 or 4 doses of Prime before I realized I was using a Nessler reagent. Got the SeaChem "Ammonia Alert" thingy and stuck it in the tank. The tank got super cloudy 2 days after I put the fish in, and it's been clearing a bit every day since then.

So the tank's been humming along for nearly two weeks now, and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all testing a big fat ZERO. The LFS recommended not doing water changes for at least a couple of weeks, so I haven't. I took a sample of tank water down to the LFS after a week, and they found the merest trace of ammonia and nitrate, but no nitrite. (?) The fish are doing great, but I'm eager to get the tank cycled and get more fish.

I've been reading that Prime sequesters all three of these toxic byproducts, and I'm wondering if I'm ever going to get positive readings on any of 'em; if so, how do I know when my tank is cycled? I've also been reading that sequestered ammonia may be harder for bacteria to process, and theoretically, Prime might slow down the establishment of the biofilter. Does anyone here give any credence to that theory? Am I just being impatient? Or am I reading too much on the Internets?!

Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[ct-death]

Typically it will take anywhere from 2-3 weeks for ammonia to spike, although this can happen much much sooner as well.

Also Prime will also nuetralize and convert the Ammonia into a non-toxin form, however this is still poicked up on the tests as Ammonia FYI

 

[gingerinaustin]

Also Prime will also nuetralize and convert the Ammonia into a non-toxin form, however this is still poicked up on the tests as Ammonia FYI

Not on the SeaChem tests--in my limited experience. The SeaChem Multi-Test 4 and the SeaChem Ammonia Alert do not register a response to the sequestered ammonia. But yes, I understand the sequestered ammonia still exists in the tank. My question was, since Prime converts ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to non-toxic forms, how will I know when my tank is cycled? And is it true that Prime-sequestered ammonia delays the development of the biofilter?

 

[kimmisc]

I use Prime, and the API master test kit for freshwater. Prime never altered the test, and does not alter cycling.

 

[Squawkbert]

I have found that use of Prime does influence API's NH3 test. Your NH3 reading from an API test in a tank containing Prime will be low if there's enough Prime in there. Despite this, the NH3 is still available to plants & bacteria.

Here's an APC thread on the subject

 

[gingerinaustin]

Thanks Squawkbert. There is about 3-4 times the SeaChem recommended amount of Prime in my tank which is probably enough to throw off all the readings, according to that thread.

So how am I going to know when my tank is cycled? I was hoping with the muck from the LFS filter that I could get the cycle done a little faster than the typical 4-6 weeks, but I'm not sure how I'm going to know when it's done if a quad dose of Prime masks the nitrate levels.

 

[1boatnut]

I use Prime with a API test kit and have never had it alter my tests.
I have tested my tap water,then added Prime and the tests did not change. I then test my tank ,that also has Prime and again,except for the presence of NitrAte,my readings are the same.

 

[gingerinaustin]

I use Prime with a API test kit and have never had it alter my tests.
I have tested my tap water,then added Prime and the tests did not change. I then test my tank ,that also has Prime and again,except for the presence of NitrAte,my readings are the same.

I'm assuming you use a standard dose of Prime. In my case, my tank has 3-4 times the standard dose. Do you think the higher amount of Prime could alter my test results? If not, why do you think my tank is showing no ammonia, nitrIte or nitrAte after 2 weeks with fish and seeding from another tank?

Also, I'm wondering how long Prime hangs around in the tank.

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help me sort this out. I would think after 2 weeks with fish + seeding from an established tank and no water changes that something--anything--would be registering. Does anyone think this is normal?

 

[kimmisc]

Are you mixing the prime in the new water before you pour it into the tank? Sorry if I'm asking the obvious, but chlorine would kill the bacteria. Sudden shock of cold water can also kill the bacteria.

I doubled the prime in my 10gal and it never effected my tests.

Another silly question but I have to ask.... what test are you using? If it comes with 2 bottle for ammonia testing, are you using BOTH bottles? API master kit has 2 bottles for ammonia, and also 2 bottles for nitrate. Bottles 1 AND 2 must be used for each test.

Prime says it "removes" ammonia, but in my experience, it has not removed ammonia. It MAY detoxify it, but it will still show on the test, and it will still be consumed by bacteria when bacteria is present.

If you have fish, and no ammonia at all, you're either not testing correctly, or your test kit is bad.

What did you seed with? Gravel or filter media? If it was gravel, it will take longer for the bacteria to grow into a large colony. There's more bacteria in the filter media. Bacteria thrives in highly oxygenated areas, like your filter. This in itself has nothing to do with your lack of ammonia though. As I said, 0 ammonia (ever) means something is going wrong with testing.

 

[kimmisc]

Also want to add, your LFS's advice to not do any PWC was bad advice. Once you get your testing sorted out, if ammonia is 0.25 or more, you need to do PWC's until it's brought down below 0.25, else your fish are going to suffer. Same with nitrite. My fish showed more signs of stress with nitrite than with ammonia, even. You do not want them sitting in nitrite at all.